Williams, Djokovic again ones to beat
U.S. Open starts Monday, with Murray leading challengers
Just days after the biggest sporting event in the world — the Olympics — came to a close in Rio de Janeiro, the U.S. Open takes center stage, set to begin Monday in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
The tournament will be without Roger Federer for the first time since 1999, but Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and others will vie for one of tennis’ four most coveted trophies under a newly finished roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Here are eight story lines to watch:
WILLIAMS GOES FOR MAJOR NO. 23 There is no epic chase for the calendar-year Grand Slam like in 2015, but world No. 1 Williams will look to break another record at this year’s Open: Steffi Graf ’s 22 majors in the Open era. Williams will not only go for No. 23, but she’ll also try to extend her streak of weeks at No. 1 to 187, which would break another Graf record.
IS DJOKOVIC THE FAVORITE, OR NOT?
Two months ago, after Djokovic’s French Open domination, the tennis world wondered: Can this guy go 4-for-4? But then the Serb uncharacteristically went out in the third round of Wimbledon to American Sam Querrey and was shocked in the first round of the Olympics by Juan Martin Del Potro. Djokovic is human, after all, and will face a stiff test from foes who see an opening with the world No. 1’s confidence shaken.
RETRACTABLE ROOF MAKES NEW YORK DEBUT The U.S. Tennis Association’s $150 million retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium makes its debut at this year’s Open, making it the third of the four majors to have a covered court if need be. (The French Open lacks one, as a rainy 2016 tournament highlighted.) After recent rainy years left the schedule backlogged in New York, organizers will take solace (and cover) under the roof, which uses 13 million pounds of steel and stretches over 62,500 square feet.
PUIG AND DEL POTRO: OLYMPIC GLOW FLICKERS ON?
Monica Puig was one of the great stories of the Rio Olympics as the unheralded Puerto Rican ranked No. 34 shocked Angelique Kerber, winning the first gold medal for her country. She and Del Potro will head to New York hoping to emulate their respective Rio successes, though neither will be seeded. Del Potro had a fairytale run, shocking Djokovic in the first round, beating Rafael Nadal in a classic semifinal and eventually succumbing to Murray for a silver medal finish.
WHO ELSE TO FEAR?
Kerber will lead a slew of women chasing Williams’ No. 1 ranking, as she, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska could all overtake Williams. American Madison Keys is always a danger, as is Venus Williams at 36. Puig, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and 2015 Serena-slayer Roberta Vinci are capable of deep runs in a women’s field that is without Vic- toria Azarenka, who announced her pregnancy last month.
The men to challenge Djokovic are red-hot Murray, who has won 22 of 23 matches, as well as Cincinnati winner and 2014 Open champ Marin Cilic, resurgent Nadal (who won gold in Rio in doubles while placing fourth in singles), 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, two-time Slam champ Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori of Japan, who won bronze in Rio.
WE’LL MISS YOU, ROGER
Federer ended his 2016 season last month after a series of mishaps this season: a fluke accident led to knee surgery, a stomach virus knocked him out of the Miami Open and a bad back put him out of the French Open. It is the knee, however, that forced him to pack up his racket bag, now eyeing a return in the Australian summer in January. The 17-time major champion is out of the U.S. Open for the first time since 1999 and said this week it pained him to be in New York as the tournament goes on without him.
VENUS WILLIAMS KEEPS PLUGGING AWAY
You can’t help but wonder: Is this Venus Williams’ final U.S. Open? It’s a question that has followed her for much of the past five years, after she announced in 2011 that she was suffering from Sjogren’s syndrome, an energysapping disease. But she was a semifinalist at Wimbledon this year, is seeded No. 6 for the Open and two weeks ago won the mixed doubles silver medal in Rio alongside Rajeev Ram.
Will Williams be at Tokyo 2020? “I imagine if I really wanted to be there I could. … I’m going to have to want to do the work. We’ll see.” So let’s just wait and see — and appreciate Williams for her legacy as she continues to compete and wade into tennis territory uncharted.
WHO’S GOT NEXT?
It’s the annual game of “Who is the next American tennis star?” Keys, 21, is the most well-established, embedded in the top 10 and coming off a fourth-place finish in Rio. Taylor Fritz is 18, ranked No. 54 in the world and owns a lightning bolt of a serve that’s part of his go-for-broke arsenal. Louisa Chirico and Samantha Crawford have had spurts of success this year, while Jared Donaldson and Francis Tiafoe are also looking for respective breakthroughs.
Meanwhile, Steve Johnson briefly took over the No. 1 American spot from John Isner on the men’s side, as midmajor lurkers such as Jack Sock, Querrey and Donald Young continue to look for a masterful major, though they often appear to be punching above their weight against the best in the world.