With defending champions Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer set to skip the 2020 US Open due to coronavirus concerns, does the door open for young hopefuls at Flushing Meadows or is Djokovic now a lock for his 18th career Grand Slam title?
The U.S. Open released its entry list of competitors from the ATP Tour Tuesday and leading the charge at Flushing Meadows for this year’s installment of the fourth major on the ATP Tour calendar is none other than World No.1 Novak Djokovic; the player that has long been widely held across sports betting markets as the player to beat tipped as runway favorite. In the meanwhile, four-time U.S. Open champion and reigning titleholder, World No.2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2020 U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, citing concerns over rising COVID-19 cases.
“After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year’s US Open. The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don’t have control of it,” Nadal wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel. pic.twitter.com/8VA0aSACVy
This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel. pic.twitter.com/8VA0aSACVy — Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 4, 2020
Nadal, who beat Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final in a scintillating five-set marathon, was projected as one of the main challengers for the title after Djokovic.
The Spaniard’s bombshell announcement, which rocked the world of tennis, followed not only the U.S. Open’s release of its list of confirmed competitors but also news the Madrid Open would not go ahead as planned, after tournament organisers decided to abandon the 2020 season after all. Which Nadal alluded to in his social media post as well.
"We know that the reduced tennis calendar is barbaric this year after 4 months stopped with no play, I understand and thank (everyone) for the efforts they are putting in to make it happen. We have just seen the announcement of Madrid not being played this year.”
Nadal, who is the ultimate competitor in the men’s game went on to add that it was a difficult decision to make. “This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel.”
The Madrid Open was rescheduled from May to 14 September but with a concerning spike in coronavirus cases in northern Spain the tournament organisers were forced to make the inevitable decision to cancel the event altogether.
If the U.S. Open does get off the ground on August 31, it will feature a water downed field; with Nadal and Roger Federer, who is out for the season with injury, being the most notable absentees.
It’s worth noting that they’re not only two of the top five players in the world but, at the same time, the two most winningest major champions in the game: Roger Federer (20 major titles) and Nadal (19 major titles). Their absence, therefore, clears the way for Djokovic to potentially clinch his 18th Grand Slam title. Equally, it also paves the way for young hopefuls, of which there are several that are knocking on the door of major greatness.
Three of the world’s top five players are still intending on competing at Flushing Meadows. No.3 Dominic Thiem and No.5 Daniil Medvedev are slated to join Djokovic and, by all accounts, this pair represents some of the Serbian’s toughest rivals for the US Open title. By the bookmakers, they’re up there on the US Open odds board as a couple of solid bets.
Indeed, Medvedev beat Djokovic in the 2019 Cincinnati Masters semi-final, on route to the title. Medvedev then followed up his pivotal Master’s victory with a runner-up finish to Nadal at the US Open. Overall, Medvedev trails Djokovic 4-2 in a head-to-heads lifetime.
Dominic Thiem has only one indoor hard court victory over Djokovic but in 11 meetings Thiem has beaten the Serbian four times. Earlier this season, the pair played a thrilling Australian Open final which went down to the wire. Djokovic eventually won the title, but it was no cakewalk.
Outside of the aforementioned young guns eyeing for a grand slam breakthrough, the U.S. Open entry list features more up-and-comers such as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev – a couple of players that have had the measure of Djokovic in recent seasons. Last year’s US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov is also expected to compete at Flushing Meadows.
The ‘Big Three’ in tennis has dominated the majors for nearly two decades, with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer combining to win the last 13 Grand Slam titles in succession. The last player to disrupt this triopoly was Stanislas Wawrinka, who won the 2016 U.S. Open.
Indeed, aside from Wawrinka and Andy Murray – both have 3 majors apiece – only Marin Cilic in 2014 and Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009 have wrestled a major title in the last decade.
Going back 15 years, two more players not in the ‘Big Three’ were lucky enough to win majors: Marat Safin in 2005 and Gaston Gaudio in 2004.
To say the absence of both Nadal and Federer in the 2020 US Open draw is an opportunity to capitalise on is thus a massive understatement. It’s the understatement to end all understatements of the 20th century.
That said, it remains to be seen whether a player other than Djokovic will seize the day.
