US Open 2020: Men's singles power rankings
The field has been set for the 2020 US Open, which will begin in less than a week's time. And while big names like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will definitely be missed, there is still plenty to look forward to.
The likes of former champions Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic, last year's finalist Daniil Medvedev and top Next Gen stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev lead a packed field of players in the men's singles draw. On that note, here's a list of the top contenders for the title based on their performances in the US Open series over the last two years.
8 Stefanos Tsitsipas
A runner-up at the 2018 Rogers Cup and a couple of deep runs in Washington have earned Stefanos Tsitsipas a spot on this list. The Greek star has not done his best in New York, but will be looking to change that sooner than later.
7. Dominic Thiem
Another top name who will be looking to make the best of a somewhat depleted field will be second seed Dominic Thiem. A couple of quarterfinals in Toronto and New York over the last two years do not accurately reflect the Austrian's caliber, nor does his 'horrible' loss to Filip Krajinovic this week at the Western & Southern Open.
With a hardcourt Slam final (Australian Open 2020) in his pocket, Dominic Thiem will enter this year's tournament fairly confident in his abilities on the surface. And that could make all the difference for the World No. 3.
6. Marin Cilic
Former champion Marin Cilic might not have been able to replicate his success in Flushing Meadows after his 2014 triumph, but he has delivered consistent results over the years.
Cilic had a memorable 2018 season on the American hardcourts, finishing with a semifinal and three quarterfinals - including at the US Open. The Croat, with his powerful serve and groundstrokes, remains a big threat on the surface.
5. Diego Schwartzman
Diego Schwartzman will be looking to go one better than his quarterfinal showing at last year's tournament, and he has a good shot this time around.
Having just missed out on a top eight seeding, the Argentine will be tipped to stage a big upset or two in New York. Schwartzman won his first hardcourt title last year in the lead-up to the US Open, and has begun to look much more confident playing on quicker courts than he was a few years ago.
4. Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini, the other big winner from last year, will also be looking forward to a return to the US Open. The Italian had a great season last year, which culminated in that last four finish here.
While Berrettini hasn't played much tennis in 2020, he definitely has a big game that suits the New York courts well.
3. Grigor Dimitrov
Bulgaria's top-ranked player Grigor Dimitrov came awfully close to his first ever Grand Slam final at last year's tournament, but couldn't quite her over the Daniil Medvedev hurdle.
He still had a lot of positives to take from his run, including a stellar win over Roger Federer. Dimitrov will have find memories of that evening, and will be eager to recreate the magic this year. That said, it remains to be seen whether he has fully recovered from the bout of COVID-19 he contracted at the Adria Tour.
2. Novak Djokovic
World No. 1 and three-time champion Novak Djokovic narrowly misses out on the top spot, mostly owing to an early exit from last year's tournament.
The Serb will be the US Open favorite in the eyes of many, especially given the absence of Nadal and Federer. But Djokovic will have to keep his guard up as many capable names still loom in the draw.
1. Daniil Medvedev
In the absence of defending champion Rafael Nadal, 2019 runner-up Daniil Medvedev has one less obstacle to deal with this year. The Russian will have big hopes heading into the tournament, especially after the kind of season that he had last year.
He really came into his own during the 2019 US Open series, and at one point looked nearly unstoppable. Looking for his first Major title, Medvedev is definitely one of the big hurdles standing in the way of top seed Djokovic.
Other mentions
The likes of Milos Raonic, Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray also have games that are well-suited to the conditions. If they find their form heading into the second week of the tournament, they can all pose a big threat to the names on this list.