Gaël Monfils to retire after 2026 season

 

                          

                                             (Credit: Julien Crosnier/FFT) 

Earlier this week, French tennis star Gaël Monfils announced on social media that he will retire after the 2026 season. Monfils made the following statement: 

"I held a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18. Now, after celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.

"The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career. Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.

"Mostly, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I’d like to express it to so many people:

"To my wife, Elina: my love, inspiration, and strength – and an exceptional player in her own right. To my daughter Skai: for the profound love, meaning, and joy she has added to my days. To my brother Daryl and my sisters Roddie and Maelie, for lifting me up during tough times and helping me celebrate the good ones. 

"To my best friends and loved ones, whose faces in the stands have always given me courage when it counted the most. To my longtime agent Nicolas, whose support and friendship helped me reach the highest highs and ride out the lowest lows. 

"To my coaches and team members over the years, who believed in a lanky kid from Paris and who have helped nurture my talent in ways I could never have imagined. To every person who ever cheered or shouted ‘Allez Gaël!’ in real life or at a TV screen: your energy and love are truly everything to me. To the French Tennis Federation for their unwavering support since Day One. 

"To Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, and Richard Gasquet, my three musketeers and best friends for life. And most of all, to my parents: because all of this would have been impossible — unthinkable, even — without them. Papa, Maman, look how far we’ve come.

"While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career. I won’t pretend that I expect to do so during the next year. ‘You could have, you should have…’ As those who know me can attest, I’ve never thought this way, and frankly I’m far too old to start doing so now. Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets.

"What I do have is the feeling that I have been lucky: insanely, stupidly lucky. I’ve had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis, alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray. Even losing feels epic when you’re facing a legend.

"Looking ahead, I have only one goal: to enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last."

Monfils got ranked as high as No. 6 in the world in November of 2016 and for a little while was knocking on the door to win a grand slam, reaching the semifinals of the French Open in 2008 and the semifinals of the US Open in 2016. He also reached the quarterfinals twice at the Australian Open in 2016 and 2022. Only Wimbledon has he never figured out, reaching the 4th round just the once in 2018. 

While he was never able to win a grand slam, Monfils still had a strong career. For many years, he was in the mix and was always a crowd favorite. He plays the game with a lot of flair and passion, which you can't help but love if you enjoy the sport. I feel like he's been especially fun to watch on clay given his length and sliding. There are so many difficult balls he has gotten to over the course of his career. 

I think what's most amazing is that at 39 years of age, Monfils is currently ranked No. 48 in the world. He became the oldest ATP Tour singles champion earlier this year at 38 years and 132 days old when he won the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. On top of that, he reached the 4th round at the Australian Open earlier this year as well. The fact that he's playing as well as he is at his age speaks to the dedication he has to his craft. Few players are able to compete at such a high level so late in life. His longevity more than anything else is something he should be proud of. 

Looking ahead to 2026, it'll be fun to see how Monfils does in his final season on tour. Given how he did at the Australian Open this year, there's a chance he makes his way into the second week of a grand slam at least once. Of course, the tournament where there will be the most buzz is the French Open. If he can find a way to make the 4th round in Paris next year, you know the place will be bursting with excitement. 

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10 takeaways from the 2025 US Open

 

               (Carlos Alcaraz & Aryna Sabalenka with their trophies. Credit: WTA Photo) 

The 2025 US Open is now in the rearview mirror, which means it is time for me to write my 10 takeaways from the two weeks that were in New York City. Alrighty, let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz re-established himself as No. 1: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the final 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The two of them are the clear top two players in the world, jockeying for position. By winning the US Open, Alcaraz reclaimed the number one spot in the world. Alcaraz hadn't won the US Open since 2022, so it was huge for him to get back in the winner's circle at this event. On the year, they are 2-2 against each other in grand slam finals. Alcaraz also winning the French Open while Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. It'll be interesting to see which one of those two will end the year ranked number one. For now, Alcaraz has the inside track. 

#2. Aryna Sabalenka re-establishes herself as No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova in the final 6-3, 7-6. As a result, Sabalenka has a strong grip on the world number one spot having won Wimbledon earlier this year. Sabalenka has been the top hard court player in the world and this year's US Open reaffirmed that. She was fantastic all tournament long only dropping one set against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. It'll be fun to see if Sabalenka can go the distance at the Australian Open. While she's won the Australian Open and US Open in the same year before, he's never followed a US Open win with an Australian Open title. So that's something for her to shoot for. 

