Novak Djokovic reacts to a shot by playing Kei Nishikori in their semifinal of the US Open.(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK – Last year, Novak Djokovic was watching the US Open on his couch at home while worrying about overcoming an elbow injury.

The injury, which required surgery after the Australian Open, ended its series of 51 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.

It's now a distant memory for the Serb, who comes back to being a contender at every Grand Slam disputed. While Djokovic initially struggled when he returned from surgery, Wimbledon was ready to do more damage and proficiently capture his 13th Grand Slam title.

On Sunday, Djokovic will meet Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, at the 23rd Grand Slam final of his career.

Djokovic, sixth seeded, has qualified for the final by quickly passing the hand over Japan's Kei Nishikori of Japan, 6-3, 6-4, and 6-2 on Friday night. Earlier, del Potro entered his second career Grand Slam final by leading 7-6 (7-3) 6-2, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal retired from the match with a knee injury .

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Djokovic's strategy in the final will be to counter the two big arms of del Potro: his serve and his forehand. The Serb has a record of 14-4 on del Potro which should strengthen his confidence.

This will not be the first meeting between the two at the US Open. They met here in the third round of 2007 and in the quarterfinals of 2012. Djokovic has prevailed twice.

"I played it a few times on different occasions," Djokovic said. "We have never faced each other in a Grand Slam final, so it's something new.

"One of the keys to the match will be the return; how much can I get back, how many returns can I put back into play, but also try to have some depth in that back, and how accurately I can serve myself.

For Djokovic, the quest for the title of the US Open is not limited to winning a 14th major trophy.

He hopes to score two consecutive titles at Wimbledon and the US Open for the third time in his career. He has already achieved this feat in 2011 and 2015, the two times he won the US Open in seven final appearances in New York.

Del Potro, who underwent four wrist surgeries after winning his only Grand Slam trophy at the US Open in 2009, shocked Roger Federer in the five-set thriller at the Arthur Ashe stadium. It's no wonder that Argentina is constantly referring to the US Open as its favorite tournament in the world.

Nevertheless, winning the title will require more than calling the Open his favorite place.

"It will be a tough match because we are close friends," Del Potro said. "Of course, we both want to win. But Novak has already won the Wimbledon. He plays so well. He will be the favorite to win Sunday. But I do not know. When I played Roger nine years ago, he was also the favorite to win. I will try to surprise again.

"I am here," he added. "I am delighted to continue to surprise the world of tennis, as I did with myself. (You) never know what might happen in the future. So I'm happy to be a tennis player after all my wrist problems. "

If Del Potro has a special ingredient in his corner, he should get a bigger share of crowd support in the final. He is the favorite of fans in these regions and, associated with 12 turbulent fans from his hometown of Tandil, the stadium will be in full swing.

And Djokovic does not hesitate to admit that he understands his opponent's call.

"He's a nice giant," said Djokovic. "He really is. He is very tall, has a great game, but at the same time he feeds the good values ​​in life. He cares about his family. He cares about his friends. He respects everyone. He fights every game from first to last point. I think people can understand this and appreciate what it brings to tennis.

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