The fourth and final Grand Slam of the calendar year, the US Open, sees the main draw get underway on Monday. This will be the 142nd edition of the tournament.
World number 1 and defending US Open champion, Daniil Medvedev is back after missing out on Wimbledon due to the retrospective ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, in light of Russia's ongoing military invasion of Ukraine. The top seed faces unseeded Stefan Kozlov in the first round and he will obviously looking to go all the way and win back-to-back titles in the Big Apple.
World no.6 Novak Djokovic will not be competing at Flushing Meadows this year as the Serb remains unvaccinated against Covid-19, and hence has been denied entry into the United States. Djokovic previously missed out on this year’s Australian Open after a dramatic episode surrounding his vaccination status, which saw the 35-year-old deported from Down Under.
Stacey Allaster, US Open tournament director, said of Djokovic: “Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-U.S. citizens. We look forward to welcoming Novak back at the 2023 US Open.”
Other absentees in the men's singles draw include world no.2 Alexander Zverev, who continues his recovery after tearing ankle ligaments at the French Open earlier this year.
20-time major champion Roger Federer is missing from a fifth consecutive Grand Slam as the Swiss vies to overcome persistent knee troubles. After Wimbledon this year Federer, 41, dropped out of the ATP top 100 for the first time this century, and speculation is rife over his future on the tennis court.
2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem returns to the tournament after missing last year's edition due to a wrist injury. The Austrian is currently ranked 211th by the ATP and he takes on 12th seed Pablo Carreño Busta in the first round.
2nd seed Rafael Nadal meets 21-year-old Australian, Rinky Hijikata in the opening round. Nadal is a four-time winner at the American major and a prospective fifth would take the Spaniard's tally to a record-extending 23 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal's countryman, 3rd seed Carlos Alcaraz plays Sebastian Baez of Argentina in the first round, while no.4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas shares a court with Daniel Galán from Colombia. Fifth seed Casper Ruud faces unseeded Briton, Kyle Edmund.
Should both competitors advance, Medvedev and Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios would meet one another in the fourth round, while Tsitsipas could encounter one of Matteo Berrettini or Andy Murray at the same stage.
8th seed Hubert Hurkacz and 11th seed Jannik Sinner are on track to face off in the fourth round, where Nadal could find 14th seed Diego Schwartzman.
The men’s singles final is to be held on Sunday, 11 September, on what will be the 21st anniversary of the fatal 9/11 attacks in New York City.
In the women's singles tournament, all of the top 10 players on the WTA are involved in the forthcoming event. Top seed Iga Swiatek opens her tournament versus Jasmine Paolini, and 3rd seed Maria Sakkari battles with Tatjana Maria.
Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur is up against local Madison Brengle, while two-time major champion Simona Halep meets 20-year-old Ukrainian, Daria Snigur.
This is set to be a final showdown for six-time US Open champion Serena Williams. The 40-year-old has hinted she will be stepping away from the tennis court to devote herself to her family, following an illustrious professional career which has spanned two-and-a-half decades.
Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion, the most titles won by any competitor (male or female) in the Open Era, and she sits just one behind Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 majors.
Serena opens her 2022 US Open campaign versus unseeded Danka Kovinić in the first round, and should she progress Williams could encounter no.2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round.
$2,6 million USD is up for grabs for the winners of both the men's and women's singles tournaments, with the respective runners-up in line to take home $1,3 million USD apiece.