The US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, is highly anticipated with all the stars present.
A few weeks after the coronation of Novak Djokovic At the Olympic Games, the US Open tournament began on Monday, August 19 with the qualifications, before the opening of the main draw on Monday, August 26. The infernal pace of the tennis circuit therefore continues in this year 2024 with the succession of Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, the Games and therefore the US Open in just over three months.
The draw for the men’s and women’s draws took place on Thursday evening in New York, and already has some surprises in store. At the heart of a controversy following the announcement of a double positive test for clostebol last March, before being finally cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, Jannik Sinner inherits the most difficult part of the draw. He could indeed find Tommy Paul or Arthur Fils in the eighth, Medvedev or Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals and Alcaraz in the semi-finals. His Spanish competitor would face Hurkacz or De Minaur in the quarter-finals. Olympic champion less than a month ago, Novak Djokovic benefits from a less tough part of the draw, with Rublev or Dimitrov in the quarter-finals and Zverev or Rune in the semi-finals.
On the French side, three of them came out of the qualifiers this Friday in New York, with the victories of Kyrian Jacquet, Hugo Grenier and Quentin Halys. They will face Dimitrov, Krueger and Virtanen respectively in the first round. No last US Open on the other hand for Richard Gasquet, who was eliminated in the second round of the qualifiers and received a tribute on the court from the organization. Gaël Monfils could face Casper Ruud in the second round, in decline since Roland-Garros. In the rest of the French, Arthur Cazaux faces Carreno-Busta, Rinderknech is opposed to Christopher Eubanks and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard finds the Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
In the women’s competition, only one Frenchwoman has made it through the qualifications. It is Jessica Ponchet, who has not lost a set in the three matches played. After an easy first round, she could meet Elena Rybakina in the second. Varvara Gracheva, for her part, will face defending champion Coco Gauff in her first round. Caro Garcia, for her part, could meet Wozniacki in the second round while Chloé Paquet will face the British Harriet Dart.
In the rest of the women’s draw, Jasmine Paolini will have to be wary of her tricky first round against Canadian Bianca Andreescu. While the Italian beat her at Roland Garros this year, she was walking on water at that time and Andreescu is much more dangerous on a fast surface and won in New York three years ago. There will also be a duel of hitters between Naomi Osaka and Jelena Ostapenko. Iga Swiatek has a difficult path with Mirra Andreeva as a potential opponent in the round of 16, before Jessica Pegula, who seems to be returning to her best level after her victory in Toronto and her final in Cincinnati. Swiatek could meet Rybakina in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Sabalenka has a clearer part of the draw with Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals and potentially Coco Gauff in the semi-finals.
The congested schedule does not change the dates of the US Open, which will run from August 26, the day the first round begins, to September 8, 2024, the day of the men’s final.
What is the men’s US Open record?
Here is the list of winners of the US Open over the last fifteen years for men:
- 2023: Novak Djokovic beats Daniil Medvedev: 6-3 7-6 6-3
- 2022: Carlos Alcaraz beats Casper Ruud: 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3
- 2021: Daniil Medvedev beats Novak Djokovic: 6-4 6-4 6-4
- 2020: Dominic Thiem beats Alexander Zverev : 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6
- 2019: Rafael Nadal beats Daniil Medvedev: 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4
- 2018: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin Del Potro: 6-3 7-6 6-3
- 2017: Rafael Nadal beats Kevin Anderson: 6-3 6-3 6-4
- 2016: Stanislas Wawrinka beats Novak Djokovic: 6-7 6-4 7-5 6-3
- 2015: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer: 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4
- 2014: Marin Cilic beats Kei Nishikori: 6-3 6-3 6-3
- 2013: Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic: 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1
- 2012: Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic: 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2
- 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal: 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1
- 2010: Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic: 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2
- 2009: Juan Martin Del Potro beats Roger Federer: 3-6 7-6 4-6 7-6 6-2
- 2008: Roger Federer beats Andy Murray: 6-2 7-5 6-2
- 2007: Roger Federer beats Novak Djokovic: 7-6 7-6 6-4
- 2006: Roger Federer beats Andy Roddick: 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1
