Unpredictable to predict as U.S. Open gets underway

NEW YORK — At first glance, this U.S. Open might appear as unpredictable as any.

From recent injuries to players such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep, to a bit of pre-tournament shakiness from Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, to Rafael Nadal’s issues on hard courts, to the group of up-and-coming men’s issues at Wimbledon, it’s difficult to predict what will unfold at Flushing Meadows over the next two weeks.

And yet this much is clear with maindraw action set to start Monday: If they’re healthy, then the expected champions will come from a small group of women that includes Williams, Osaka and Halep and the members of the men’s Big Three.

“It seems like the same guys are the favorites again this time around,” said Federer, who won five of his men’s-record 20 Grand Slam singles championships at the U.S. Open, although the last came in 2008. “It will be a surprise if anybody else won.”

Williams has won six of her 23 major singles trophies in New York, most recently in 2014.

Since then, she lost in the semifinals twice, missed the 2017 edition because she gave birth and was the runner-up a year ago to Osaka in a match that stood out more for Williams’ conflict with chair umpire Carlos Ramos than the tennis itself.

The key for the 37-year-old American, as it’s been throughout her return since having a daughter, is her health and fitness, because her serve and other strokes are capable of being just about as dominant as ever. Williams reached the final at three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments; she lost each time, leaving her still just one major singles title away from equaling Margaret Court for the most in the sport’s history.

Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have combined to take 11 Slam titles in a row and 54 of the past 65. One thing to keep an eye on: Federer and Nadal have played each other 40 times but never at the U.S. Open. It could only happen if both reach the Sept. 8 final.