“I love New York. It is an amazing city, and the U.S. Open is a lot about the show. There are tens of thousands of spectators; these are some of the best courts in the world, and there is nothing like being here and making memories.” This quote is from 2016 US Open Champion, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland. Like Wawrinka, many tennis players, current and past, have admitted that playing under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium is the pinnacle of their career. Grand Slam tennis returns to Gotham City for the fortnight of August 28 to September 10 with hundreds of players seeking to conquer the field, but only two will raise the singles title. in this article, we will discuss the top 5 storylines to watch as the hardcourt action gets underway.
1. Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic rematch- if you are a tennis fan, then you are hoping for a match-up of these two superstars. The Spanish and Serbian-treated fans to an epic 2023 Wimbledon Finals in which Alcarez outlasted his counterpart in a 4hr 42minutes classic. Last Sunday, Djokovic returned the favor by beating Alcarez 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4) in another enthralling contest in Cincinnati. Novak overcame the intense humidity and even a match point to win the four-hour match. It meant so much to Novak that he collapsed to the ground in celebration before tearing his shirt off. Yes, the two have forged a budding rivalry that currently is split even at 2-2. If Carlos wins the title, he will remain number one and cement his stature as the face of tennis for the foreseeable future. If Novak wins in Queens this year, it will mean 24 Grand Slam titles for the Serbian and put him in a tie for the all-time record with Margaret Court. High stakes!
2. Can anyone challenge the top two men? – It will be interesting to see if the tournament springs any surprises. The challengers include Daniel Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open and is in good form after making it to the semifinals of Wimbledon which is his best finish. Another interesting contender is Jannik Sinner, who recently won in Toronto just two weeks ago. Casper Ruud has lost form since his run to the 2022 Open Finals, while Alexander Zverev is trending towards returning to his best. Two under-the-radar players include rising Dane and Greek star, Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who are looking for their maiden Grand Slam title. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will bring a veteran presence to the field as former champions looking to reclaim their glory days. In terms of American hopefuls, we need to keep our eye on Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul, who are looking to end a 20-year drought by winning a title. Doing the impossible and winning would mean they would become the first Americans to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003. No pressure!
3. Swiatek vs. Sabalenka battle for number 1 -after riding a 37-match winning streak, Iga Swiatek lost her form last summer but found it just in time to win the 2022 US Open. In 2023, she returns as the defending champion and the number 1 player in the world after back-to-back French Open titles. Świątek’s playing style is aggressive, all-action, and involves a lot of variation. Swiatek’s game is focused on offense, which results in winners and unforced errors for her opponents. If Iga is to retain the world number 1 status, then she must progress one round further than world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka won her maiden Grand Slam, the Australian Open, in January and featured in the last 3 semifinals of the majors. Sabalenka nicknamed the ‘Tiger’ is considered a baseliner. She has a powerful serve and groundstrokes, which overpower the opponent into winners. The battle for number 1 will be fierce!
4. The Surprising Czech Mates- The Czech Republic has enjoyed a remarkable year in women’s tennis after the success of Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova. Muchova stunned the tennis world by overpowering the field to reach her first major final at the French Open in May. Marketa Vondrousova decided to top her friend and training partner with an incomprehensible march to the 2023 Wimbledon title by becoming the first unseeded woman to win the tournament. These two players will not catch the field by surprise since they are now ranked 9th and 10th in the world rankings. The scary part is that these two women are just getting started, and it could be Czech mate for the field.
5. Jabeur, US challengers, and the field- Ons Jabeur can be considered the most motivated player in this field after repeatedly missing out on her maiden Grand Slam title. Jabeur making back-to-back finals at Wimbledon and losing the 2022 US Open Finals to Swiatek. The Tunisian will be desperate to make her fourth shot count and end the Grand Slam calendar in style. The contenders from the American perspective will come from Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Pegula recently won in Montreal, while Gauff took the titles in Washington D.C. and Cincinnati. The victories by the dynamic duo mean it is the first time in tour history that Americans have swept the North American hard-court summer. They will certainly have the home-court advantage from a raucous crowd in the Big Apple. Caroline Wozniacki’s comeback continues at the US Open, but after a long layoff, it is unrealistic to expect her to win her maiden title in Queens. Finally, Venus Williams will play in the tournament despite being 43 years old and proved last week in Cincinnati that she can tough test for a top player after defeating number 16 seed Veronika Kudermetova.