#3. Sinner and Alcaraz are the clear top two players in the world: As I mentioned, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner went 2-2 against each other in grand slam finals this year. While they are going back and forth between who has the world number one ranking, one thing that is clear is that they are the top two players in the world. They're getting very little challenge from the rest of the tour. Given how young they are (Alcaraz 22 years old; Sinner 24 years old), it's hard to see that changing any time soon. 

#4. Amanda Anisimova is knocking on the door: Amanda Anisimova followed up her run to the Wimbledon final with a run to the US Open final. At just 24 years of age, her time certainly seems to be coming. She had a great tournament in New York and as a result is now ranked No. 4 in the world. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for her and whether or not she'll be able to break through to win her first grand slam in 2026. 

#5. Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to have US Open success: Felix Auger-Aliassime had a strong US Open, reaching the semifinals for the second time of his career (2021). Auger-Aliassime hasn't reached the semifinals at any other grand slam before, so the US Open really is his best tournament. I guess the combination of hard court and proximity to Canada gives him an advantage. He started out the tournament seeded No. 25 and is now ranked No. 13 in the world. It'll be fun to see if he can make some noise at the Australian Open and build on the success he had in New York. 

#6. Naomi Osaka had a renaissance: Naomi Osaka had a fantastic tournament, reaching the semifinals where she lost to Amanda Anisimova 7-6, 6-7, 3-6. It was her first trip to the semifinals of a grand slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021. This was truly a renaissance tournament for Osaka as she played the best she's played in a good while. At 27 years of age, Osaka still has plenty of tennis ahead of her. It'll be fun to see if this strong US Open performance will propel her to a strong 2026 season. 

#7. Novak Djokovic is still elite, but no longer on top: Novak Djokovic fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals 4-6, 6-7, 2-6. Ranked No. 4 in the world, Djokovic is still an elite player, but as I wrote above, it's clear that Alcaraz and Sinner are the clear number two guys. Djokovic at this point is playing for the love of the game. How long will that last given the demands of playing on tour? That's a question only he can answer, but I for one hope he plays at least a couple more seasons. 

#8. Jessica Pegula keeps knocking on the door: Jessica Pegula had a nice run to the semifinals, falling to Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. This was the second trip to the semifinals that Pegula has had at the US Open, reaching the final in 2024. Pegula hasn't reached the semifinals at any other grand slam, but the US Open is where she plays her best tennis. Whether or not she can put it together at other grand slams remains to be seen, but the US Open she clearly has developed a lot of comfort at. 

#9. Taylor Fritz was unable to get back to the final: After reaching the final in 2024, Taylor Fritz was unable to get back to the final in 2025. Fritz fell to Novak Djokovic in four sets in the quarterfinals: 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 4-6. Given he's the top ranked American man, now No. 5 in the world, it's a bummer for Fritz that he couldn't make a deeper run. Hopefully for him, he'll be able to make more noise next year and also do more to knock Sinner and Alcaraz off their perch. If he can't do it, it's fair to wonder who can. 

#10. Iga Swiatek was unable to win a second US Open: Iga Swiatek fell to Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals 4-6, 3-6, failing to win her second US Open title after winning it in 2022.  Clay has been her best surface by far with four French Open titles and then she finally broke through on grass this year at Wimbledon. At just 24 years of age, she's got plenty of time to win more US Opens and complete the career grand slam with an Australian Open title still needed. It'll be interesting to see if she can get more consistent on the hard court. If she does, given her clay abilities, she's got a chance to really dominate the WTA Tour. 

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Carlos Alcaraz wins second US Open title

 

                                              (Credit: Getty Images) 

On Sunday, September 7th, Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking after defeating Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the men's singles final at the US Open. It is the second US Open title for Alcaraz and 6th grand slam title. He's won the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open two times each, still seeking that first Australian Open title. A bit odd to need the Australian to finish up the career slam, but that's a topic for another day. 

Throughout the entire tournament, Alcaraz played fantastic, not dropping a set until the final. He defeated No. 7 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 in the semifinals and shredded No. 20 Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. It was a dominant two weeks of tennis from Alcaraz as nobody (including Sinner) really pushed him. 

Where Alcaraz truly shined was on his serve. He was second in the tournament in percentage of first serve points won at 84%, winning 287 of 342 first serve points. A much larger sample size than first place Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who won 85% of his first serve points in the lone match that he played. As for his second serve, Alcaraz was equally outstanding, leading the tournament in percentage of second serves won with 63% (130 of 205). When you are controlling your serve at that level of consistency, you're going to be really difficult to stop. 

What also needs to be underscored about the way Alcaraz was serving is he wasn't accumulating a ton of aces. He had 48 for the entire tournament, which ranked 12th, but when you consider he played in seven matches, his aces per match were much lower than the others that were atop that list. It's a reminder that good serving isn't always about getting the ace or having the most power. It's about being able to put yourself in position to dictate the point. That's where his service game excels. 

