Who is Novak Djokovic’s US Open 2024 1R opponent Radu Albot? All you need to know about the 34-year-old history maker from Moldova

Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, is set to begin his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open 2024 against Radu Albot. Albot secured his spot in the main draw by defeating Javier Barranco Cosano, Luca Van Assche, and Shintaro Mochizuki, all in straight sets during the qualifying rounds.

Since his victory at the Paris Olympics a few weeks ago, Novak Djokovic has not played a match. His upcoming match at the US Open 2024 will be his first on hardcourts since his surprising third-round defeat to Luca Nardi at the Indian Wells Masters in March.

As for Albot, he is a veteran of the tour now, and a flagbearer for Moldovan tennis as well. Being drawn against Djokovic has thrust him into the limelight once again, and here’s a brief look at his career and background so far:

Radu Albot, born on November 11, 1989, was recognized as Moldova’s top tennis prospect from his junior days. Turning professional in 2008, he claimed his first Futures title in 2010 and his inaugural Challenger title in 2013, becoming the first Moldovan to win a Challenger event.

Radu Albot experienced significant success in doubles in the year following his initial achievements, capturing his first career title at the Istanbul Open and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, marking the first time a Moldovan player achieved such results. He later improved on this with a semifinal appearance in doubles at the US Open in 2018. In singles, Albot won his maiden career title at the Delray Beach Open in 2019, defeating Dan Evans in the final.

Radu Albot made history for Moldova with a semifinal appearance in doubles at the US Open in 2018. He further distinguished himself by winning his first career singles title at the Delray Beach Open in 2019, securing the victory with a three-set win over Dan Evans in the final.

Radu Albot reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 39 later in 2019. From 2016 through 2020, he consistently finished each season in the top 100, with his best year-end ranking of No. 46 coming in 2019. As of now, he is ranked No. 138.

Radu Albot reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 39 later in 2019. From 2016 through 2020, he consistently finished each season in the top 100, with his best year-end ranking of No. 46 coming in 2019. As of now, he is ranked No. 138.

Radu Albot’s best performance at the US Open came in 2017, where he reached the third round. He secured victories over Ernesto Escobedo and Lu Yen-hsun before being eliminated by Sam Querreuy.

That third-round appearance in 2017 remains Radu Albot’s only time advancing past the first round at the US Open. He has been eliminated in the first round in all other attempts. With a 5-6 record at the main draw level this year and his past performances at the tournament, a victory over Djokovic appears unlikely.

This match will mark the first career meeting between Radu Albot and Novak Djokovic. Albot has a 0-11 record against top-10 players, with six of those losses coming in straight sets. Despite his previous results, Albot will look to put forth a strong performance against Djokovic.