US Open 2024: Men's singles power rankings ft. Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz & more
It is again time for the season-ending Grand Slam, the US Open. As we wait for the action to get underway at Flushing Meadows, here is a look at the top contenders to take home this year’s trophy in the men’s singles. The list has been prepared by considering the hard-court swing.
The following formula was used to calculate the power rankings: 1 x points earned in the 2024 hard court season + 0.5 x points earned in the 2023 hard court season + 0.25 x points earned in the 2022 hard court season. Only points earned in the ATP events have been included, not the challenger tours.
#1 Jannik Sinner
The Italian top seed, who celebrated his birthday last week, is in red hot form, having won the recent Cincinnati Masters (ATP 1000) title. His performance on hard courts has been stellar. Just as he claimed the season opening Australian Open, he will be the man to beat at the US Open. Even last year, he led the Italian team to Davis Cup victory after nearly five decades, and made the finals of the ATP Tour Finals on his debut. However, he finds himself embroiled in an doping violation, which could potentially affect his mental balance. He has not been handed a ban or suspension. But he has been stripped of his ranking points and prize money from the 2024 Indian Wells.
#2 Daniil Medvedev
A modest outing at Cincinnati Masters in the build-up to the US Open cannot overshadow Daniil Medvedev’s prowess as he made it to the finals of the Australian Open and the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells earlier this year. He will be aiming to go one step further this time. Out of his 20 career titles, 19 have been on hard courts, making him a specialist on this surface. The US Open has especially been favorable for him, as he clinched his first Grand Slam in 2021, and was the runner-up in 2023 and 2019, losing out in close encounters to two of the big 3.
#3 Novak Djokovic
Despite the start of his season being lukewarm, the defending champion is back with a bang, having fulfilled his dream of becoming an Olympic champion at the Paris Olympics. The gold medal completed his trophy cabinet for a career golden slam (winning all four Grand Slams and the Olympics in one’s tennis career). Although he did not play in any warm-up tournaments before the US Open, he will surely be well-rested and prepared, a force to be reckoned with. He will be the sole representative of the big 3 after Rafael Nadal decided to pull out of the event.
#4 Carlos Alcaraz
The youngster has already amassed an impressive four Grand Slam titles at the age of just twenty-one. He has triumphed in both Wimbledon and the French Open this year, and won his first Grand Slam at the US Open back in 2022. A shock defeat to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Masters saw Alcaraz unleash an outburst, leading to the uncharacteristic smashing of his racquet. He will want to put that behind him right away as he gears up for another title run at the US Open.
#5 Andrey Rublev
Here is another Russian in the fray, which demonstrates the depth in Russian tennis. Although still searching for his first Grand Slam title, he has consistently reached the quarterfinals of both the hard-court majors. He was even the runner-up at the ATP Masters 1000 Canada this year, along with securing a win at the Hong Kong Open.
#6 Alexander Zverev
Although he has not made it to the finals of any hard-court event this year, Alexander Zverev was the runner-up at the US Open in 2020. He came close to winning his first Grand Slam this year at Roland Garros, falling agonisingly short in a thrilling five-setter against Carlos Alcaraz. This marked a positive return to form, after the 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal, where he rolled his ankle and was in excruciating pain. His hunt for the first Grand Slam title will continue at the US Open, where he will hope his effort bears fruit.
#7 Hubert Hurkacz
The Pole is having a tough season marred by injuries sustained at the Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Masters, although he has done well to maintain his ranking in the top-10, courtesy of consistent performances. It remains to be seen if he is fully match-ready ahead of the US Open, a not-so-happy hunting ground for him, where his best showing has been second-round appearances. He will be looking to taking a leaf out of his compatriot, Iga Swiatek’s book, who has collected five majors, including the US Open. Their partnership at the United Cup which led Poland to a creditable second-place finish, will surely provide him with the much-needed confidence.
#8 Grigor Dimitrov
Nicknamed Baby Fed for the resemblance of his action to Swiss maestro Roger Federer’s one-handed backhand strokes, Grigor Dimitrov is still working towards making his first Grand Slam final, having reached the semi-final on multiple occasions. He is currently the only top-10 player employing the single-hand backhand considered as one of the most beautiful shots in tennis. He is having a decent year, after making the finals of three ATP tournaments on hard courts and winning one of them at Brisbane Open, his first in about four years. The vast majority of his victories have come on hard courts, making it his preferred surface.
Dark Horse: Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur is churning out decent match results, with two titles under his belt this year and a runner-up place. He has made two Grand Slam quarterfinals this year and would like to make a deep run at the US Open.
Dark Horse: Taylor Fritz
The highest-ranked American in the draw will be backed by his home crowd but will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders, given that no American has won the title in the last two decades. Andy Roddick was the last American men's singles player to win the US Open title (in 2003). Fritz has two Grand Slam quarterfinals this season and will be vying for his first semi-final.
These are the top 10 contenders for the US Open 2024. However, the beauty of sports lies in its unpredictability, which can delight us with surprises. Every player will aim to flourish at Flushing Meadows and end the season on a high note.