The experts at The Racing Post have produced an exclusive US Open 2024 Preview, just for kwiff readers! The final Grand Slam of the 2024 season sees the players head to New York for the US Open and, in the men’s event, Carlos Alcaraz will be hoping to cap off a stellar season by building on his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon. World number one Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open but since then it has been all about Alcaraz, although the Spaniard will have to respond to losing in the Olympic final to Novak Djokovic earlier this month.
US Open 2024 Preview: Rivalries Renewed
Djokovic, who is a 24-time Grand Slam winner, is also the defending US Open champion and the 37-year-old helps form a potent top three alongside younger foes Sinner and Alcaraz. Home favourite Coco Gauff is the defending women’s champion but there is plenty of competition on the WTA Tour, highlighted by the fact that the opening three Slam’s this season have been won by someone different.
Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open title in January, Iga Swiatek maintained her clay-court dominance at the French Open in June, while Barbora Krejcikova reigned supreme at Wimbledon. That shows that it can often pay to think outside the box on the WTA Tour and the action at Flushing Meadows takes place from August 26 until September 8.
US Open 2024 Preview: Olympics II
Having defeated Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, it seemed as if Alcaraz was getting on top of his rivalry with the legendary Serb. But Djokovic hit back to win Olympic gold at Alcaraz’s expense earlier this month, triumphing 7-6 7-6 to show there is plenty of life left in the veteran’s legs yet. Djokovic claimed his first US Open title in five years last season and must be considered a strong contender in the defence of his crown.
The problem is that 21-year-old Alcaraz has won four of the last seven Grand Slam titles and always seems to come back stronger, while Australian Open champion Sinner, who missed the Olympics and has had a lighter campaign, looks focused on finishing the season with a flourish. It would be some surprise were one of that trio not to lift the silverware at Flushing Meadows, although Daniil Medvedev can never be ruled out in hard-court Grand Slams. The Russian has made three US Open finals, winning his maiden major title at Flushing Meadows in 2021, while also finishing runner-up at the Australian Open on three occasions, most recently this season.
US Open 2024 Preview: Lively Longshots
While four players dominate the betting in the men’s US Open, the women’s event is wide open with most bookmakers going 3/1 the field. The last five Grand Slam competitions on the WTA Tour have been won by someone different, while there have been nine different winners in the last 10 years of the US Open.
Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff and Elena Rybakina are rightly at the forefront of the betting but, in what has been a long season, none are rock-solid and it can often pay to take a chance in women’s competition. Of those available at bigger prices, Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini and Qinwen Zheng are three to consider. It may be too early in the development of Andreeva to suggest she can claim a Grand Slam title but she is super talented so it should only be a matter of time before she does. The Russian is already a title winner on the WTA Tour.
Paolini, meanwhile, has been of the form players of the season, having finished runner-up to Swiatek at the French Open and Barbora Krejcikova at Wimbledon. The Italian is versatile regarding surface and she should be riding the crest of a wave following her gold medal success in the doubles with Sara Errani in Paris. Zheng, on the other hand, claimed the gold medal in the singles and the world number seven is knocking on the door, having been a US Open quarter-finalist last season, while finishing runner-up to Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January.
By Tom McGarry
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