US Open 2022: Tips for this year's men's singles tournament
Robin Bairner
23 August 2022
The men’s singles of the US Open promises excitement like no other Grand Slam has in 2022, with several players having a genuine shot at the title at Flushing Meadows.
Rafael Nadal arrives seeking his third major of the year, but the Spaniard has injury doubts hanging over him, while top seed Daniil Medvedev is attempting to defend the crown he secured 12 months ago.
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is unlikely to take part at this stage due to his Covid vaccine status.
The favourites
Djokovic remains on the US Open entry list as of Monday, but he currently cannot enter the US due to his refusal to be vaccinated for Covid-19. If he plays, there is little doubt that he will start as a hot favourite, but the odds of him taking to the court at Flushing Meadows look remote. He can therefore be discounted unless there is an unexpected u-turn.
Medvedev is otherwise the favourite, with the Russian, who will be competing under a neutral banner, having recently reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters. He was eventually defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas in three tough sets, but posts a 29-9 winning record on hard courts this year, and has only once lost to a player outside the top 10. It is a formidable record.
Beyond him, Nadal is clearly the player to watch. Having won 20 of his 23 hard court matches this year, there are no doubts over the Spaniard’s quality. However, he has played only one match since Wimbledon, meaning concerns over his match readiness and fitness are legitimate. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was beaten over three sets by Borna Coric – more on the Croat later – in Cincinnati.
Carlos Alcarez is understandably attracting a lot of attention, but he has come down from the highs of winning in Barcelona and Madrid back to back in the spring. He is a threat, but it’s unlikely to be his year.
And then there is beaten Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who is capable of producing anything - good or bad - at any given moment. He claimed his first ATP title since 2019 in Washington in August and went on a good run in Montreal, beating Medvedev, but cooled in Cincinnati, crashing out in the second round.
North American threat
The last men’s singles champion from the US was Andy Roddick back in 2003, making this the longest drought the home nation has experienced in its home Grand Slam. The US’s charge will be carried by Taylor Fritz this year, with the 24-year-old having won the Indian Wells Masters in the spring, beating Nadal in the final. At his best, he is a potential winner, and having beaten Kyrgios and Andrey Rublev in Cincinnati, he is finding the type of level needed to challenge.
At long odds, Tommy Paul is also worth keeping an eye on, though he has never been beyond the first round in New York. However, he posted wins over Alcaraz and Marin Cilic in a strong run in Montreal, suggesting the World no.33 could be a menace, at least in a one-off match.
However, perhaps the likeliest North American winner is Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has regularly been making the last eight of tournaments and giving himself a shot of glory. The 22-year-old also made the semis in the US Open last year, and followed that up with a run to the quarters in Australia. Just one confidence-boosting win at the right time could be the catalyst to success.
The outsiders
Tsitsipas boasts a 21-9 record on hard courts this year but is just too flaky to trust when it comes to going all the way. He has never got past the third round in New York, and although he beat Medvedev in Cincinnati, he lost the final to Coric, who was not even in the top 150 at the time. His previous loss came to World No. 82 Jack Draper.
Jannik Sinner is likely to be well backed but is another who typically underperforms on the big stage. He has made the fourth round or better in slams on six occasions but has yet to reach a semi-final, having found that small step up tough to take.
Looking at the next tier of players, Matteo Berrettini is out of form, having lost his last three, while Casper Ruud has blown hot and cold. Cam Norrie could be worth following after his run to the semi-finals of Wimbledon, followed by a trip to the final four in Cincinnati last week.
Borna Coric, meanwhile, is the man in form. He beat five seeded players en route to winning in Ohio and has experienced a massive leap up the ranking, having previously been outside the top 150. As an unseeded player, though, Thursday’s draw is likely to play a huge role in what he can realistically hope for.
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Robin Bairner
23 August 2022
