Outsiders for the US Open
With just a few sleeps until the US Open returns, tennis fans are eagerly anticipating the next Grand Slam of the year, with plenty to look forward to after an entertaining summer at Wimbledon. New York welcomes a full capacity crowd back to Flushing Meadows for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and you only need to look at that atmosphere of Centre Court back in July to know how much potential the tournament has when it kicks off an August 29th.
Last year saw Daniil Medvedev win a maiden Grand Slam as he somewhat shocked those that bet on tennis by beating Novak Djokovic. In doing so, he denied the Serbian a full calendar of titles, and while he beat Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, Medvedev, who was absent from the last major due to the ban on Russian players enforced by the Ukraine war, is still one of the favourites.
The tournament is proving to be competitive, with Kyrgios himself in good form, beating Medvedev in the Canadian Open and ending his title drought by winning the Citi Open in Washington, whilst it’s impossible to overlook Rafael Nadal despite concerns over his plethora of injuries. While the top five in the world will obviously dominate the headlines, it’s important not to overlook those capable of causing an upset. With that in mind, read on as we look at the players with an outside chance of winning this year’s US Open.
Casper Ruud
The finalist at Roland Garros, Casper Ruud put up a valiant effort against Federer in France and despite failing to reach those dizzying heights at Wimbledon; he has shown his longevity in majors and will want to go one better to capture a Grand Slam. At just 23 years old, the Norwegian still has plenty of years ahead of him; and victory in the Swiss Open against Matteo Berrettini will certainly do his credentials no harm. Given the right draw, he could certainly go all the way again.
Carlos Alcaraz
This time last year Carlos Alcaraz burst onto the scene and at just 19 years old; already looks like a future Grand Slam champion. While the Spaniard is still yet to reach the final of a Grand Slam; he rose to prominence when he won the Madrid Open; beating world number two Alexander Zverev. Although he still lacks experience; his win in the Spanish capital has demonstrated he’s ready to mix it with the big boys; and could be a good punt when it comes to US Open betting. Injury prevented him going beyond the quarter finals at Flushing Meadows last year; but consistency will be key if he can go that step further this time around.
Andrey Rublev
Another player denied a crack at the whip at Wimbledon; Russian Andrey Rublev will want to show the world what he’s made of on American shores; with the 24-year-old reaching the semi-final of the Citi Open but falling short to Yoshihito Nishioka in Washington. Inconsistency is the one thing preventing Rublev from becoming a legendary player; and while he’s currently ranked eighth in the world; he can certainly break the top five in the coming months; and a win in a Major to add to his Indian Wells success last year would go a long way to justifying his inclusion in tennis’ elite.
