The 2018 US Open begins on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for at the final grand slam of the year. If you want to check out the draw for both men's and women's singles as well as schedules and any other information pertaining to the US Open, click here.
#1. Can Novak Djokovic replicate his success at Wimbledon? After looking like he might be past the prime of his career, Novak Djokovic bounced back in England, winning his fourth Wimbledon title. Djokovic comes into the US Open as the #6 seed and hopes to build on his success at Wimbledon with a title at the US Open. While he is known for being a killer hard court player, Djokovic has only two US Open titles under his belt (2011 and 2015) in contrast with his six titles at the Australian Open. His relative lack of success in New York is reason to be cautious about picking him to go all the way, but given what we saw from him earlier in the summer, it would be foolish to rule him out.
#2. Will Angelique Kerber build on her success at Wimbledon? Angelique Kerber comes into the US Open as the #4 seed after winning the ladies' singles title at Wimbledon. She has won the US Open before in 2016, so she knows what it takes to win in New York. On top of that she has won two grand slams in the same season before, taking the Australian Open title in 2016. If you're making a list of serious contenders on the women's side, Kerber absolutely makes the list. The only reason to be a little skeptical of her chances is the simple fact that she's never won back-to-back grand slam titles before. It's hard for anyone to do. Especially if they are trying to do it for the first time.
#3. Can Rafael Nadal defend his crown? Rafael Nadal comes into the US Open as the #1 ranked player in the world and on top of that, he's the defending champion. There's a lot of pressure on him to deliver the goods. While it would be easy to pick Nadal to go all the way, the only reason to doubt him is the fact that he's never won the same grand slam back-to-back years aside from the French Open, which he has utterly dominated. Those facts aside, I actually like Nadal's chances to repeat at the US Open. He's the top seed, is comfortable on the hard courts, and is playing some sensational tennis right now. If I had to put my money on any player in the men's draw to win this event, it would be him.
#4. Can Sloane Stephens defend her crown? Sloane Stephens comes in as the defending champion on the women's side and she's also ranked #3 in the world. She's playing the best tennis of her career and looks to cap off her summer with a second title at the US Open. Unlike last year, there's more pressure on Stephens as she is now viewed as a player who has arrived as opposed to being on the way up. It'll be interesting to see how Stephens handles the pressure at this event, especially in the early rounds.
#5. How dangerous is Roger Federer? Roger Federer comes in as the #2 seed right behind his lifelong rival Rafael Nadal. On top of that, he's found some success as of late, winning the Australian Open in 2017 and 2018 along with Wimbledon in 2017. Federer is still capable of winning grand slams. However, he hasn't won the US Open since 2008, which indicates he tends to wear down once we get to the final grand slam of the year. Given all of this data, I could see this going either way for Mr. Federer. I do expect him to be playing into the second week and making a real run. Will it be enough for him to bring home the title? That's the million-dollar question.
#6. How dangerous is Serena Williams? Serena Williams comes in as the #17 seed despite being ranked outside of the top 100 due to her absence. Let me first say I think it's actually smart to give her a seeding regardless of what her ranking is. By seeding her, you prevent some seeded player from having to face her in the earlier rounds, which is really unfair if you actually think about it. In regards to her chances of going all the way, I think she's got good odds of doing so despite early exits at the Silicon Valley Open and Cincinnati Masters earlier this summer. The key will be for her to get past the first couple of rounds, where she'll be most vulnerable. If she can avoid an early round hiccup, I actually like her odds of going deep in this tournament. The experience is there and I think she's eager to prove that she can still compete at an elite level.
#7. Should we expect anything from Andy Murray? Andy Murray comes into the US Open as unseeded (#378 in the world) and rusty due to his prolonged absence as he recovered from hip surgery. While I do think Serena Williams has a chance to make a deep run, I really don't see Murray doing much damage. He has championship experience, but his last grand slam title was at Wimbledon in 2016 and his lone US Open title came in 2012. If he's still hanging around in the second week, that will be a huge achievement for him.
#8. Will the US Open be Simona Halep's second grand slam title? Simona Halep comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and she finally has a grand slam title under her belt, winning the French Open earlier this year. I personally think Halep will win multiple slams before her career is over and I don't see why the US Open can't be her next. She's shown she can play on the hard court, reaching the Australian Open finals earlier this year and I think for the first time in her career, she really believes she can win any grand slam she enters. She's my pick to win it all.
#9. Can Madison Keys finish the job? Madison Keys had a heartbreaking ending to the US Open last year, choking against Sloane Stephens in the final. That said, she comes into the US Open this year as a dark horse to win it all and certainly has some experience under her belt, something she didn't have as much of last year. I do think Madison Keys will win a grand slam and I expect the US Open to be where she breaks through since the conditions really mesh with her hard-hitting style of play. It'll be interesting to see how far she goes and if she can shake the demons that came from her collapse in last year's final.
#10. Will someone other than the usual suspects make a serious move? If you're a betting man, odds say the men's champion will be one of the "Big Four" (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, or Murray). Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic certainly look like the guys to beat, while Murray as mentioned previously looks like a long shot. The rest of the ATP World Tour has struggled to give these guys a serious run at grand slams, falling short far more often than not. If I had to pick one guy to maybe crash the party, it would be Juan Martin Del Potro. He comes in as the #3 overall seed and has won the US Open before, back in 2009. Even though that was a long time ago, he still knows what it takes to win this event. If he isn't the one lifting the trophy at the end, odds are good it'll be Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic. I really don't see anyone else making a serious push.
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