Novak Djokovic thrashed Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 on his long-awaited US Open return on Monday, August 28, guaranteeing he will take back the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
The 36-year-old Serbian star, who missed last year's tournament over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, is chasing a 24th Grand Slam title and plays Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles in round two.
The win means Djokovic is guaranteed to replace defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as world number one when the tennis rankings are next updated after the tournament.
Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion, reeled off the opening eight games of the match before Muller belatedly got on the board, earning sympathetic applause from a crowd including former United States President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.
The second seed showed little mercy to his overmatched rival, breaking serve eight times and clinching victory in an hour and 35 minutes.
Djokovic's previous match in New York was the 2021 final he lost to Daniil Medvedev, a defeat which stopped him from completing a calendar Grand Slam.
He improved his first-round record at the US Open to 17-0 against Muller, who was making his main draw debut at the tournament.
"I think the performance explains how I felt tonight, particularly in the first two sets. It was kind of lights-out tennis really, almost flawless, perfect first set," said Djokovic.
"I've probably had the answer for every shot he had in his book. Overall I'm very, very pleased with the way I feel, with the way I'm playing. Hopefully I can maintain that level. It's just the beginning of the tournament, but I already like the level of tennis."