Hosted at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the US Open is a staple of any summer in New York City. Truly, when the racket community dawns upon Queens, it is a special time of year.
Naturally, the modern US Open represents a return to hard-court action. With the French Open (clay) and Wimbledon (lawn) preceding, the competition in Flushing is always flush with speed and intensity.
Of course, the Big Apple’s most iconic tennis tournament also serves as the final Grand Slam on the calendar.
By now, qualifiers are complete and the US Open’s opening round has arrived. Matches resume at 11 a.m. ET on Monday, August 26, so let us now dive into this year’s top on-court stories.
What To Watch For
Can Coco Gauff Repeat As Champion?
Back on the hard surface, American Coco Gauff is ready to defend her first US Open singles championship.
In 2023, the then 19-year-old tennis star went on a dominant run in Queens. Ultimately, it culminated in a blockbuster title showdown versus Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (who is this year’s betting favorite on the women’s side). It took a gutsy comeback effort, but Gauff eventually rallied to win the match in three sets.
Presently, DraftKings Sportsbook has Gauff listed with 10-to-1 odds to repeat as women’s singles champion in 2024. That label translates to a 9.1% implied probability, which is currently tied for third-best.
This year, Gauff’s first round match is estimated for August 26 at 2 p.m. ET. Her opening opponent is Varvara Gracheva (France); DraftKings has Gauff as a substantial -2000 favorite against Gracheva.
Will Alcaraz Meet Djokovic For All The Marbles?
Over on the men’s side, tennis is at a turning of the tide.
As one of the most prolific players in history, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has yet to win a Grand Slam this year. With the US Open being the last chronologically, should “Joker” fall short in New York, it would be just the first time since 2017 that he failed to win one of the four major tournaments.
At 37-years old, does Djokovic still have the juice? Candidly, he is the reigning champion at Flushing Meadows. In all, last year’s win gave Djokovic his fourth (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023) US Open title.
Of course, much of Djokovic’s lack of title success in 2024 can be attributed to the supernova-like rise of Carlos Alcaraz (Spain). Born in 2003, the 6-foot-1 Alcaraz is only 21-years old. Mentally and physically, the Spaniard appears to be continually improving.
Notably, Alcaraz caught fire earlier this year, earning championships at the French Open as well as Wimbledon (defeating Djokovic to compile back-to-back titles on grass). However, 2024 also featured the Summer Olympiad. For the men’s Olympic final in Paris, Djokovic enacted revenge on Alcaraz in the Gold medal match—will that reinvigorate the young Alcaraz?
DraftKings Sportsbook currently labels Alcaraz as a two-to-one betting favorite to win the 2024 US Open; Djokovic is right behind with +250 odds in the same market. Stay tuned.
Jannik Sinner Has Entered The Chat
As much as all men’s tennis aspects seem to come back to Djokovic or Alcaraz these days, Jannik Sinner of Italy is a force to be reckoned with.
Sinner started 2024 on a high by winning his first Australian Open championship. It took an inspiring five-set performance over Daniil Medvedev (Russia), but Sinner powered through to emerge victorious at the AO.
Regularly hammering the ball, Sinner is one of the most entertaining players that tennis has to offer. Additionally, he has played Alcaraz particularly tough. Sinner is only two years older than Alcaraz, and the two have faced off in nine matches since 2021; Alcaraz currently holds the narrow edge at 5-4.
The 6-foot-4 Sinner has sat atop the men’s ATP Rankings since June 10. Simply, he will be looking to make a resounding statement in Queens.
Like the Italian to win his first ever US Open title in 2024? As of Monday morning, DraftKings gives Sinner +350 odds to do exactly that.