Boris Becker surprised by Sinner-Djokovic meet-up ahead of US Open

Boris Becker highlights the meeting between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic before the US Open. The world No. 1 and No. 2 players spent time together in New York just two days before the start of the last Grand Slam of the year. Becker reacted to a photo of them on social media, commenting that it’s unlikely Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras would have done the same a few decades ago.

Djokovic will be aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, entering with confidence after winning the gold medal at Paris 2024. The Serbian skipped recent hardcourt tournaments and is seeking his first Tour-level title of the year.

On the other hand, Sinner will need to put behind the recent controversy over his positive doping test in March, which only came to light recently and has drawn criticism within the tennis world. However, the Italian was met with a standing ovation at Arthur Ashe and had a great North American swing after winning the Cincinnati Open title.

A photo of Sinner and Djokovic smiling together at a table with some stickers and pickleball rackets in front of them was shared on social media. It’s unclear what they were doing, though a fan posted the picture on X. Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker later reacted to the image, mentioning how unusual it would have been in previous times to see top rivals in such a situation:

"Nice picture! Imagine in my days hanging out with John, Ivan, or Jimmy …impossible! Maybe with Stefan, Mats!? Don’t think Andre or Pete would hang out together (with me) a few days before the Open starts!!! Different strokes for different folks!"

Sinner will begin his campaign at Flushing Meadows against Mackenzie McDonald, whom he leads 3-0 in the head-to-head. The Italian has a 28-30 hardcourt record this season and has won five titles, all on hardcourts.

On the other hand, Nole is the defending champion and will face Radu Albot in the first round, who comes from the qualifiers. The Serbian has 71 hardcourt titles (14 of them Grand Slams), and after winning the gold medal in Paris, Djokovic will be fighting to further expand his achievements.