Djokovic has eye on making history

NEW YORK As big a deal as finally winning an Olympic gold medal was to Novak Djokovic, as much as he has accomplished in tennis — the men’s-record 24 Grand Slam trophies, the 99 total titles, the most weeks at No. 1 for any player — do not for a moment think he is satisfied as the U.S. Open begins.

- HOWARD FENDRICH

“People would ask me: ‘Now that you have basically won everything with the golden medal, what else is there to win?’ I still feel the drive. I still have the competitive spirit,” the 37-year-old from Serbia said Saturday. “I still want to make more history and enjoy myself on the tour.”

If it seems like there is always some sort of milestone in the offing when Djokovic takes the court, that’s because there usually is.

This time around at Flushing Meadows, where play begins Monday and the No. 2 seed faces the 138th-ranked Radu Albot of Moldova in Arthur Ashe Stadium, there is another opportunity to get his 25th major singles championship, a total no man or woman has reached in tennis. And as the defending champion, there is a chance to become the first man to win at least two consecutive titles at the U.S. Open since Roger Federer took five in a row from 2004 to 2008.