Tennis fans are brimming with excitement as they eagerly await the final Grand Slam of the year – the US Open. The blockbuster event is set to start from August 28. All eyes will be on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who clinched the second Grand Slam of his career earlier this year by defeating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.
Here’s a look at the top contenders for the men’s singles title at this year’s US Open:
Carlos Alcaraz
Before the US Open, Alcaraz featured in the Cincinnati Open, where in the final, the Spaniard was up against Novak Djokovic and the match turned out to be the longest games in the tournament’s history. The Serbian prevailed over Alcaraz, securing a remarkable win in the third set. Considering Alcaraz’s grit and determination, the defeat will hardly have any bearing on his performance at the US Open. The current World No. 1 will be aiming to replicate his last year’s performance to take home this third Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic
Despite being known for his dominance on hard courts, Djokovic has failed to produce the same success at the US Open as he has done in another hard-court major, the Australian Open. Djokovic has been able to win the US Open title thrice so far. This year’s US Open will mark Djokovic’s return to the Flushing Meadows for the first time since 202 as he could not appear in the last edition after breaching the Covid-19 vaccination rule. At the US Open, Djokovic will certainly come out with all guns blazing in a bid to claim his 24th Grand Slam title.
Daniil Medvedev
Having already won four hard-court events this year, Daniil Medvedev is tipped to be one of the major contenders for the US Open title. The 27-year-old Russian has so far clinched one Grand Slam title which was the 2021 US Open triumph. In the final showdown, Medvedev outclassed three-time champion Djokovic. But since then, Medvedev has failed to impress in big tournaments, with Alcaraz knocking him out from the 2022 US Open as well as from Wimbledon earlier this year.
Holger Rune
Holger Rune, who has already won four ATP titles and holds the fourth position in world rankings, is yet to secure his maiden Grand Slam. The 20-year old’s best performance in a major tournament came in 2022 when the Danish player reached the semi-final of the French Open. Rune recently suffered a back injury while playing in the Cincinnati Open. The youngster later assured on social media that he would appear in the US Open.
Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud, the current number five in world, is one of the unluckiest players in Grand Slams. Despite winning as many as ten ATP singles titles, Ruud has time and again fallen slightly short of securing a major trophy. He reached the finals of last year’s French Open, US Open and this year’s French Open. But he had to endure defeats on all three occasions. He will be desperate to turn the tables this year and announce himself as a new force at the Flushing Meadows.
Leave feedback about this