US Open 2024: Sinner with Paul, Medvedev, Alcaraz, Tsitsipas and Hurkacz, Djokovic with Dimitrov, Rublev, Zverev, Musetti and Ruud
We've been saying it for weeks: in 2024, the ATP circuit will leave a little more room for indecision, and the games will be more open.
So, this 2024 edition of the US Open, the Grand Slam where surprises are usually the order of the day, promises to be contested and somewhat indecisive.
While it won't be easy for any of the players, Djokovic's lower half of the draw looks more challenging than Sinner's.
Novak Djokovic will need to play his very best tennis if he is to claim his 25th Grand Slam title.
After a seemingly straightforward first match against a qualifier, he could well be tested in the second round with a potential duel against Jan-Lennard Struff, ranked 36th in the world and a well-known head-cutter.
In the second week, the games are fairly open, but he will probably have to face one of the darlings of the American public, as he will have to measure himself against players such as Shelton or Tiafoe (in the last 16).
From the quarter-finals onwards, it's a real obstacle course, theoretically.
First of all, he could come up against one of the main outsiders of the 2024 season: Grigor Dimitrov. Although not as impressive as he was at the start of the season, the Bulgarian is still capable of great things. For a place in the final, he's likely to face some tough opponents, including Zverev, Musetti, Fritz and Ruud.
So, if the world No. 2 wants to reach the final at Flushing Meadows, he has little choice but to play his best tennis.
In the bottom half of the draw, Sinner was a little more spared, at least initially, but he won't have to sleep on it either. After opening matches that were well within his reach, things could well get tougher.
After a potential match against Wawrinka or Jarry, he could face a very confident Tommy Paul in his fourth match, before potentially facing Medvedev or Tsitsipas in the quarters, and then probably his favourite rival Carlos Alcaraz in the semis.
Whichever of the two players makes the final in just over two weeks' time, it's certain that they will have sold their skins dearly.
And, given the current instability in men's tennis, it's highly likely that there will be plenty of surprises and exploits to shake up this third round of Grand Slam matches. Hostilities begin in just over three days' time.
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