US Open Preview: Djokovic and Barty the tournament favourites

The last tennis grand slam of the season – the US Open – starts on Monday. The women’s title is defended by Naomi Osaka. The men will miss their defending champion, Dominik Thiem is not competing in the tournament. Which tennis players are among the top contenders for the title? Who could be the dark horse of the tournament?

Men

The biggest contender for the title is Novak Djokovic. The world number one is totally dominating the current season. He’s dominated all the Grand Slams. He’s virtually unrivalled at the moment. His old rivals have health problems. There aren’t many players who can knock Djokovic out at a Grand Slam.

The Serbian has already won 3 Grand Slam laurels in New York and has a great chance to expand that collection. If he succeeds, he would be only 1 title behind Federer and Nadal, who dominate this historical table, in the number of grand slams won. However, the question is how he is physically. He hasn’t played since his collapse at the Olympics and has also withdrawn from US tournaments. At the advanced stage of the tournament, lack of fitness could be a problem.

Daniil Medvedev will be the next aspirant. The world No. 2 player likes to play on hard surfaces the most. His aggressive style is most effective on hard court and he is hard to beat. He’s won all 12 titles on faster courts. Medvedev is waiting to win a Grand Slam, the closest he came was in 2019. Back then he lost to Nadal in 5 sets, losing mainly due to a weaker mental state. Medvedev also won the recent tournament in Toronto, he seems ready. He is one of the few players who can beat Djokovic at the US Open.

It is also important to mention Alexander Zverev in the list of great candidates . The German is having a great season. He won the Masters in Rome and Cincinnati, he won Olympic gold, he’s in the form of his life. It looks like he’s finally starting to fulfil his potential. In the past, he’s been hampered by some mental instability. That was also the reason why he didn’t do well at Grand Slams. The US Open is exactly the kind of grand slam where Zverev could shine.

Who else could go far?

Stefanos Tsitsipas – 3rd player in the world. His greatest successes have come on clay, but he can play on hard surfaces too. He’s not one of the favourites, but he’s a force to be reckoned with. However, he will face a difficult draw at the start of the tournament and that could be a problem.

Andrey Rublev – reached the final at the last Masters in Cincinnati, scalping Medvedev. He has a fantastic record on the hard surface this year(26 wins, 7 losses). His Grand Slam best is the quarterfinals, will he improve on that?

Women

Ashleigh Barty will be the biggest favourite . The Australian is having a fantastic season. She’s won 5 titles, dominated Wimbledon. She deservedly holds the world number one position. The fast surface is ideal for her aggressive game. She’s in great form and will be hard to beat. The chances of winning the 3rd Grand Slam of her career are very solid.

The 2020 title is defended by Naomi Osaka. The Japanese triumphed at Flushing Meadows for the second time. The 4-time Grand Slam champion took a break in the middle of the season. She returned at the Olympics, but fell out unexpectedly early. Her performance in other tournaments was not ideal either. A title defence is not very likely. It won’t be a surprise if she drops out in the opening rounds.

Aryna Sabalenka can also shine. The Belarusian is one of the best tennis players of today. No. 2 in the world. She’s already won 10 titles in her career. She’s always done well in normal tournaments, but not so well in grand slams. She only broke through at Wimbledon this year. She reached the semifinals at the All England Club, where she fell to Pliskova. Let’s see if she can get to a similar stage of the tournament at the US Open.

Simona Halep also has big ambitions, but the 2-time Grand Slam winner is not having an ideal season. She hasn’t won any titles, and in May she suffered a serious injury. She only returned a few weeks ago. After an absence of several months, her performance is not yet top-notch. Halep is the type of player who is always very dangerous on the grand slams. Already in the 1st round she will face the unpredictable Giorgi, which will be a tough nut to crack. But if she advances, it could kick-start her big tournament run.

Barbora Krejcikova will also be among the wider group of favourites. The Czech Republic’s best hope. The Brno native is having the time of her career. Strasbourg title, Rolland Garros champion, Olympic gold in women’s doubles. Her form is incredible. She’s lost 25 of her last 28 matches.

In the last 3 months, she’s only tasted the bitterness of defeat on 3 occasions. Thanks to this, she has already moved up to the 9th position in the world rankings. Krejcikova has already achieved all her goals and will not be under pressure at the US Open. Playing on a hard surface suits her, another Grand Slam success is not impossible.

Source: Livesport