Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 25, 2023, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during a press conference ahead of the 2023 the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz has already surrendered the number one world ranking and will be in no mood to give up his U.S. Open title as well when the Spaniard begins the defence of his Flushing Meadows crown on Tuesday. If Alcaraz can repeat as U.S. Open champion, he will end the longest drought of a successful men’s title defence at any Grand Slam tournament since tennis turned professional in 1968. With Alcaraz and Djokovic hogging the spotlight, Daniil Medvedev has been the forgotten man but the third seeded Russian remains a threat to claim his second U.S. Open title in three years. At 43-years-old, the seven-time Grand Slam winner is the oldest player in the women's draw.

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Persons: Carlos Alcaraz of, Mike Segar, Carlos Alcaraz, Spaniard, Novak Djokovic, Frenchman Alexandre Muller, Germany's Dominik Koepfer, Arthur Ashe, Roger Federer, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Attila Balazs, Andy Murray, Frenchman Corentin Moutet, Jessica Pegula, Italy's Camila Giorgi, Pegula, Giorgi, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Minnen, Steve Keating, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Alcaraz, Canadian, Belgian, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, Flushing Meadows, Flushing, U.S, Toronto