2019 US Open: The contenders, dark horses and dangerous floaters
The Big three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal are the top three seeds at the 2019 US Open. With a staggering haul of 54 Grand Slams and 11 US Open titles among them, they are also the three favourites to win the title at the last Grand Slam event of this year.
The trio have swept the last 11 Grand Slam titles with Djokovic and Nadal claiming four each while Federer has three to his name since the start of the 2017 season.
Stanislas Wawrinka is the lone player outside of the Big three to have won a Grand Slam title (2016 US Open) and is one of five players in the draw to have won the title at Flushing Meadows.
As the 139th edition of the US Open gets underway next week, let us analyse the contenders, dark horses and the dangerous floaters.
The contenders
#1 Novak Djokovic (Three-time US Open winner)
The top-seeded Serb and World No.1 opens his 14th US Open campaign against Roberto Carbaelles Baena before facing the prospect of squaring off against the big-serving American Sam Querrey, who beat Djokovic in the third round at 2016 Wimbledon.
If Djokovic reaches the second week at Flushing Meadows, he could face 2016-winner Stan Wawrinka in a repeat of the 2016 US Open final or last year's finalist Kevin Anderson and post that will face the daunting prospect of facing in-form Cincinnati Open 2019 winner Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic has lost two of his meetings against Medvedev this year (Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Cincinnati semifinals) while he won their clash at the Australian Open.
In a potentially last-four clash, the threat of five-time champion Roger Federer looms large. The duo has split wins from their six clashes at the US Open but Djokovic has won their last three matches at Flushing Meadows and will have the advantage.
The Serb has won four matches in a row against Federer in all competitions and hasn't lost to the Swiss in five Grand Slam matches since the semifinals of 2012 Wimbledon.
Another Grand Slam match win over Federer would earn Djokovic a record ninth US Open title match where he could face another old rival Rafael Nadal, against whom he leads 1-2 in US Open finals and 4-4 in all Grand Slam finals.
A successful title defence for Djokovic would be the first at the US Open since Roger Federer did so in 2008 and the Serb would emulate Federer in becoming the only other player to win three Grand Slams in a year on three separate occasions.
# 2: Roger Federer (Five-time US Open winner)
The five-time US Open champion makes his record-equalling 18th appearance as a seed at the last Grand Slam of the year.
Perched in the top half of the draw, the Swiss faces a qualifier and Damir Dzumhur or another qualifier in his opening two rounds. Lucas Pouille is the first seed in Federer's quarter of the draw. David Goffin and Guido Pella are probable fourth-round opponents.
In the quarterfinals, the quartet of Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric or Kei Nishikori looms large.
A 11th semifinal at Flushing Meadows could see the Swiss lock horns with top seed Djokovic, against whom he has split their previous six meetings at the US Open.
If Federer gets his first win over the Serb in six Grand Slam matches since the 2012 Wimbledon semis, he could have his first meeting at the US Open with his arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the title match.
Federer trails Nadal 16-24 head-to-head, 4-10 in Grand Slams and 3-6 in Grand Slam finals but in his last meeting with the Spaniard in a Grand Slam title match, the Swiss landed his fifth title at the Australian Open in 2017.
# 3: Rafael Nadal (Three-time US Open winner)
Second seed Rafael Nadal has the toughest route to the final among the top three seeds.
The Spaniard faces Federer's 2018 US Open conqueror John Millman in the first round and could face another Aussie, Thannasi Kokkinakis in the next round.
Compatriot Fernando Verdasco is the first seed in Nadal's quarter of the draw. Despite an imposing 17-3 head-to-head lead over his countryman, Nadal lost their last Grand Slam meeting at the 2016 Australian Open first round.
2014 winner Marin Cilic and John Isner are probable fourth-round opponents. Nadal's last Grand Slam meeting with Cilic was in the quarterfinals of 2018 Australian Open where the Spaniard came up second best.
In the last eight, Nadal could face the trio of Jo-WilfredTsonga, Karen Khachanov or Sascha Zverev.
If Nadal gets past the quarterfinals, he could lock horns with StefanosTsitsipas or Dominic Thiem in the semifinals. The Spaniard won his last Grand Slam meeting with Tsitsipas in the semifinals of the 2019 Australian Open while Nadal needed a fifth set tiebreak win to get past Thiem in the pair's last hard court meeting in the 2018 US Open quarterfinals.
In his fifth US Open final, he could face either Djokovic for the fourth time in a Flushing Meadows final or Federer for the first time at the last Grand Slam of the year. Nadal is 4-4 in major finals with Djokovic and 6-3 against Federer but has lost his last hardcourt Grand Slam finals against both (2019 Aus Open: lost to Djokovic and 2017 Aus Open: lost to Federer).