Nick Kyrgios emerges as new favorite to win US Open 2022, leapfrogs Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz
Nick Kyrgios has emerged as the newest favorite to win it all at the US Open. Kyrgios has leapfrogged four places to become the favorite to win the title according to some betting websites.
Right before the tournament kicked off, Nick Kyrgios rounded off the top five picks to win the final Slam of the season. He stood behind Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
However, with two (Medvedev and Tsitsipas) of them already out of the race, there has been an interesting shift in the favorites to clinch the title in New York. Stefanos Tsitsipas’ poor display at the US Open saw him get the boot in the first round. Meanwhile, World No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev was dethroned by Nick Kyrgios in a thrilling fourth-round clash on Sunday.
Catch him of you can 🔥
Nick Kyrgios has become first Australian to stun World No.1 twice in a year 👏
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Nick Kyrgios is now being touted to win it all. Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz take the second and third spot behind the 27-year-old.
US Open betting favorites (via Fanduel)
Kyrgios +200
Nadal + 260
Alcaraz + 350
With Nadal and Alcaraz entering the tournament as the second and third seeds respectively, their presence at the top of the list of favorites to win the title is straight-forward.
Nick Kyrgios, on the other hand, is ranked World No. 25, and his addition may come as a surprise to a few. The Australian, however, has been consistent with his performances in recent times and has had an excellent season this year. Kyrgios reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon but was denied the title by three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic.
At the commencement of the North American hardcourt swing, Kyrgios scooped some great results, winning his first title of the season at the Citi Open. It is also worth noting that the ATP rankings have been skewed as a result of Wimbledon’s exclusion from the ranking points. The 27-year-old, who would have earned 1200 points from his stint at the grasscourt Slam, would have been placed inside the top-15.
Speaking after his fourth-round victory against Daniil Medvedev, the 23rd seed declared that the ranking did not bother him and the success over the World No. 1 was a testament to that.
"So the rankings for me don't really matter and I feel like tonight was another message that rankings don't matter. I see number one next to his name and number 23 next to mine and that doesn't change anything for me. I don't care whether I'm seeded or not. It's nice, otherwise I could draw him first round. The rankings...I don't think they mean anything,” he said.
Nick Kyrgios’ oncoming path to the US Open title
Nick Kyrgios is three victories away from a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Having booked one of the final eight spots, Kyrgios will now face off against another Russian, Karen Khachanov, in the quarterfinals.
The duo have met twice before and have a history of lengthy encounters, with Khachanov emerging as the winner at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters and Kyrgios triumphing at the 2020 Australian Open.
If Kyrgios progresses to the semifinals, he will encounter either 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini or 2022 Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud. Victory here would open the possibility for the Australian to contest the title against either of the two other favorites, Rafael Nadal or Carlos Alcaraz.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results