Novak Djokovic, the 12th time Grand Slam champion has had another stellar campaign on the ATP World Tour in 2016 as he clinched his record-equalling sixth Australian Open title in Melbourne, and he finally won the French Open, the Grand Slam that he was after since 2012 to complete his Career Grand Slam.
However, Djokovic's summer has been uncharacteristic as he lost in the third round of Wimbledon to Sam Querrey and was defeated by Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the Rio Olympics.
Nonetheless, the Serb is favourite to lift the US Open title for the third time at Flushing Meadows in a couple of weeks time.
Notable results to date
The world number one boasts a 51-4 win-loss record in 2016 and he has amassed seven titles to date including two Grand Slam singles title.
Djokovic won three Grand Slam singles title in 2015 for the second time in his career just like he did in 2011, and he started 2016 in imperious fashion as he won the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, and didn't surrender a set throughout the tournament, and thrashed his rival, Rafael Nadal in the final.
The Serb then entered the Australian Open as the defending champion and five-time champion in Melbourne, and the world number one had an almighty scare in the fourth round with Gilles Simon who took him to five sets, however, Djokovic was victorious but it was a scrappy performance as he committed over 100 unforced errors in the match.
The 29-year-old gradually improved and defeated four-time champion Roger Federer in the semifinals in four sets, and he defeated Andy Murray in the final in straight sets to claim his record-equalling sixth Australian Open title and it was the fourth time he defeated Murray in Australian Open finals following 2011, 2013 and 2015.
The Serb travelled to Dubai and he was forced to retire with an eye infection in his quarterfinal clash with Feliciano Lopez at the ATP 500 event.
Djokovic was fit once again to compete at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and the 12-time Grand Slam champion has been dominant on the North American hard courts in the past few years and was on a quest to complete the Sunshine Double for the fourth time.
The world number one dropped a solitary set in Indian Wells and recorded back-to-back victories over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nadal and Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic to clinch the title in the Californian Desert for the fifth time in his career.
At the Miami Open, Djokovic was hard to beat as he didn't drop a set throughout the tournament and dispatched Tomas Berdych and David Goffin in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, and defeated 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the final to win the title in Miami for a joint-record sixth time.
It was time for the Serb to transitions to clay courts following a successful North American hard court run, and once again the French Open was his priority to complete his Career Grand Slam.
However, the defending champion at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters got off to a slow start as he was upset by Jiri Vesely in his opening round match.
Djokovic was able to bounce back from adversity once again, and he reached three consecutive clay court finals, and all of them were with Andy Murray, who were the two stand out players in 2016.
The Serb won the title at the Mutua Madrid Open for the second time in his career, and it was his first appearance at the tournament since 2012, and he ended Murray's title defence in a three set battle in the final.
Following his triumph in Madrid, the world number one travelled to Rome as the two-time defending champion but he had two exhausting battles with Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, therefore, Murray defeated him in the final in straight sets where the Serb was not physically at 100%.
However, the Serb wouldn't have been too disappointed with his defeat in Rome as it was time for the French Open which was the main priority of his 2016 campaign along with the Olympics.
After suffering a heartbreaking four set defeat at the hands of two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the final in 2015, the Serb finally got his moment as he came back from a set down to defeat Murray in four sets to clinch his maiden French Open title, completed the Career Grand Slam and 12th Grand Slam title of his career which completed the "Nole Slam" in the process as he was the holder of all four Grand Slams, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to achieve this feat.
Djokovic had to refocus his attention to Wimbledon and the two-time defending champion was halfway to completing the Calendar Year Grand Slam, however, he suffered a shock four set defeat to the United States' Sam Querrey.
Best hard court results leading up to US Open
The world number one took a one month break from tennis following that disappointing showing at Wimbledon which was his earliest exit at a Grand Slam since the French Open in 2009, and once again the Serb showed his resolve by bouncing back from a defeat.
At the Rogers Cup in Toronto, the Serb didn't drop a set throughout the Masters 1,000 event and he defeated Gilles Muller, Radek Stepanek, Tomas Berdych, Gael Monfils and Kei Nishikori to secure his fourth title at the Rogers Cup.
After the Rogers Cup, the world number one represented Serbia at the Olympics in Rio for the third time in his career, and the gold medal was something that Djokovic wanted in his cabinet.
However, for the second consecutive Olympic Games, Djokovic was defeated by 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro who went on to claim the silver medal this year, and he beat the Serb to the bronze medal in London four years prior.
The Serb left the court in tears and missed the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati citing a wrist injury.
Best US Open result
Following the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the US Open is one of Djokovic's most successful Grand Slam tournaments as the Serb is a two-time champion in Flushing Meadows winning the title in 2011 and 2015, and was a runner-up four times in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
In 2011, Djokovic was the top seed and entered the US Open with the Australian Open and Wimbledon in his cabinet, and he was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.
In the first four rounds, the two-time US Open champion dispatched Conor Niland (retired in the second set), Carlos Berlocq, Nikolay Davydenko and Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic was against his compatriot and good friend Janko Tipsarevic, however, Tipsarevic was trailing two sets to one and retired from the match 3-0 down in the fourth set.
Djokovic was up against five-time champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, and it was their fifth consecutive meeting at Flushing Meadows, and the Serb saved two match points and defeated the Swiss maestro in a five set battle.
In the final, Djokovic was against the defending champion Rafael Nadal and it was their second consecutive Grand Slam final meeting after the Serb dethroned Nadal from his SW19 title a couple of months earlier.
The Serb won the match in four sets and clinched his third Grand Slam singles title of 2011 and fourth Grand Slam title overall.
Four years later, the 29-year-old won the title in New York once again as the top seed, and it must have felt like 2011 for Djokovic as he was the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion.
The Serb breezed past Joao Souza, Andreas Haider-Maurer and Andreas Seppi in his opening three matches, and defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round to reach his ninth-consecutive US Open quarterfinal.
In the quarterfinal, Djokovic passed another four set test with Feliciano Lopez, and in the semifinals, Djokovic ended the reigning champion's title defence for the third time in 2015 as he ended Stan Wawrinka's and Rafael Nadal's title defences at the Australian and French Opens respectively.
The Serb dropped only three games in his thrashing against reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic in the semifinals, and in the final, Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in their fourth Grand Slam final meeting in four sets.
Djokovic lost to his fellow Big Four colleagues in his other four US Open final appearances. Federer defeated Djokovic in his first Grand Slam singles final in 2007, Nadal defeated the Serb twice in finals with the first time being in 2010 to complete his Career Grand Slam and on his comeback in 2013, and Murray defeated Djokovic in 2012 to clinch is first Grand Slam singles title.
How Djokovic's game translates to the surface
The world number one has mastered all three surfaces over the years but hard courts are by far his most dominant surface as he has won eight of his 12 Grand Slam singles titles on this surface.
Djokovic likes to dictate play from the baseline which he can do effectively on this surface, and he has a very good serve which can be tricky to serve as he has a good placement with his serve.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion's forehand is a dangerous weapon which many opponents can't deal with, and the Serb is very fit, therefore he can outlast his opponents in long baseline rallies and he throws in the occasional drop shot to get them on the move.
However, the Serb doesn't have a lot of weaknesses but sometimes he can be sluggish and players like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have taken advantage of this in the past.
The two-time US Open champion is certainly the favourite to claim his third US Open title in six years and reigning Wimbledon champion and Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray will be his biggest threat to the title.