Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who turns 40 this year, takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round one.
The 21-year-old has now recorded victories over all of tennis's so called 'Big Three' this year, having beaten Roger Federer at the Australian Open and Rafa Nadal in Madrid.
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic had made it near impossible for their peers to live, and thrive, amongst them. But the coming generation, which hasn't been as scarred by defeat at the hands of the Big 3, may make tennis unpredictable again.
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has been selected as one of the six nominees for the 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.
While Djokovic has a firm grip on top spot, there will be a new number two on March 15 in Russian Daniil Medvedev, who will climb one place to his career-best ranking to replace Nadal, who has not played since the Australian Open due to a back injury.
Grand Slam champions Daniil Medvedev from Russia and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka will not be able to participate in the June 27-July 10 tournament.
Not since Stan Wawrinka's 2016 US Open triumph has a Grand Slam been won by someone other than the 'Big Three', winners of the last 13 major titles.
Images from Day 6 of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Friday.
The Australian Open men's singles final offers a rematch of the dramatic 2021 French Open final, in which Djokovic came back from two sets down to snatch the title and leave Greek Tsitsipas heartbroken.
Images from Day 9 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Wednesday.
A summary of Friday's action at the US Open.
All players who want a visa to compete in the Australian Open will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the country's immigration minister said on Wednesday, putting Novak Djokovic's title defence and Grand Slam record bid in doubt.
On Sunday the Ukrainian Tennis Federation urged the sport's governing body the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to immediately expel Russia and Belarus from the organisation and ban Russia from team and individual tournaments. Also, athletes from Ukraine and other nations have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend Russia and Belarus and ban their athletes from events immediately.
With each passing year questions are inevitably asked about whether Nadal's vice-like hold on the French Open will be loosened. Each time, the answer has been an emphatic NO.
Raonic advances, Sock ousted in Rogers Cup
Even though Carlos Alcaraz recently dethroned him from the top of the world rankings, Novak Djokovic is still considered the man to beat and still has the power to turn opponents into nervous wrecks.
Sweden and Novak Djokovic's Serbia took the two best runners-up spots and a place in the last eight by virtue of their better match win-loss records among the second placed sides throughout the group stages.
Men's governing body ATP on Monday unveiled a revised system for calculating world rankings when the season resumes in August following a five-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally the ATP rankings operates on a formula of 18 best results over 52 weeks but will now cover a 22-month period from March 2019 through December 2020.
World number five Alexander Zverev continued his poor recent form as he crashed out of the Italian Open in the second round while Serena Williams had to pull out of the women's draw with a recurring knee injury.
Djokovic has never failed to win the tournament after making the semi-finals and he will be heavily favoured to claim a record-extending ninth title at his favourite Slam on Sunday.
Spain's Rafael Nadal was at his dominant best against Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday, brushing aside his compatriot 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to move into the fourth round at the Australian Open. Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Images from the men's singles fourth round matches at the Australian Open, on Sunday.
A summary of Tuesday's action at the US Open.
Not that cash will be the motivator for world number one Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and debutants Andrey Rublev and Diego Schwartzman when the tournament's 50th edition starts on Sunday.
It was Roger Federer's fastest defeat since losing to Franco Squillari in 54 minutes in Sydney in 2003.
'I am realistic, don't get me wrong, I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it, but look, I want to be healthy and I'll go through the rehab process I think also with the goal while I am still active which I think is going to help me during this long period of time.'
Alcaraz outlasts Hurkacz, Ruud stunned at Canadian Open
Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title by after winning this year's Wimbledon drawing level with long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Kristina Mladenovic had complained saying she felt like she was being treated like a prisoner after she was placed inside a 'bubble within a bubble' despite 'thirty negative tests'.
India's Nagal draws world No 128 Bradley Klahn in opener.
Let battle commence, says Djokovic ahead of Nadal showdown
Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner beat Tommy Paul to set up a Canadian Open final clash with Australia's Alex De Minaur
Australia eased ahead of Bosnia 2-0 as John Millman thumped Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-2 while Alex de Minaur overcame Mirza Basic 6-3, 7-6(0), before Millman revealed the team's larger goal under captain Lleyton Hewitt.
Novak Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday after Kei Nishikori retired hurt when trailing 6-1, 4-1 in their quarter-final.
Holger Rune crashed out to Yoshihito Nishioka in the ATP 250 Adelaide International 1 first round.
The future arrived late but after some old-fashioned glitches, two Russian trailblazers fired the first shots in what could be a revolution in tennis at the Next Gen ATP Finals on Tuesday.
'These guys, they can do everything I did on a return, except they have even a little more coverage'
The Serbian top seed won a fourth successive title at the All England Club to take his overall Grand Slam tally to 21.
Images from Day 5 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Friday.
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz beat Norway's Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 in the men's singles final at the US Open on Sunday to win his maiden Grand Slam title and rise to world number one for the first time.
