For the whole discipline at this 12 months’s US Open, the ultimate grand slam of the 12 months poses one thing of an fascinating dilemma.
Simply weeks in the past, the most effective gamers on the earth have been on the clay of Roland Garros, an intriguing diversion from the well-trodden path from Wimbledon’s grass to the vertiginous stands of Flushing Meadows by way of the US hardcourt season.
For a sport as rooted in its institution as tennis, this represents greater than only a bump within the highway.
As such, it is onerous to gauge who comes into the match in type, not least the defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
Having lastly claimed an emotional Olympic title in Paris, Djokovic has wrapped up a long-awaited profession Golden Slam to unarguably cement his legacy as the best main match winner in tennis historical past.
In reality, that second was hailed by the 37-year-old as the best of his spectacular achievements within the sport.
“I feel now, once I look again, the best achievement and best spotlight of my profession total [was] profitable the gold for Serbia,” Djokovic mentioned in New York this week.
“[It was] very, very particular — most likely essentially the most intense feelings I’ve ever had on a tennis courtroom.
“I used to be saying that carrying the flag, being a flag-bearer for my nation … in 2012 in London on the Olympic Video games, was the most effective feeling I had total in my skilled profession, surpassed each slam that I gained, till I gained the gold medal.
“I feel the second of once I achieved it, how I achieved it, after years of attempting, the journey, that was the best way it was, I feel makes it much more distinctive.”
Tennis? Accomplished it, mate.
Novak Djokovic has now gained all the pieces there’s to win in males’s tennis. (Getty Photos: Maja Hitij)
Besides, in fact, that is not how the best assume.
Djokovic will now flip his attentions to new targets, previous targets newly normal into the history-making exploits that can take generations to surpass.
“Folks ask me, ‘Now that you’ve got mainly gained all the pieces with the golden medal, what else is there to win?'” he mentioned.
“I nonetheless really feel the drive. I nonetheless have the aggressive spirit. I nonetheless wish to make extra historical past.”
Extra historical past contains changing into the outright grand slam singles titles chief, male or feminine, ought to he win a fifth US Open crown within the subsequent fortnight.
At the moment the Serbian is tied on 24 majors with Margaret Courtroom.
That is not all. A win at Flushing Meadows can be Djokovic’s a centesimal tour-level singles title.
If he does win in New York, he’ll develop into the primary man to assert back-to-back US Open titles since Roger Federer gained 5 in a row by means of 2008.
There are additionally requirements to uphold for Djokovic.
The Serbian has gained at the very least one grand slam title in every of the previous six years, a run that can finish ought to he fall quick in New York.
If he would not declare the title, he may have solely gained a single title this calendar 12 months — his worst return over the course of his whole profession — even when the one he gained was crucial of all. Not since 2017 has he gained fewer than two.
With a storm of controversy raging round males’s world primary Jannik Sinner and an damage cloud hovering over 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz — who twisted his ankle in observe, limiting his already-reduced time on onerous courts previous to the match getting underway — maybe this might be the time for Djokovic as soon as extra.
Lack of hard-court time leaves attracts extensive open
Aryna Sabalenka claimed victory on the Cincinnati Open. (Getty Photos: Icon Sportswire/Ian Johnson)
That truncated hard-court stint forward of the US Open might but play a task within the vacation spot this 12 months’s US Open will take.
Shifting from the sliding pink clay to the hardness and the warmth of stadiums Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong doesn’t lend itself to a swift adaptation — however Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will not have to fret about that.
The Belarusian opted to not characterize the AIN in Paris and, with out that clay deviation, was in a position to hit the bottom working when the tour resumed post-Olympics Stateside, profitable the WTA title in Cincinnati final week with out dropping a set.
Regardless of profitable the title in 2022, world primary Iga Świątek has by no means been at her most snug in New York, regardless of arguably having the most effective sport to deal with the ability of Sabalenka.
Defending champion Coco Gauff misplaced within the spherical of 16 on the Olympics and in Toronto, earlier than shedding in three units to Yulia Putintseva at Cincinnati, a match that featured 9 double faults, betraying a defective second serve that’s costing the 20-year-old dearly towards the most effective gamers on the earth.
