All set for big apple: Alcaraz, Swiatek start as favourites at the US Open
Alcaraz has proved himself on the biggest stages, with his five-setter at Wimbledon being lauded as an all-time performance against Djokovic, who remains parked at 23 majors won, a tie for the Open Era record with Serena Williams.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Iga Swiatek of Poland (File)
NEW YORK: There are as many storylines to follow at this year’s US Open as there are skyscrapers in Manhattan for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season.
The ones that rise above feature defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who are both looking to win their second major of the year after Alcaraz halted Novak Djokovic in an instant classic at Wimbledon last month and Swiatek claimed her third Roland-Garros in June.
Djokovic looms tall, too, making his first appearance in New York City since 2021. He and Alcaraz played a three-hour, 49-minute final at the ATP 1000 stop in Cincinnati on August 20, a final that Djokovic claimed after saving a match point in the second set.
Novak’s fellow Cincy champ Coco Gauff brings her own confidence from the Midwest to the Big Apple, the 19-year-old winning the biggest title of her career with a win over fellow major finallist Karolina Muchova to hoist the trophy in Cincinnati. The 20-year-old Alcaraz will maintain the world No.1 ranking heading into the US Open, but Djokovic is No.2, meaning they could likely face off in a second consecutive Grand Slam final.
Alcaraz has proved himself on the biggest stages, with his five-setter at Wimbledon being lauded as an all-time performance against Djokovic, who remains parked at 23 majors won, a tie for the Open Era (since 1968) record with Serena Williams.
The Serb will go for No.24 and a tie of the all-time record at the US Open, and likely foes include 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev; Danish upstart Holger Rune; Toronto winner from two weeks ago Jannik Sinner; and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek superstar.
While Swiatek is the reigning US Open champion and world No.1, Gauff scored her first win over the Pole in Cincinnati on her eighth try, having never won a set in their previous seven meetings. But the American has re-tooled her game after a first-round exit at Wimbledon, adding famed coach Brad Gilbert to her team.
“[That win] gives me confidence that I have the ability,” Gauff said of her semi-final triumph over Swiatek. “She’s a four-time Grand Slam champion, world No. 1. It shows that I can be at that level.” Gauff’s Cincinnati win came a week after her compatriot and oft doubles partner Jessica Pegula had upset Swiatek in the semi-finals in Montreal, going on to hoist the title herself. It marks the first time since 2004 that two American women have swept the biggest WTA events leading into New York.
Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka remains the No.2 seed (meaning she’ll be opposite Swiatek in the draw), while 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina rounds out the top four with Swiatek, Sabalenka and Pegula. Others to watch include last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur, as well as Muchova, who made her top 10 debut Monday (21 August) and Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova, the world No.9.
