WATCH: Highlights as Novak Djokovic receives warm welcome back in US
Novak Djokovic made his long-awaited return to American soil on Tuesday as he competed in the doubles at the Cincinnati Open alongside compatriot Nikola Cacic.
Doubles matches don’t always draw big crowds, but Court 3 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio was packed as people wanted a glimpse of 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in action.
It was always going to be a tough ask for the all-Serbian pair in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 event as they faced multiple doubles major winners Jamie Murray and Michael Venus.
The reception for both teams were brilliant, but Djokovic was always going to get the biggest reaction as many got to see the tennis great play in the United States for the first time since 2021.
The Cacic-Djokovic partnership produced a solid effort, especially in the first set, but in the British-Kiwi pair were always a stride ahead and secured a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Cacic-Djokovic had a double opening in game three, but their opponents saved both break points. And they had another chance in game seven only to be denied again.
Murray and Venus then made the most of their only break point in game 10 as they wrapped up the opening set.
The favourites were relentless in the second set as they broke in games four and eight to book a place in the second round where they will meet top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski.
For Djokovic it is onto the singles as he will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round after the Spaniard defeated Tomas Etcheverry.
It is a tough draw for Djokovic, who is hoping to regain the world No 1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz, as he is projected to meet Canadian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the quarter-final and either Daniil Medvedev or Holger Rune in the semi-final.
The 23-time major champion is hoping his North American hard-court swing follows a similar pattern to his Australian swing earlier this year.
Having also missed the 2022 campaign Down Under after being deported over his vaccination stance, Djokovic also kicked off his 2023 campaign with a doubles match as he teamed up with Vasek Pospisil in the Adelaide International. The pair lost the match, but Djokovic went on to win the singles title before lifting the Australian Open trophy just over three weeks later.
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