HOW THE LEADING MEN SHAPE UP FOR THE US OPEN STARTING ON MONDAY (TUESDAY AEST):
NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SRB)
Age: 32
Ranking: 1
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US134,979,120 ($A199.05 million)
Career titles: 75
Grand slam titles: 16 (Australian Open 2008, 2011-2013, 2015-16, 2019; French Open 2016; Wimbledon 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018-19; US Open 2011, 2015, 2018)
US Open win-loss record: 69-10
Best US Open results: champion 2011, 2015, 2018; runner-up 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016
The three-time champion and eight-time finalist is again the man to beat after cementing his status as world No.1 with two slams already this season in Melbourne and London.
RAFAEL NADAL (ESP)
Age: 33
Ranking: 2
Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US111,328,858 ($A164.18 million)
Career titles: 83
Grand slam titles: 18 (Australian Open 2009; French Open 2005-08, 2010-14, 2017-19; Wimbledon 2008, 2010; US Open 2010, 2013, 2017)
US Open win-loss record: 58-11
Best US Open results: champion 2010, 2013, 2017; runner-up 2011
Warmed up for the season’s final major with victory at the Montreal Masters, his first hardcourt title in almost two years. A 19th major would edge the Spanish superstar to within one of Roger Federer’s record haul.
ROGER FEDERER (SUI)
Age: 38
Ranking: 3
Plays: right-handed
Career prize money: $US126,340,700 ($A186.32 million)
Career titles: 102
Grand slam titles: 20 (Australian Open 2004, 2006-07, 2010, 2017-18; French Open 2009; Wimbledon 2003-07, 2009, 2012, 2017; US Open 2004-2008)
US Open win-loss record: 85-13
Best US Open results: champion 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; runner-up 2009, 2015
Bidding to become the oldest grand slam champion in history and won’t be lacking motivation after blowing successive match points on serve against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
DOMINIC THIEM (AUT)
Age: 25
Ranking: 4
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US18,530,662 ($A27.33 million)
Career titles: 14
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 15-5
Best US Open result: quarter-finalist 2018
Runner-up to Nadal in Paris the past two years, the Austrian is proving more than just a claycourter, having won the Indian Wells Masters in 2019 as well as two other titles this season.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV (RUS)
Age: 23
Ranking: 5
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US6,068,073 ($A8.95 million)
Career titles: 5
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 2-2
Best US Open result: third round 2018
Cracked the world’s top five for the first time after taking down Djokovic en route to the Cincinnati Masters title last week to emerge as a serious grand slam threat.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV (GER)
Age: 22
Ranking: 6
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US17,634,291 ($A26.01 million)
Career titles: 11
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 4-4
Best US Open result: third round 2018
Germany’s big hope continues to disappoint at the majors, notching only two quarter-final appearances in 17 slams – and both coming on clay at Roland Garros – but surely must break through soon.
BEST OUTSIDER
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS (GRE)
Age: 20
Ranking: 8
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US6,119,147 ($A9.02 million)
Career titles: 3
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 1-1
Best US Open result: second round 2018
The Greek trailblazer has won just one match in New York but arrives as a bona fide top-10 star and the leader of tennis’s next generation after a rapid rise in the past 18 months.
BEST AUSTRALIAN HOPES
NICK KYRGIOS
Age: 24
Ranking: 29
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US7,818,143 ($A11.53 million)
Career titles: 6
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 6-6
Best US Open results: third round 2014, 2016, 2018
Anyone’s guess how the temperamental talent will fare but with a tour-leading 5-2 win-loss record against top-10 stars in 2019 he definitely looms as dangerous.
ALEX DE MINAUR
Age: 20
Ranking: 36
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US2,345,970 ($A3.46 million)
Career titles: 2
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 2-2
Best US Open result: third round 2018
It took five sets from former champion Marin Cilic to stop him last year and the “Demon” returns boasting an equal-tour-best (with Djokovic and Kyrgios) two hardcourt titles in 2019.