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NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to reach the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka prepared to step up her title bid.
Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered from going a set down against American qualifier Zachary Svajda to complete a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.
The 38-year-old Serbian legend had not played since his semifinal exit at Wimbledon in July before arriving in New York, skipping most of the North American hardcourt swing.
Djokovic said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses.
“That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game,” he said.
“Obviously a bit different for me the last couple of years body-wise. I get the wear and tear quicker than I used to do.”
Djokovic’s victory sees him into the third round at the US Open for a record-equalling 19th time, where he will face either Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Argentina’s Francisco Comesana.
Norrie is one of only two British men left in the draw after fifth-seeded compatriot Jack Draper withdrew due to injury earlier Wednesday.
Draper reached the semifinals in New York last year but missed warm-up events in Cincinnati and Toronto this year while nursing a bone bruise in his left arm.
“I tried my very best to be here and give myself every chance to play but the discomfort in my arm has become too much and I have to do what is right and look after myself,” Draper wrote on social media.
Draper’s second round opponent, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, was given a walkover into the third round.
The withdrawal of Draper clears Jannik Sinner’s path toward defending his title. Sinner was due to face Draper in the quarter-finals.
In other men’s action on Wednesday, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz looks to keep his campaign rolling with a night game against Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.
In the women’s draw meanwhile, world number one Sabalenka also faces a night game, taking on Russia’s Polina Kudermetova on Arthur Ashe.
In other games on Wednesday, Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her solid start to the tournament after dispatching Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1.
Tjen had become the first Indonesian player to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam in 21 years and followed that up with a first round upset of 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
But she was beaten comfortably by Raducanu, who is aiming to recapture the US Open title she won as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021.
Raducanu will face either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or Tereza Valentova in the next round.
The unseeded Britain, who is back to full fitness after a series of injury problems in recent seasons, is relishing the prospect of facing a player of the caliber of 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina.
“She’s a top opponent. She’s won Wimbledon. She’s been at the top of the game for so long and very dominant and has big weapons, has a huge serve and big groundstrokes,” she said. “So I do want to see how my game suits and fits against the top.”
While Tjen headed for the exit, another player from Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, also saw her tournament come to an end.
Eala, the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with her defeat of 14th seed Clara Tauson on Sunday, was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

LONDON: It’s that time of year again — the start of the new Saudi Pro League season. As 18 teams prepare amid fears, hopes and dreams, Arab News looks at six questions waiting to be answered in the 2025-26 campaign.

What will the Jorge Jesus effect be?

In a stunning move, just weeks after Jorge Jesus left Al-Hilal following a disappointing season — though this is always relative with the Blues — he turned up at Al-Nassr.

The Riyadh Derby is always a passionate affair but this adds extra spice.

The Portuguese veteran knows how to win the league and Al-Nassr needed someone who could bring its talents together.

Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman are players at their peak, or just about, and Inigo Martinez joins the middle of the defense from Barcelona. With such an experienced coach at the helm, this could be Al-Nassr’s year. The signs — the Super Cup performance, especially beating Al-Ittihad with ten men — suggest the Yellows have a new resilience.

Can Al-Ittihad go again?

Al-Ittihad were deserved champions but they know that winning the title is one thing, and defending it is another. The last five times the Tigers did this, they failed to stay at the top of the pile.

The Jeddah giants are still being linked with top stars and reports of their interest in Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes have refused to go away. 

If coach Laurent Blanc can keep his team together then they could go again — though, unlike last season, the extra demands in Asia may take their toll, especially on some of the older stars. Karim Benzema’s fitness could be key though Moussa Diaby was one of the league’s best players last season.

Can Al-Ahli step up after Asian Champions League success?

Finishing fifth may have been a disappointment but there was the small matter of becoming champions of Asia in May.

Now the challenge is the domestic front. On the face of it, Al-Ahli has what it takes here, too. Ivan Toney took a little time to settle before he started banging in the goals. Riyad Mahrez looks good. The addition of 25-year-old French midfielder Enzo Millot may not have made massive international headlines, but he could be just the sort of player the team needs. 

Can Al-Hilal bounce back?

The Blues usually do. They lost their way a little last season, though it should be remembered that they finished second and reached the last four of the Champions League.

This is a club that has winning and trophies in its DNA. New coach Simone Inzaghi has already impressed at the FIFA Club World Cup with that win over Manchester City, and the arrival of Darwin Nunez is interesting. The forward comes from Liverpool with something to prove and that could spell danger for SPL defenses, especially if Salem Al-Dawsari stays fit.

Can any other teams disrupt the big boys?

Al-Qadsiah impressed when they finished fourth in their first season after promotion, and the club was unlucky to miss out on Asia. The loss of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his 17 goals to Marseille may hurt but fans have the big-money signing of Mateo Retegui — Serie A’s top scorer last season — as a major consolation.

Then there is Neom SC, newly promoted and ambitious, with a solid-looking squad and former PSG coach Christophe Galtier in place. And then there is Al-Kholood, who finished ninth last time and, now owned by a US investment company, looking to climb the table.

Can Ronaldo make it three in a row?

The 40-year-old’s goal in the Saudi Super Cup broke records — it took him to a century for four separate clubs, something never achieved before.

Since his arrival in Riyadh he has not been able to stop scoring; even though he arrived in the middle of 2022-23, he finished the season as the league’s fifth-highest scorer.

No surprise, then, that he topped the standings in his first full season and repeated his feat the next year. To do so for a third campaign in a row would truly be something special. It would also take him that step closer to the 1,000-goal mark.