By Tushar Bhaduri
For the best part of the 20 years, the major talking point leading into a Grand Slam would be which one of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic would walk away with the trophy after two weeks. The three had almost monopolized the biggest prizes in the game, winning 63 (and counting) of them altogether, with Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka managing to break through on the odd (six) occasion over the last decade.
This is an eternity in terms of dominance, especially in tennis with a premium on fitness, endurance and toughness. There have been several false dawns regarding the coming of age of the next generation of top players who would start winning Grand Slam titles, but they have generally flattered to deceive on the big moments. Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem have managed to break through on one instance each, but the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are still waiting.
But as one looks ahead to the US Open starting in New York on Monday, there is every chance that the monopoly of the ‘Big Three’ will be broken. And the big reason for that is Father Time (and the pandemic).
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At 41 years of age, Federer is well past the age when he could be realistically expected to challenge for the biggest honours. The Swiss legend will anyway be absent from New York, still recuperating from knee surgery in the hope of a fitting swansong.
Wimbledon champion Djokovic will miss the US Open due to his much-publicised unvaccinated status. Nadal, the all-time leader in the Grand Slam race as of now, has had his fair share of injuries. He had to withdraw midway through Wimbledon, and even though he has yet to lose a Grand Slam encounter on court in 2022, the Spaniard may be short of match-sharpness, at least at the start of the tournament.
With two of the Big Three absent and the third on his way to regaining full fitness, the door may be ajar for the likes of Carlos Alcaraz or Matteo Berrettini.
Medvedev is the incumbent number one but the defending champion, who dashed Djokovic’s hopes of a calendar Grand Slam in last year’s final, has been largely off-colour after surrendering a two-set advantage against Nadal in the Australian Open final. Zverev is out with a serious ankle injury, while Alcaraz’s best moments have till now come in regular tour events.
On current form, Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios who made the Wimbledon final in July, and Croatian Borna Coric, who came out of nowhere to clinch the Cincinnati Masters last weekend, maybe the players to avoid at Flushing Meadows.
Serena’s farewell script
By announcing that she plans to “evolve away from tennis” after the US Open, Serena Williams ensured that she will hog most of the spotlight (as she has so often done!) in the last Grand Slam of her career.
Her appearances on court have been rare of late and it may be too much to expect for her to equal Margaret Court with a record 24th Grand Slam singles title, but she is sure to be the favourite of the home crowd.
The women’s draw has often been more open and unpredictable with a lot of upsets likely. Apart from World No.1 Iga Swiatek, who went on a long winning streak during spring and summer, there are only two other Grand Slam champions currently in the top 10 (Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza). It gives a chance to the likes of defending champion Emma Raducanu, Cincinnati winner Caroline Garcia and big American hopes Coco Gauff and Madison Keys to go deep into the draw.
Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Daria Kasatkina have made it to the top 10, but still await their big moment at the Majors.
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Sania Mirza was also set to call time on her career after the 2022 season, but a tendon injury in her forearm has prevented her from making the US Open her final Grand Slam tournament. It remains to be seen whether the setback prompts a change to her retirement plans.
A Major like no other
Wimbledon thrives on its tradition and the French Open on Paris’ fashion sense and elegance. The Australian Open is the laid-back and friendly Slam.
The US Open can be described as the ‘loudest’ and ‘most raucous’ Slam. In complete contrast to the ‘silence, please’ etiquette on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, fans in New York are never shy of letting the players know what they feel. The atmosphere gets even more rowdy and partisan during night matches, especially if an American player is in action.
Not every player enjoys such a setting. Bjorn Borg never won the US Open, despite making four finals, while Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe thrived on the electricity. As someone once said “the only thing worse than playing the US Open, is not playing the US Open.”
