US Open 2023: Men's singles power rankings
With tennis action in the lead-up to the the year's final Grand Slam — the US Open — coming to a close, all eyes are now on New York. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has begun to draw the biggest names in the sport for the 143rd edition of the tournament, set to unravel between August 28 and September 10.
Leading the men's field this year as the top seed is defending champion and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard had lifted his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago, getting the better of Casper Ruud — who also returns to New York in pursuit of a first Major title.
Add the likes of former champions Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic as well as home hopes led by Taylor Fritz and you have a jam-packed draw.
With only a few days left for main draw action, it's time we take a look at the power rankings based on players' US Open swing performances over the last three years.
Note: The following formula was used to calculate the power rankings for this year's US Open: (1x points earned in the 2023 USO series + 0.5x points earned in the 2022 USO series + 0.25x points earned in the 2021 USO series).
Only points earned by reaching the quarterfinals or further at a tournament count towards the rankings.
This was done to avoid giving an undue advantage to seeded players who received early round byes in the ATP 250, 500, and 1000 tournaments.
#8 Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur
Stuck in a tie for the eight spot are the two most recent Atlanta champions — Taylor Fritz, who lifted the trophy in the Georgian capital this year, and Alex de Minaur.
Adding to Fritz's credentials as a contender are his quarterfinal runs at Cincinnati in both 2022 and 2023 as well as a semifinal finish in Washinton this year. De Minaur, meanwhile, looks to also have silenced his detractors with the run to final of the Canadian Open earlier this month.
#7 Hubert Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz is yet to post a big result in New York, but has excelled at some of the warm-up tournaments. The Canadian Open, in particular, has been a happy hunting ground for the Pole — who reached the quarterfinal at the ATP 1000 event in 2021 before making it all the way to the final last year.
A strong finish in Cincinnati, where he made the semifinal this year before being narrowly edged out by Carlos Alcaraz, would have filled Hurkacz with some much-needed confidence heading into the US Open.
#6 Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev's booming serves have trouble many an opponent on the quick New York harcourts. And while injuries have kept the German from playing consistenly on tour, he has ensured solid results during this part of the year.
2021 was a successful year for Zverev in the US as he lifted the trophy in Cincinnati and made the US Open semifinals. He also boasts of another semifinal finish in Cincinnati this year.
More importantly, the German, unlike his predecessors on the list, knows what it takes to make a Slam final — something that he achieved at this very venue back in 2020.
#5 Casper Ruud
Another former finalist, the 2021 runner-up Casper Ruud is next on the list. The Norwegian, who was until last year best known for his topspin-heavy forehand and claycourt prowess, stunned many by making the US Open final.
While Ruud came up just short against an inspired Carlos Alcaraz, he had made his intentions of breaking out of the "clay specialist" box clear.
Besides his US Open run, the Norwegian made quarterfinals at both the ATP 1000 lead-up tournaments in 2021 and reached the Canadian Open semifinals earlier this year.
#4 Daniil Medvedev
Having beaten Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, Daniil Medvedev has achieved what only a handful of others have. More importantly, the memorable win came here at the US Open two years ago.
Needless to say, the Russian will have plenty of good memories to draw from when he returns to Flushing Meadows. His resume on the North American hardcourts is stellar even if his recent performances suggest otherwise.
Medvedev lifted the Canadian Open crown in 2021 and posted incremental results — a quarterfinal and semfinal finish — at Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022. Not having had the same degree of success on his beloved North American hardcourts this year, he will be eager to make up for lost opportunities in New York.
#3 Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner made the most of an open field at this year's Canadian Open, lifting his first ATP 1000 title after two previous failed attempts in the Miami Open finals.
For the young Italian, the conditions in New York are ideal. His all-court game and strong groundstrokes can push just about any opponent on the backfoot. He came close to a big breakthrough at last year's US Open, when he found himself in a commanding position against Carlos Alcaraz in their quarterfinal only to bow out in five sets.
Also a winner at Washington in 2021, Sinner has shown that he can play well on the North American hardcourts. He just needs the smaller elements of his game to come together at the right time to ensure the same translates into success.
#2 Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has not played too many matches in the US recently owing to his controversial stance on the Covid-19 vaccine.
But when the Serb has taken to court, he has walked away with silverware. Djokovic's most recent outing at Flushing Meadows came in 2021 — when he made the final only to settle for the runners-up trophy after a surprise loss to Daniil Medvedev.
Back in the country for Cinicinnati after a long absence, Djokovic looked determined to ensure a winning return. His comeback against Carlos Alcaraz in the summit clash was extraodrinary — especially given the fact that he was looking to reverse a big defeat suffered at the hands of the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.
With three US Open trophies to his name, Djokovic's pedigree remains unparalleled in this year's field. The Serb, for his part, will be eyeing to separate himself from the pack further by lifting a fourth title.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz (US Open defending champion)
As has been the case at most tournaments in 2023, Carlos Alcaraz will be the player to beat at the 2023 US Open.
The defending champion may have had a relatively quieter lead-up the season's final Slam, but that was also the case 12 months ago. Despite having virtually no big wins to show for during the North American swing, Alcaraz went on a roll in New York — beating the likes of Sinner and Ruud en-route to capture his maiden Grand Slam title.
This year, he has made the quarterfinals in Toronto in addition to the spectacular Cincinnati final against Djokovic. His form at the latter tournament sent worrying signs for the rest of the field and it will take another special effort to stop Alcaraz's march.