- 2023: Coco Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka: 2/6 6/3 6/2
- 2022: Iga Swiatek beats Ons Jabeur : 6/2 7/6
- 2021: Emma Raducanu beats Leylah Fernandez: 6/4 6/3
- 2020: Naomi Osaka beats Victoria Azarenka: 1/6 6/3 6/3
- 2019: Bianca Andreescu beats Serena Williams 6/3 7/5
- 2018: Naomi Osaka beats Serena Williams 6/2 6/4
- 2017: Sloane Stephens beats Madison Keys: 6/3 6/0
- 2016: Angélique Kerber beats Karolina Pliskova: 6/3 4/6 6/4
- 2015: Flavia Pennetta beats Roberta Vinci: 7/6 6/2
- 2014: Serena Williams beats Caroline Wozniacki: 6/3 6/3
- 2013: Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka: 7/5 6/7 6/1
- 2012: Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka: 6/2 2/6 7/5
- 2011: Samantha Stosur beats Serena Williams: 6/2 6/2
- 2010: Kim Clijsters beats Vera Zvonareva: 6/2 6/1
- 2009: Kim Clijsters beats Caroline Wozniacki: 7/5 6/3
- 2008: Serena Willams beats Jelena Jankovic: 6/4 7/5
- 2007: Justine Hénin beats Svetlana Kuznetsova: 6/1 6/3
- 2006: Maria Sharapova beats Justine Hénin: 6/4 6/4
The Arthur-Ashe court was once again the scene of history this weekend. Perhaps the completion of a legend on Sunday, with Novak Djokovic’s 24th Grand Slam title, a new absolute record for men. Even if the Serb seems to still have the resources to win other great victories beyond his 36 years, this coronation at the US Open will perhaps remain as the one that places him alone in the world, ahead of a Rafael Nadal who will return in 2024 with the ambition of competing with him again. By masterfully dominating Daniil Medvedev in the final (6-3, 7-6, 6-3), “Nole” concluded a brilliant and almost smooth fortnight for him, if we except his little scare in five sets against his compatriot Laslo Djere in the third round.
The day before, it was the first page of a legend that we hope will be just as long as Flushing Meadows has lived, with the first Grand Slam title of the prodigy Coco Gauff. The 19-year-old American will have a hard time stopping the comparisons with Serena Williams, winning like her elder her first Grand Slam at home before her 20th birthday. To achieve this, she had to overthrow the new world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final (2-6, 6-3, 6-2). Helped by a crowd won over by her, she won the biggest tournament of her young career and will have to continue to deal with the pressure of her unique status: that of a player so talented that many more Grand Slam successes are expected of her.
For the French, bring on 2024!
As in all the Grand Slam tournaments this season, with the exception of Caroline Garcia at Wimbledon, no French woman or man reached the round of 16 of the US Open. In the women’s category, the failure was stinging since only Clara Burel made it to the third round, where she was logically swept aside by Aryna Sabalenka. Caroline Garcia, the only hope for a long run in the American tournament, was beaten in the first round by the Chinese Yafan Wang, and confirms that she is no longer part of the elite of women’s tennis, while waiting, hopefully, for a rebound in 2024.
In the men’s competition, however, the absence of a representative in the second week hides a rather encouraging record, with three French players in the third round in particular. Adrian Mannarino, Arthur Rinderknech and Benjamin Bonzi, all authors of their best run in a Major this season, lost respectively against Frances Tiafoe, Andrey Rublev and Dominic Stricker. Logical but encouraging defeats, like that of Arthur Fils against the excellent Matteo Arnaldi, after eliminating the world number 24 Tallon Griekspoor in the first round. The Frenchman, the youngest player in the men’s top 50, continues to gain experience and improve his game, before perhaps moving up a gear next year. Finally, we will remember the beautiful and promising story of Titouan Droguet, aged 22 and winner in the first round of Lorenzo Musetti, world number 18, after qualifying for a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
Fallen number 1s and beautiful debuts
Carlos Alcaraz, eliminated in the semi-finals by Daniil Medvedev, had a very good tournament and continues to gain experience. But now, only a tournament won is a successful tournament for the Spaniard, who gives back his throne as world number one to Novak Djokovic. Less positive to draw for Iga Swiatek, eliminated in the round of 16 by Jelena Ostapenko and who loses her place as leader of the WTA ranking to the benefit of the finalist Aryna Sabalenka.
On the positive side, Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi and Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, both 22, were the surprise guests in the round of 16. They reached this stage for the first time in their Grand Slam careers, and had two very promising runs for the 2024 season. Young Ben Shelton, 20, reached the first Major semi-final of his career on home soil, but stopped there against the eventual Serbian winner. In the men’s doubles, the Ram-Salisbury pair won the title for the third year in a row, while Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe won their first Grand Slam trophy together, in the women’s doubles.