Inside Novak Djokovics scary health struggles that caused him to collapse on the court as US Open insiders predict he might still have advantage

For nearly two decades, the last place any player wanted to be was locked in a tug-of-war with Novak Djokovic.The longer the match, the more physical the battle, the more inevitable he became.Now, at 39, the physical battle has turned inward.The meticulously maintained body that carried Djokovic to a men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles may be the biggest obstacle standing between him and No.

25.Earlier this month, the Cincinnati Open was to be Djokovic’s pre-US Open tuneup.In his first match since Wimbledon, he was cruising against heavy underdog Thiago Agustin Tirante when his body suddenly began to betray him.

During an exhausting 18-minute service game at 1-1 in the second set, Djokovic struggled visibly in the heat and humidity, eventually receiving medical attention and appearing to vomit in a towel.He soldiered on, but Tirante rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 upset victory.What Djokovic revealed afterward was more concerning than the loss.“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” he said, adding that it causes “a lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot.”He offered no diagnosis or additional explanation.

Now, with the US Open getting underway, those around the Tour are left wondering what it could mean for Djokovic and the tournament.“If it’s a chronic illness, what is it? And how’s that going to hold up over three out of five sets for two weeks?” Paul Annacone, a coach and former player who currently works with American Taylor Fritz, told The Post. Patrick McEnroe, the former player and longtime ESPN analyst, was struck by how badly Djokovic appeared to be suffering in Cincinnati.“He seemed quite sick,” McEnroe told The Post.“Maybe he had some sort of a virus, and anytime you play in the heat that would exacerbate that a ton.”Still, McEnroe expects Djokovic to be “pretty dialed in for New York,” where a likely slate of night matches could provide r...