As the hectic summer of 2024 comes to a close, the last Grand Slam of the year gets underway. The Arthur Ashe Stadium will crown a men’s and women’s singles winner after two weeks of nonstop tennis.
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff will aim to defend their titles in what is set to be a wonderful conclusion to this year’s sport. Having already had three Grand Slams and the Olympic Games, tennis has developed incredibly in the last nine months, with many contenders emerging at the top level.
But who are the favourites for this year’s US Open?
Carlos Alcaraz
Starting off with the men’s draw, no man has had a better 2024 than Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard started by winning Roland Garros in dramatic fashion when he overcame Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller. He then demolished all-time great Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final with relative ease. However, the Serb got his revenge in the Olympics, preventing Alcaraz from winning a gold medal at his first Games.
Now, the 21-year-old returns to the country where he won his first Grand Slam event as the outright favourite. He can become the third man in history to win the ‘Surface Slam’: winning Slams on all three surfaces in the same calendar year. Can he follow in the footsteps of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal and create even more history?
Novak Djokovic
24 Grand Slams. Olympic champion. Reigning US Open champion. Will Djokovic continue to defy the odds? Recent success in the Olympics will be a massive boost for him, considering he hasn’t won a Grand Slam since last year’s edition. Widely considered the best player of all time, the 37-year-old continues to destroy young players in convincing fashion, yet the imperious form of his rivals could be a concern.
His overall record against Alcaraz isn’t convincing and Jannik Sinner defeated him in the Australian Open at the start of the year. Having won a combined 15 Grand Slams on hard court, he can’t be ruled out. However will the heirs that challenge his coveted throne continue to destabilise the king of tennis?
Jannik Sinner
What a turbulent year it’s been for 23-year-old Sinner. He started off by winning his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. Then came back-to-back heartbreaking defeats in the latter stages of Roland Garros and Wimbledon. A withdrawal from the Olympics capped off a few tough months for the Italian. But the strangest is still to come. Having just won the Cincinnati Open in the build-up to the US Open, he tested positive for two banned substances before escaping a suspension. This has created a massive discourse as to whether the credibility of drug testers has been lost. On the tennis side of things, Sinner is excellent on hard court and continues to develop at every single ATP Tour event. His powerful forehand is unstoppable for most, and he is definitely a contender throughout the next two weeks.
Other Contenders
Alexander Zverev has flirted with a Grand Slam title throughout his career, yet it’s always proved elusive. He’s in great shape, and the powerful German feels it’s only inevitable before he finally crosses that line.
Or it could be Daniil Medvedev, who reached the Australian Open final in January. Nicknamed ‘The Octopus’, the giant Russian is looking to add to his one Slam win.
As for homegrown title hopes, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have enjoyed runs to the semi-finals in recent years. However, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul are the two standout stars from the US. They’ll be looking to stamp down their credentials in front of their home crowd.
Iga Swiatek
Moving onto the women’s draw, we start with Poland’s Iga Swiatek. The world no. 1 won this title in 2022, yet has failed to replicate her success on any other hard-court Grand Slam. The clay queen is the bookie’s favourite and has held her ranking position at the top of tennis for a staggering 117 weeks. She’ll have her weaknesses not playing on her beloved surfaces, and her competitors will look to exploit them. But there is no doubt she is the one to beat following her bronze medal at the Olympics.
Aryna Sabalenka
The big-hitting Belarusian comes into this year’s event off the back of victory in the Cincinnati Masters. Having won the Australian Open in January, her powerful forehands prove too much for most players on the tour. Hard court is her specialty, and she is probably the best player in the world right now when it comes to this surface. She has a 78% win percentage at the US Open. Her two Grand Slam wins have both been on hard court and she’ll be looking to avenge the memories of her loss in last year’s final.
Coco Gauff
American star Coco Gauff looks to retain her title after blitzing her way to the trophy last year. 2024 has not been too kind to Coco, recently suffering an early Olympics exit. This was followed by a heartbreaking defeat in the early stages of the Cincinnati Open, which dented her confidence. Despite being a big server, her aggressive approach and quick movement make her playing style ideal for the hard courts of tennis. With the backing of the crowd, she will be the biggest threat to Swiatek and Sabalenka.
Other Contenders
Elena Rybakina’s classy style has been mesmerising over the previous years. Yet the quality she possesses does not reflect her Grand Slam winnings, having only won Wimbledon once. She’ll be looking to make it past the 3rd round at the US Open for the first time and this underperformance surely has to end at some point. Could this be the Kazakh’s year?
Jasmine Paolini has been the breakout star of 2024. The 28-year-old Italian reached both the Wimbledon and Roland Garros finals and then won Gold in the women’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her bubbly character on and off the court has won fans over. She now needs to improve her hard-court play, and she will have no better chance in this year’s US Open. Can she entertain the crowd one last time in her memorable year?
The array of talent among US women in tennis is staggering. Despite Coco Gauff’s stardom, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Emma Navarro also possess great talent and have significant highs this year. It’s incredibly encouraging to see the development of women’s tennis in the US and let’s see if one of their own can bring it home.
For the next two weeks, 256 players will aim to obtain one of the biggest prizes in the sport, which provides nonstop drama and magical moments.