On top of the stellar serving, Alcaraz was simply the best all-around player for the tournament. His movement is phenomenal, he can beat you from the baseline, he can beat you at the net, etc. There's really no weakness to his game, which is why he's the number one ranked player in the world. 

Looking ahead, in addition to seeing if he'll finish the season ranked number one, it'll be interesting to see if Alcaraz will be able to break through and win his first Australian Open in January. Sinner will almost certainly be on the opposite side of the net should he reach the final. 

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Aryna Sabalenka defends her US Open title

 

                                                   (Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters) 

On Saturday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated No. 8 Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 in the women's singles final to win the US Open for the second straight year. It is Sabalenka's fourth grand slam title overall and her second US Open title. Her other two grand slam titles have come at the Australian Open in 2023 & 2024, so she's quickly establishing herself as the top hard court player in the world. 

Sabalenka had an amazing two weeks of tennis in New York, only dropping one set the entire way (4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals vs. No. 4 Jessica Pegula). She was also aided by a walkover victory over Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals, so she really cruised to this title. That isn't to say she didn't get challenged at all. In four of her matches, she had a set that she had to win with the 7th game, three of which went to a tiebreaker. But still, the reality is she showed why she is the top player in the world, especially on hard court. 

While her 25 aces weren't the most in the tournament (Naomi Osaka crushed that stat with 43), Sabalenka really dominated with her second serve, ranking 6th in the tournament in second serve win percentage (55%). She also had a large sample size with 162 second serve points, winning 89 of them. The old saying you're only as good as your second serve rang true with Sabalenka. She was rock solid in that department. 

The other thing Sabalenka did a great job of was finding ways to win in crunch time. She was 3-0 in tiebreakers, winning all three by a collective score of 21-9. She was dominant in those tiebreakers, shutting the door and not allowing her opponents to have any life. That speaks to her mental strength and fortitude. 

For Sabalenka, this was a huge tournament for her to win given she didn't win the Australian Open this year. Hard court is her bread and butter and so to come out on top in the final hard court slam of the year has to feel good. While she still needs to figure out how to win grand slams on clay and grass, if she can get the hard court slams on lock down, she should be able to have an iron clad grip on the world number one ranking for the foreseeable future. 

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Which 20+ seed has the best chance to make noise in the second week of the US Open?

 

                                             Felix Auger-Aliassime. Credit: USOpen.org 

With the 4th round of the US Open about to get started, several players seeded in the 20s or higher are still in the mix: 

On the men's side, (23) Alexander Bublik is set to face (1) Jannik Sinner after a Saturday night 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 victory over (14) Tommy Paul; (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime is set to face (15) Andrey Rublev after stunning (3) Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4; unseeded Leandro Riedi ranked (No. 435 in the world) is set to face (8) Alex de Minaur after defeating Kamil Majchrzak 5-3, ret; Jaume Munar is set to face (10) Lorenzo Musetti after defeating Zizou Bergs 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; (21) Tomas Machac is set to face (4) Taylor Fritz after defeating Ugo Blanchett 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; Jan-Lennard Struff is set to face (7) Novak Djokovic after defeating (17) Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3, 7-6; Adrian Mannarino is set to face (20) Jiri Lehecka after defeating Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Lehecka will face Mannarino after defeating (6) Ben Shelton 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, ret; and Arthur Rinderknech will face (2) Carlos Alcaraz after defeating Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. 

As for the women's side, Cristina Bucsa is set to face (1) Aryna Sabalenka after defeating (19) Elise Mertens 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Marketa Vondrousova is set to face (9) Elena Rybakina after knocking off (7) Jasmine Paolini 7-6, 6-1; Ann Li is set to face (4) Jessica Pegula after defeating Priscilla Hon 7-5, 6-3; Barbora Krejcikova is set to face Taylor Townsend after defeating (10) Emma Navarro 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Townsend upset (5) Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2; (27) Marta Kostyuk will face (11) Karolina Muchova after defeating Diane Parry 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; and (23) Naomi Osaka will face (3) Coco Gauff after defeating (15) Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. 

Just to condense it down for you a bit, that's (23) Alexander Bublik, Jaume Munar, (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leandro Riedi, Jan-Lennard Struff, Adrian Mannarino, (21) Tomas Machac, (20) Jiri Lehecka, and Arthur Rinderknech left on the men's side; Cristina Bucsa, Marketa Vondrousova, Ann Li, Barbora Krejcikova, Taylor Townsend, (27) Marta Kostyuk, and (23) Naomi Osaka on the women's side. Nine on the men's side and seven on the women's side, making for 16 players in total. That's a pretty good amount of players left in the draw who are seeded 20+, which means there's a real opportunity to make a run in the second week. 

