
If Carlos Alcaraz was under any doubt about the task facing him as he begins his US Open title defence today, Novak Djokovic will have refreshed his memory after he made a blistering return to the tournament and snatched his world No 1 ranking in the process.
The Serb did his best impression of Roger Federer – who always loved a night session at Flushing Meadows – blitzing through his first-round match with France's Alexandre Muller in just one hour, 35 minutes.