Having won the last 11 Grand Slams and 53 of the last 62, it would be very surprising to not name the Big Three as the favourites for the final slam of the year. But more than any slam over the last ten years, the hardcourts of the US Open has shown the propensity to surprise.
Very few players have been consistently been able to compete with the Big Three. Juan Martin Del Potro, Marin Cilic, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka are the only outsiders to have lifted the trophy in the last decade. Tennis has been crying out for a superstar that could announce the arrival of the NextGen.
Will it happen in New York? Probably not.
But here are the favourites for the Men's singles US Open 2019:
1. Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the heavy favourite heading into the final slam
No surprises here as the world number one tops this list. Having won four of the past five Grand Slam titles and the reigning champion in New York, it is difficult to look beyond Novak Djokovic. A win here and the Serb will find himself on 17 majors, one behind Rafael Nadal and three shy of Federer.
He stumbled on the hardcourts of Cincinnati at the hands of Daniil Medvedev. But the epic five-set win over Federer at Wimbledon just shows that a best-of-five against Djokovic is an entirely different ball game. History is against Djokovic as no player has successfully defended the U.S. Open title since Federer won it five consecutive times between 2004-2008.
2. Rafael Nadal
After defending his first-ever hardcourt title in Canada, world No.2 Rafael Nadal is the favourite after Novak Djokovic
This may come as a surprise to some as it is Rafael Nadal who finishes ahead of his rival Roger Federer on this list. After ending with a favourable draw where he will avoid both Djokovic and Federer till the finals, the three-time U.S. Open champion is the Spaniard's second-best slam after the French. If there is anyone who could challenge Djokovic at the Flushing Meadows, it is Nadal. After all, Nadal has beaten the Serb twice in three finals here.
Nadal has had the perfect preparation after he wrapped up a record 35th Masters title in Canada and took some time off after withdrawing from Cincinnati. On his day, Nadal is the favourite in any tournament he is in, irrespective of the surface. And it will be no different in New York. But in the end, it all comes down to one question.
How will his body hold up?
3. Roger Federer
It has been 11 years since Roger Federer last won a title in New York
The five-time U.S. Open champion was the last man to defend the title back in 2008. But it was also the last time he won a title here. Two final appearances since 2008 does not bode well for the Swiss. After a mentally draining loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon and three poor runs in New York, which included a fourth-round loss to John Millman last year, Federer has his hands full this year.
But time and again, Federer has proved that more the critics, better will be his response. Drawn in the same half as Djokovic, it increasingly looks like Federer's best chance of winning another slam was at Wimbledon.
Can Federer win his 21st Grand Slam in New York? Mostly no.
4. Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is the best pick outside the Big Three
What a three weeks it has been for the Russian. Three finals in three weeks, including a maiden Masters title in Cincinnati, which has seen him achieve a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 5. As mentioned earlier tennis has been crying out for a Nextgen superstar, it was highly tipped that Alexander Zverev would be that man, but a poor 2019 campaign has pushed him down the pecking order.
The 23-year-old Russian is best tipped to take on the Big Three. After a humbling defeat to Nadal in the Canadian Open final, he backed it up with a win against Djokovic in Cincinnati and a final win over David Goffin. With an unorthodox style of play and quite a number of wins under his belt, Medvedev has all the ingredients to make a mark in New York.
5. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas has avoided the Big Three till the semifinals
It was all going right for Stefanos Tsitsipas until Wimbledon. After a poor first-round loss at Wimbledon, Tsitsipas will be hoping to rediscover the form he showed the whole world in Australia where he made it to the final four, beating Federer along the way. After achieving a career-high ranking of five, Tsitsipas has struggled for consistency.
Changes are required on clay and grass but on hard, things are relatively easier and you can bank on the Greek to scare the Big Three. With no meeting with any of the Big Three till the semifinals, Tsitsipas may be looking for a deep run and his first final four appearances in New York.