While I don't want to rule anyone out, the two players who are standing out to me as the most dangerous are Auger-Aliassime and Osaka: 

Starting with Auger-Aliassime, he has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world (November 7th, 2022) and did reach the semifinals of the US Open back in 2021, so he has made a deep run before. After his win over Zverev, Auger-Aliassime should be feeling really confident heading into his match against Rublev. He knows he can make deep runs in  New York. 

Osaka has not only made deep runs at the US Open, she's won it twice in 2018 and 2020. She also won the Australian Open twice in 2019 and 2021. She knows she can win this tournament and has found a lot of success at hard court grand slams in general. Gauff has won the US Open as well (2023), so Osaka is going to have her work cut out for her. Still, Osaka has to be feeling confident to be back in the 4th round at the US Open for the first time since her 2020 title. 

One other thing that's standing out to me is the upcoming matches of Mannarino vs. (20) Lehecka and Krejcikova vs. Townsend. That guarantees at least one 20+ seeded player on each side of the draw will be in the quarterfinals. Townsend being an American will have the crowd behind her, which gives her an edge. Neither Mannarino nor Lehecka will have that going for them, so it's harder to see how that one will go. Regardless, all four of those players have to sense a real opportunity to reach the quarterfinals and then who knows what happens from there. 

Overall, this is shaping up to be an exciting second week at the US Open. A good chunk of the big name players are still in the mix and at the same time, you have a lot of underdogs who are still alive as well. Regardless of how this all shakes out, there are certain to be a lot of captivating storylines to follow. 

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10 things to look for at the 2025 US Open

 

The US Open actually began on Sunday, so I'm a bit late to getting this up. Below are my 10 things to look for at the 2025 US Open in New York. Click here to check out the draws in case you haven't yet seen them. Ok, let's dive in! 

#1. How healthy is Jannik Sinner? No. 1 Jannik Sinner pulled out of the final in the Cincinnati Open due to an illness, handing the title to No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. A lot of questions have swirled around about how healthy Sinner is and whether or not he'd even compete. Well, he's in the main draw and will give it a go. But will he stay healthy the entire tournament or could he be in for an early exit? The first couple rounds will tell us a lot. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka defend her title? No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the defending champion with many picking her to defend her title. However, she did lose to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final earlier this year, unable to defend her title there. Sabalenka will be eager to not have that happen again and this time defend her crown. If she does, she'll be sending a message that she truly is the top hard court player in the game. 

#3. Does Novak Djokovic have one more slam in him? No. 7 Novak Djokovic has won 24 grand slams and is gunning for his 25th. He cruised to a 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 victory over Learner Tien in the first round, so he's off to a good start. The key for Djokovic will be to make sure he takes care of business in straight sets through the first four rounds. The less tennis he has to play, especially on the hard courts, the better. Djokovic has to make sure in these early rounds he doesn't get pushed. Otherwise, fatigue will certainly catch up with him in the later rounds. 

#4. Will Coco Gauff's coaching change pay off? No. 3 Coco Gauff fired her catch Matthew Daly just days before the US Open in a move that sent a bit of a shockwave through the tennis world. It's a bold move to make that only will look smart if she goes all the way. If she doesn't, it will look like a desperate move that should have at least waited until the end of the season. It certainly adds more pressure on Gauff to perform well at this tournament, but then again, maybe this will help her out mentally. Time will tell. 

#5. Can Carlos Alcaraz build on his win at Cincinnati? After winning the Cincinnati Open, Carlos Alcaraz comes into the US Open with a lot of momentum. But will it ultimately matter? If Sinner is not able to play to his full strength, one has to like Alcaraz's chances of winning it all. The only reason to pause is he hasn't won the US Open since 2022. It's a bit of a dry spell in New York that Alcaraz would love to end. 

#6. Can Iga Swiatek build on her win at Cincinnati? No. 2 Iga Swiatek defeated No. 7 Jasmine Paolini to win the Cincinnati Open. Just like Alcaraz, Swiatek is eager to build on the momentum she has coming into the tournament. Also like Alcaraz, she hasn't won the US Open since 2022. Will this be the year she wins it all again in New York? It should be interesting to see. 

#7. Can Alexander Zverev contend? No. 3 Alexander Zverev is still seeking his first grand slam title. He only reached the US Open final once in his career (2020), but he did reach the Australian Open final earlier this year. If Sinner is unable to go deep in the tournament, Zverev in theory should be the guy to take advantage as the number three guy in the world. But can he actually do it? That's the question. 

