Open season in New York with big hitters missing or injured
WHEN Novak Djokovic confirmed that he would not be playing in the US Open, which begins tomorrow, many of the field may have just allowed themselves a silent sigh of relief.
With Roger Federer still off the Tour through injury and Rafael Nadal going into the event battling an abdominal injury, Djokovic would have been the big favourite, a major roadblock to the chasing pack desperate to get their hands on a Grand Slam title for the first time.
After all, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have won 63 Grand Slam titles out of a possible 76, dating all the way back to Federer’s first Wimbledon title in 2003.
Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka did incredibly well to take three apiece but of the current generation, only Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem, both at the US Open, have tasted Grand Slam glory.
But the Serb’s insistence on not being vaccinated against Covid-19 means the biggest obstacle is removed and the underlying feeling is that this is the most open of US Opens for almost two decades.
Of course, Medvedev, as the world No.1 and defending champion, will fancy his chances anyway, having beaten Djokovic in the final last year, denying the Serb a calendaryear Grand Slam and securing his first slam title.
But even the Russian, who was excluded from Wimbledon because of the Championships’ decision to ban Russians over the invasion of Ukraine, knows that life is perhaps a little easier for the newer generations than it was a few years ago.
“If I look back maybe I would say five years ago when I was probably not even on the Tour yet, I mean, when there was the big four, Andy, Novak, Roger, Rafa, especially if they would be the top four seeds - at some tournaments it was the case – it was tough,” he said.
“You know you’re going to get them in quarters, first rounds. There were some slams where they occupied the semi-finals. It must not have been easy.
“If we look at this perspective, maybe it is (more open). At the same time, if we take the last two, three year slams, I have to say on hard courts it was a lot of times me there, Stefanos a few times. Australian Open, Sascha (Zverev) was there. Sometimes in the final. Dominic (Thiem).
“It’s not like I feel like we saw any huge surprise in the latest slams. Like Casper (Ruud) being in the finals in Roland Garros, at least for me is not surprising at all. He’s an amazing clay court player. Not only clay court player, but more on clay. It’s not easy to answer.
“Talking from my perspective, I just want to play good, just try to win as many matches as possible no matter the opponent, no matter the draw.”
Murray, who begins his own campaign against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina tomorrow, believes it’s more open than usual but almost in the same breath, he reeled off the names of several top players he expected to feature at the business end.
“I would imagine though that some of the guys that you would expect to go deep will do,” he said. “Your Medvedevs... I would still expect Rafa to have a really good tournament as well. (Carlos) Alcaraz, Tsitsipas, these guys.”
Murray has lifted his own ranking inside the top 50 and is hoping for a big run himself. But the Scot also feels it could be a good fortnight for Cameron Norrie, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and who edged him out when they played in Cincinnati earlier this month.
“I do think there is going to be an opportunity there for Cam (Norrie),” he said. “He’s seeded in the top eight;, that helps and it does matter.
“It’s not a guarantee that it makes the draw easier, but it just it just increases the chances, like if guys, the 15, 16 seed loses early, you