NEW YORK – At the moment, Novak Djokovic has no true rival. He has won six of the last nine Grand Slam events, and he’s won 12 major titles over his career. His primary foes in Grand Slams have been Andy Murray and Roger Federer, but neither has beaten Djokovic at a major since Murray’s first Wimbledon title in 2013. Longtime rival Rafael Nadal is diminished.
Then there’s Stan Wawrinka. He’s not exactly Djokovic’s archrival, in the sense that he doesn’t have the trophy case to match Djokovic, but right now Wawrinka is probably Djokovic’s most compelling competition.