#8. Can Madison Keys threaten? After winning the Australian Open, No. 6 Madison Keys will look to wrap up the 2025 season how she started it: winning a hard court grand slam. Keys should have a lot more confidence in her US Open chances after the way she performed Down Under, but as a word of caution, she has only reached one US Open final in her career and that was back in 2017. If Keys does go the distance this year, that would be quite a story. 

#9. Can Taylor Fritz go the distance? If there's an American man to threaten to win it all this year, it would be No. 4 Taylor Fritz. Fritz reached the final last year and really fed off the American crowd. While not the same level of pressure that was on Andy Murray to win Wimbledon as a Brit, it has been 22 years since an American man won a grand slam (Andy Roddick, 2003 US Open). Fritz is the best chance the United States has to end that drought. It would be cool if he did. 

#10. Can Jessica Pegula go the distance? The number four seed on the women's side is also an American in Jessica Pegula. She reached the final last year just like Fritz did and is also in search of her first grand slam. It'll be interesting to see how she does and whether or not she can once again feed off the energy from the New York crowd. 

Prediction: I'm gonna pick both Cincinnati winners to win the US Open. I got Carlos Alcaraz winning on the men's side and Iga Swiatek winning on the women's side. They're both playing great tennis right now and seem eager to win a second US Open title. 

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Which Cincinnati Open champion is more likely to win the US Open: Carlos Alcaraz or Iga Swiatek?

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

The winners of the singles titles at the Cincinnati Open this past week were world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. Alcaraz defeated world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 5-0, ret. in the men's final while Swiataek defeated world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in the women's final. As a quick aside, Sinner retired due to an illness making his US Open status up-in-the-air. We'll just have to see where things land on that front. 

Going back to the winners of the tournament, which one is more likely to go the distance in New York and win the US Open? First of all, they both have won the US Open once in their careers. Oddly enough, they both won it in 2022. Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final while Swiatek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6. Given that fact, it's hard to really pick which one is more likely to win it all this year.

If you look a little bit deeper, Alcaraz has the following results at the US Open from 2021-2024: quarterfinals, championship, semifinals, and 2nd round. As for Swiatek, she has the following results from 2019-2024: 2nd round, 3rd round, 4th round, championship, 4th round, and quarterfinals. Looking at that data, it's also had to really pick which one is more likely to go the distance. 

As for Australian Open success, neither player has won that tournament, so there isn't much in the way to really pick out there in terms of figuring out who is more likely to win the US Open. I guess I should mention Swiatek reached the semifinals at the Australian Open twice in 2022 and 2025 while the furthest Alcaraz has gone at the Australian Open is the quarterfinals twice in 2024 and 2025. So I guess you could maybe give a slight edge to Swiatek since she's done better at the Australian Open. 

That said, those that know tennis know that even though they are both hard court grand slams the US Open and Australian Open are different tournaments and success at one doesn't always equal success at the other. Novak Djokovic is a prime example of that. He has 10 Australian Open titles and four US Open titles. 

When adding all this up, if one has to pick which one is more likely to win the US Open this year between Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, one is going to have to go on feel and gut instinct. They both have great chances to go the distance and I wouldn't be surprised if they both win it this year. Winning the Cincinnati Open gives them a lot of momentum heading into the US Open. 

However, if I had to pick one, I would lean Carlos Alcaraz. Jannik Sinner's status being called into question gives Alcaraz an advantage as Sinner is the defending champion. If Sinner can't go or if he flames out early due to not being at full strength, Alcaraz will be the favorite. That's not to say there won't still be be tough competition for him, but Sinner is by far and away the biggest threat to Alcaraz right now. If Sinner is not able to go or if he's hobbled, that is a huge advantage for Alcaraz. 

As for Swiatek, it feels like she has a tougher road in front of her. Aryna Sabalenka being the defending champion and world No. 1 is the odds on favorite to win it all and then top ten Americans Coco Gauff (No. 3), Jessica Pegula (No. 4), Madison Keys (No. 6), and Amanda Anisimova (No. 9) are all serious contenders and will have the New York crowd behind them. Swiatek simply has a tougher road in front of her even though she too is ranked No. 2 in the world. 

Ultimately, time will tell how this all plays out. Perhaps both Alcaraz and Swiatek will win. Perhaps only one of them will or maybe neither one will. The US Open I feel is the most unpredictable grand slam out there due to it being at the end of the year and players being more fatigued coupled with the hard court being a more grueling surface. It should be fun to see how it all plays out and who will end up lifting the trophy in New York when the two weeks are all over. 

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