Tennis-Djokovic seeks history as US Open endurance test awaits

Novak Djokovic arrives at the U.S. Open chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, but the storyline is now his ability to endure a demanding two-week stretch. The 39-year-old, a four-time U.S. Open champion, has reached a men’s record 10 finals in New York, and another title would move him past Margaret Court’s 24 major singles trophies for sole all-time possession. He also reached the Australian Open final this year and Wimbledon semifinals. After a Cincinnati Open loss this month, his first match since Wimbledon saw him struggle in New York humidity, dropping the second-set service game and ultimately losing to Thiago Agustin Tirante 2-6 6-4 6-4. Djokovic said it’s a health issue linked to heat and humidity.