Who are the former US Open champions in action at the 2024 edition in New York? Ft. Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka
The year's last Grand Slam, the 2024 US Open, is set to kick off on August 26 in New York. As many as nine former champions will feature at the tournament this year, including Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka.
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff are the defending champions in New York. Djokovic won his fourth US Open title and a record-extending 24th Grand Slam title by bettering Daniil Medvedev in the final last year. Meanwhile, Gauff became the first teenager since 1999 to emerge victorious at Flushing Meadows as she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to lift her maiden Major title.
Apart from them, other top tennis stars like Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, and Elena Rybakina will also be in action this year. Many former champions will also vie for another chance to get their hands on the trophy.
Out of all the active former champions, only Rafael Nadal will not play in New York this year. With that said, let's take a look at other former singles winners who will participate in the 2024 US Open.
Men's singles US Open champions:
#4 Stan Wawrinka
Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka won his third Grand Slam title at the 2016 US Open. As the third seed, he defeated Fernando Verdasco, Alessandro Giannessi, Dan Evans, Illya Marchenko, Juan Martin del Potro, Kei Nishikori, and Novak Djokovic to lift the title. This was the 39-year-old's last Major title.
Since then, Wawrinka's best performance has been a quarterfinal finish at the 2019 US Open. The Swiss is currently ranked World No. 178 and given a main draw wildcard in New York this year. He will face Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci in the opening round.
#3 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem emerged victorious at the US Open in 2020. He was seeded second and bettered Jaume Munar, Sumit Nagal, Marin Cilic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev to win his maiden Major title.
Since then, the Austrian has struggled in New York, only winning one match - against Alexander Bublik in the first round in 2023 - at the tournament. He will play his last-ever Grand Slam at the 2024 US Open as a wildcard and face 13th seed and American sensation Ben Shelton in the first round.
#2 Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev was the champion in New York in 2021. The Russian was seeded second in the men's singles draw and defeated Richard Gasquet, Dominik Koepfer, Pablo Andujar, Dan Evans, Botic van de Zandschulp, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Novak Djokovic to win his first Grand Slam trophy.
The 28-year-old came close to lifting the trophy again at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2023, finishing runners-up to Djokovic. He will be seeded fifth in 2024 and kicks off his campaign against Dusan Lajovic.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz captured the imagination of the tennis world with his scintillating title run at the 2022 US Open. As the third seed, the Spaniard bettered Sebastian Baez, Federico Coria, Jenson Brooksby, Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe, and Casper Ruud en route to the trophy.
During his title defense campaign in 2023, he lost in the semifinal to Medvedev. He is seeded third at the 2024 edition and will face Australian qualifier Li Tu in the opening round.
Women's singles US Open champions:
#5 Sloane Stephens
Sloane Stephens entered the 2017 US Open via protected ranking and became the first player to win a Grand Slam title as a PR entrant. She began her campaign with a win against Roberta Vinci and went on to defeat Dominika Cibulkova, Ashleigh Barty, Julia Gorges, Anastasija Sevastova, Venus Williams, and Madison Keys en route to Grand Slam glory.
Her quarterfinal finish in 2018 has remained Stephens' best performance at the tournament since her title run. At the 2024 edition, she will face Clara Burel in the first round.
#4 Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka is the only two-time US Open champion on this list, emerging victorious in 2018 (her first Grand Slam title) and 2020. The Japanese was the 20th seed in 2018 and defeated Laura Siegemund, Julia Glushko, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Aryna Sabalenka, Lesia Tsurenko, Madison Keys, and Serena Williams to become the trophy holder in New York.
At the Covid-affected 2020 edition, Naomi Osaka was the fourth seed. She outlasted Misaki Doi, Camila Giorgi, Marta Kostyuk, Anett Kontaveit, Shelby Rogers, Jennifer Brady, and Victoria Azarenka to win her third Grand Slam title.
In 2024, Osaka will face 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the opening round.
#3 Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu capped off her memorable 2019 WTA season with her maiden Major scalp at the US Open. She won the WTA 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Toronto that year and was seeded 15th in New York. The Canadian bettered Katie Volynets, Kirsten Flipkens, Caroline Wozniacki, Taylor Townsend, Elise Mertens, Belinda Bencic, and Serena Williams to triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Her next-best performance at the tournament has been a fourth-round finish in 2021. At the 2024 US Open, the 24-year-old has been awarded a main draw wildcard and will face fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in the opening round.
#2 Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu became one of the most unlikely Grand Slam champions in tennis history at the 2021 US Open. The Brit entered the main draw as a qualifier after wins over Bibiane Schoofs, Mariam Bolkvadze, and Mayar Sherif. In the main draw, the then 18-year-old bettered Stefanie Vogele, Zhang Shuai, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Shelby Rogers, Belinda Bencic, Maria Sakkari, and Leylah Fernandez to become the first qualifier to win a Major.
Unfortunately, Raducanu's title defense in 2022 came to an end in the first round. This year, the Brit will begin her campaign against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
#1 Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek picked up her first, and so far only, Grand Slam title other than Roland Garros at the US Open in 2022. As the top seed, the Pole registered victories over Jasmine Paolini, Sloane Stephens, Lauren Davis, Jule Niemeier, Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka, and Ons Jabeur to take home the title.
In 2023, Swiatek suffered an upset loss in the fourth round. She is the top seed in 2024 and will face a lucky loser from Russia, Kamilla Rakhimova, in the first round.