One other participant who has loved loads of time on onerous courts because the Olympics is New York native Jessica Pegula, who gained in Toronto and reached the ultimate in Cincinnati.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old has by no means gotten previous the quarterfinals at any grand slam match in 22 makes an attempt.
Jannik Sinner comes into the US Open in good type, however with questions over two failed drug assessments. (Getty Photos: Matthew Stockman)
On the boys’s facet, Sinner comes into the match having gained the Cincinnati Masters however with the added strain of accusations surrounding his two constructive check outcomes for performance-enhancing drug clostebol, which can be utilized to construct muscle mass.
The Worldwide Tennis Integrity Authority says Sinner has been cleared of fault or negligence by an impartial tribunal, however that will not placate many, with Djokovic acknowledging there’s “frustration” from gamers a few perceived “lack of consistency”.
Wimbledon and French Open champion Alcaraz didn’t wish to speak concerning the controversy, focusing as an alternative on his probabilities after the heartbreak of his Olympic ultimate defeat to Djokovic.
Alcaraz’s solely match since that Paris defeat was a three-set loss to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati that led to excessive racquet abuse, however a scarcity of courtroom time doesn’t fear the 21-year-old Spaniard.
“Clearly I [would] have beloved to have extra matches on my belt on onerous courtroom earlier than the US Open but it surely would not have an effect on me in any respect,” Alcaraz mentioned.
“If I look again just a little bit, for instance, [entering] Roland Garros, I [didn’t have] too [many] matches on clay, and it was a fairly good outcome. After which in Wimbledon, similar factor.”
Alcaraz had 4 clay-court matches previous to his French Open run, and simply two on grass forward of Wimbledon. He gained each slams.
Australian contingent in place to mount cost
Alexei Popyrin is enjoying filled with confidence after his Montreal Masters win. (Getty Photos” Minas Panagiotakis)
Of the eight Australians in the primary girls’s singles draw — essentially the most on the US Open since 1989 — none have a beneficial draw.
Australia’s highest-ranked girl, Daria Saville (93), faces Japanese qualifier and world quantity 218 Ena Shibahara within the first spherical, however then faces the prospect of taking over primary seed Świątek in spherical two.
Ajla Tomljanovic additionally has a qualifier first up, American world quantity 131 Ann Li, however is projected to satisfy residence favorite and 14th seed Madison Keys in spherical three.
Taylah Preston, Destanee Aiava, Priscilla Hon and Kimberly Birrell all tackle seeded gamers of their first spherical matches.
There’s a 12-strong Australian contingent within the males’s draw, essentially the most since 1979, and it includes a fit-again Alex de Minaur as tenth seed, the highest-seeded Australian man in New York in 19 years.
Nevertheless, Alexei Popyrin is the person in type, his Montreal Masters triumph the primary by an Australian at an ATP1000 match since Lleyton Hewitt at Indian Wells in 2003.
Popyrin, ranked twenty eighth and seeded for the primary time at a grand slam, advised Tennis Australia’s in-house podcast that a large a part of his success was as a consequence of enjoying with confidence.
“To have the ability to step on courtroom and really feel such as you’re in a position to produce any shot or do something, that is a sense that you just attempt to preserve ceaselessly,” he mentioned.
Though unable to proceed his type with success in Cincinnati, falling to Monfils within the first spherical after a super-short turnaround, Popyrin will proceed to trip that confidence into Flushing Meadows towards Korean world quantity 342 Soonwoo Kwon, who has solely gained two tour-level matches all 12 months.
Incomes a spot within the second week of a grand slam for the primary time is not going to be simple although.
Ought to the 25-year-old win his opening two matches, he might effectively meet Djokovic within the third spherical.
Popyrin has fallen on the third-round stage twice earlier than at Flushing Meadows — and 6 instances total in grand slams — however given the complicated nature of the Olympics build-up and the uncertainty across the high finish of the draw, something is feasible.
