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Novak Djokovic returned to the US Open spotlight on Monday night as the three-time champion took centre stage and reclaimed world No 1 over Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the men’s rankings with his first-round win.

Prevented from playing in last year’s Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic began his quest to match Margaret Court’s all-time record haul of 24 Grand Slams at 11pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

A comfortable 6-0 6-2 6-3 victory over Frenchman Alexandre Muller enabled the 23-time Grand Slam winner to take over from US Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at the top of the men’s rankings.

Djokovic embraced the cheers of a record crowd that included former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle before showing the 84th-ranked Muller no mercy in what was his main draw debut.

Firing on all cylinders, Djokovic broke the overwhelmed Frenchman to open the match and never took his foot off the gas, closing out the first set in 23 minutes with a thunderous ace.

Djokovic broke Muller for a fourth time to open the second set and went 2-0 up before his opponent held serve for the first time, raising both hands in triumph as the crowd roared.

But the cheers would be few and far between as Djokovic closed out the second with an unstoppable forehand.

Muller showed more ambition in the third, taking the set to 3-3 before Djokovic took control by breaking twice on the way to closing out the match.

Djokovic’s win guarantees he will nudge Alcaraz out of top spot when the world rankings are updated on September 11.

Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in an epic Wimbledon final in July, opens his account on Tuesday against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.

Holger Rune was left to regret tweeting a map of the US Open site to point spectators towards his first-round match.

The Dane now needs directions to the exit after crashing out in four sets to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.

Rune, seeded fourth, was clearly miffed at being shunted away on one of Flushing Meadows’ tiny outside courts and sarcastically wrote “in case you can find Court 5, this is where I play my first match Monday”.

The court is crammed in between the Arthur Ashe and Grandstand Stadiums, with pathways on either side where spectators can wander past.

And Rune’s cheeky tweet backfired as hundreds swarmed around the court, craning their necks and standing on benches, to see the 20-year-old slip to defeat.

To rub salt in the wound, Rune even complained to the umpire about one noisy fan before eventually going down 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Afterwards he admitted his frustration at the scheduling, saying: “As best as you get in the ranking, the more benefits you should get with playing in better conditions.

“So I think that’s a normal way and it’s also how ATP do with all the players. But they didn’t do it with me here.

“That’s obviously disappointing, but I’m not going to blame the court on the loss. He played very, very solid. Credit to him.”

On his ill-judged tweet, Rune added: “I just did it kind of for fun. I mean, of course I was a bit not happy when I saw the schedule, but, I mean, I saw the schedule Friday so I had time to recover from it.

“It’s not like I can’t play tennis if I don’t play on centre court.”

Also on Monday, Dominic Thiem picked up his first win at Flushing Meadows since he won the title in 2020.

The 29-year-old Austrian, a former world No 3 who is working his way back up the rankings after a long spell out injured, beat 25th seed Alexander Bublik 6-3 6-2 6-4.

“It’s a pretty special victory, because it’s the first since two-and-a-half years on Grand Slams,” said Thiem.

“So it’s great. Especially here at the US Open with all the past and all the memories I have here.”

Fifth seed Casper Ruud, last year’s runner-up, dropped a set to American qualifier Emilio Nava but came through 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe opened their respective bids to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title in 20 years with routine victories.

The top-ranked Americans were hardly tested as ninth seed Fritz crushed compatriot Steve Johnson 6-2 6-1 6-2 after Tiafoe, the 10th seed, beat American Learner Tien 6-2 7-5 6-1.

Christopher Eubanks, the 28th seed who made waves when he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July, beat South Korean Kwon Soon-wo 6-3 6-4 0-6 6-4.

The US Open on Sky Sports: How and where to watch

The US Open is back on Sky Sports with the promise to give fans live coverage of the Grand Slam like never before.

Sky welcomes tennis back to its channels, adding to the existing sports portfolio and reaffirming the broadcaster as the home of live sport in the UK & Ireland.

Sky Sports’ new mixed reality studio features multiple custom built LED screens, integrated light ‘sabres’, and an open canopy roof, making the space alive with colour and energy to reflect the vibrancy of the last Grand Slam of the year.

With integrated AR capabilities, a versatile LED floor, and a ‘fourth wall’, the viewer will be transported to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in a 360-degree immersive environment. Our tennis experts will take the viewer into the eyes of the players for expert Hawkeye analysis and insight as the tournament progresses.

The technology involved allows us to add an entire new dimension and will bring customers closer to the action.

Highlights of matches will be available across Sky Sports TV and our social media platforms.

Video highlights will also be available of the Sky Sports website and app, where there will also be a daily live text commentary on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as live scores, reports, analysis and features.

Stream the US Open on Sky Sports with NOW for just £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime.