For all participants in this year’s US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year poses an interesting dilemma.
Just A few weeks ago, the best players in the world were on the clay courts of Roland Garros, an intriguing diversion from the well-trodden path from the grass of Wimbledon to the dizzying stands of Flushing Meadows via the American hard-court season.
For a sport as steeped in heritage as tennis, this represents more than just a bump in the road.
It is therefore difficult to assess who is coming into the tournament in good shape, especially the defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
Having finally claimed an Olympic title full of emotions in ParisDjokovic completed a long-awaited golden Grand Slam, cementing his legacy as arguably the greatest major tournament winner in tennis history.
In fact, the moment was hailed by the 37-year-old as one of his most impressive achievements in the sport.
“I think now, when I look back, the biggest achievement and the biggest highlight of my career as a whole was winning gold for Serbia,” Djokovic said in New York this week.
“It was very, very special — probably the most intense emotions I’ve ever felt on a tennis court.
“I was saying that carrying the flag, being the flag bearer for my country… in 2012 in London at the Olympic Games, was the best feeling I had in my entire professional career, I surpassed every Grand Slam I won, until I won the gold medal.
“I think the timing of when I got there, the way I got there, after years of effort, the journey, that’s how it happened, I think that makes it even more unique.”
Tennis? You did it, buddy.
Novak Djokovic has now won everything there is to win in men’s tennis. (Getty Images: Maja Hitij)
Except, of course, that’s not how the greats think.
Djokovic will now turn his attention to new goals, old goals transformed into historic feats that will take generations to surpass.
“People ask me, ‘Now that you’ve won pretty much everything with the gold medal, what else is there to win?'” he said.
“I still feel that motivation. I still have that competitive spirit. I still want to make more history.”
He could also become the all-time leader in Grand Slam singles titles, men’s or women’s, if he wins a fifth US Open crown in the next fortnight.
Currently, the Serbian is tied with Margaret Court on 24 major tournaments.
That’s not all. A win at Flushing Meadows would be Djokovic’s 100th singles title on the tour.
If he wins in New York, he will become the first man to win back-to-back US Open titles since Roger Federer won five in a row until 2008.
There are standards for Djokovic to meet, too.
The Serb has won at least one Grand Slam title in each of the last six years, a run that will end if he fails in New York.
If he doesn’t win the title, he will have won only one title this year, his worst performance of his entire career, even if the one he won was the most important of all. Since 2017, he has won no less than two.
With a A storm of controversy rages around men’s world number one Jannik Sinner and with an injury cloud hanging over 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz – who twisted his ankle in training, limiting his already reduced time on hard courts before the tournament began – perhaps this could be Djokovic’s moment once again.
Lack of hard court time leaves draws wide open
Aryna Sabalenka claimed victory at the Cincinnati Open. (Getty Images: Icon Sportswire/Ian Johnson)
This short period on hard court before the US Open could still play a role in where this year’s US Open goes.
Going from slippery clay to the hard, hot conditions of Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums doesn’t make for a quick adjustment — but Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka won’t have to worry about that.
The Belarusian chose not to represent AIN in Paris and, without that clay-court detour, was able to get back on track when the tour resumed after the Olympics in the United States, winning the WTA title in Cincinnati last week without dropping a set.
Despite winning the title in 2022, world number one Iga Świątek has never been at ease in New York, even though she arguably has the best game to handle Sabalenka’s power.
Defending champion Coco Gauff She lost in the round of 16 at the Olympics and in Toronto, before losing in three sets to Yulia Putintseva in Cincinnati, a match that featured nine double faults, betraying a faulty second serve that is costing the 20-year-old dearly against the world’s best players.
Another player who has spent a lot of time on hard courts since the Olympics is New York’s Jessica Pegula, who won in Toronto and reached the final in Cincinnati.
However, the 30-year-old has never made it past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament in 22 attempts.
Jannik Sinner arrives at the US Open in good shape, but with questions over two failed doping tests. (Getty Images: Matthew Stockman)
On the men’s side, Sinner comes to the tournament having won the Cincinnati Masters, but with the added pressure of accusations surrounding his two positive results for clostebol, a performance-enhancing drugwhich can be used to build muscle mass.
The International Tennis Integrity Authority said Sinner had been cleared of any wrongdoing or negligence by an independent tribunal, but that won’t appease many peopleDjokovic acknowledging there is “frustration” among players over a perceived “lack of consistency”.
Wimbledon and French Open champion Alcaraz declined to discuss the controversy, instead focusing on his chances after the disappointment of his Olympic final loss to Djokovic.
Alcaraz’s only match since that Parisian defeat was a three-set loss to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati that ended with extreme racket abuseBut the lack of time on the pitch does not worry the 21-year-old Spaniard.
“I would have obviously liked to have more matches under my belt on hard courts before the US Open, but it doesn’t affect me at all,” Alcaraz said.
“If I look back a little bit, for example, at Roland Garros, I didn’t play many matches on clay, and it was a pretty good result. And then at Wimbledon, same thing.”
Alcaraz played four matches on clay before Roland Garros, and only two on grass before Wimbledon. He won both Grand Slam tournaments.
The Australian contingent is in position to launch the attack
Alexei Popyrin is playing with great confidence after his victory at the Montreal Masters. (Getty Images” Minas Panagiotakis)
Of the eight Australians in the women’s singles main draw — the most at the US Open since 1989 — none have a favourable draw.
Top-ranked Australian player Daria Saville (93) will face Japanese qualifier and world number 218 Ena Shibahara in the first round, but will then face top seed Świątek in the second round.
Ajla Tomljanovic will also face qualifier Ann Li of the United States, world number 131, but she is expected to face local favourite and number 14 seed Madison Keys in the third round.
Taylah Preston, Destanee Aiava, Priscilla Hon and Kimberly Birrell will all face seeded players in their first-round matches.
The Australian contingent in the men’s draw is made up of 12 players, the most since 1979, and includes a Alex de Minaur, back in shape as the 10th seed, the highest-ranked Australian in New York for 19 years.
However, Alexei Popyrin is the man in form, his triumph at the Montreal Masters the first by an Australian in an ATP 1000 tournament since Lleyton Hewitt at Indian Wells in 2003.
Popyrin, ranked 28th and seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam, told Tennis Australia’s internal podcast that much of his success was down to playing with confidence.
“Being able to step on the court and feel like you can make any shot or do anything, it’s a feeling you try to keep forever,” he said.
Although unable to continue his successful form in Cincinnati, losing to Monfils in the first round After a very short turnaround, Popyrin will continue to build on that confidence heading to Flushing Meadows against Korean world No. 342 Soonwoo Kwon, who has won just two tour-level matches this year.
Securing a spot in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, however, will not be easy.
If the 25-year-old wins his first two matches, he could well meet Djokovic in the third round.
Popyrin has already lost in the third round twice at Flushing Meadows – and six times in total at Grand Slam tournaments – but given the complex nature of the Olympics build-up and the uncertainty surrounding the top of the draw, anything is possible.
