Novak Djokovic strolled through the President’s Gate at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It was a drizzly, overcast morning in Flushing Meadows, the roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium sealed shut, but Djokovic was in good spirits. In a little over four hours, he would take the court against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, a silver Tiffany & Co. trophy and his Pete Sampras-tying 14th major title on the line.
The Serb sent a wave and a smile toward members of his entourage, including his coach, Marian Vajda; physio, Ulises Badio; and his sharply-dressed agent, Edoardo Artaldi, who were sipping espressos in the Player Café.
It was going to be a good day.
Djokovic would go on to defeat Del Potro in straight sets, 6–3, 7–6, 6–3, claiming the 2018 US Open and further distancing himself from a trying stretch that saw him undergo elbow surgery and, at times, appear all but lost on the tennis court. He returns to New York and the US Open as the top seed and defending champion, intent on closing the gap between himself and career-long rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
USOpen.org breaks down the 2019 US Open men’s draw:
TOP HALF
1st Quarter
Nobody touched down in New York with more momentum than Daniil Medvedev. Coming into the year’s final Slam, the Russian has reached three consecutive finals in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati, where he captured his second title of the year and his first Masters 1000 trophy. During that stretch, the streaking 23-year-old scored Top-10 wins over Dominic Thiem, Karen Khachanov and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He may just see Djokovic again, having landed in the same quarter of the draw as the defending champion in Queens. Not that a Djokovic-Medvedev quarterfinal is a given. After all, 2016 titlist Stan Wawrinka, 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson, the resurgent Fabio Fognini and hungry Americans like Sam Querrey, Reilly Opelka and Taylor Fritz lurk elsewhere in that quadrant. Djokovic has reached seven of the last nine US Open finals, wining three. Is a fourth in the cards for 2019?
2nd Quarter
It’s been a puzzling summer for Roger Federer, who is looking to break up a three-way deadlock with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras by winning an Open Era-best sixth US Open. The Swiss had two match points on his racquet against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, only to see them evaporate into the English sky. Then, in Cincinnati, where the 38-year-old has been dominant (think seven titles), he suffered his swiftest defeat in more than a decade-and-a-half, falling to Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev, 6-3 6-4, in just 62 minutes. But despite the setbacks, Federer continues to defy Father Time, flashing brilliant tennis in claiming three titles (Dubai, Miami, Halle). Wouldn’t it be something to see him get another crack at Djokovic in New York in the Final Four? It would mark their seventh encounter at the US Open, all of which have come in semis or finals. To get there, Federer would need to survive a quarter that features Cincinnati finalist David Goffin, 2014 finalist Kei Nishikori, Borna Coric, Alex de Minaur, Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov.
BOTTOM HALF
3rd Quarter
If you’re looking for the future of men’s tennis, you’ve come to the right place. For the second straight year, two of the sport’s most electric young stars — fellow Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov (19 and 20, respectively) — will face each other in the opening round. Elsewhere in this #NextGen quarter are eighth-ranked Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas (21), Fed foil Rublev (21) and Washington champion Nick Kyrgios (24). Tsitsipas, the first Greek to crack the Top 10, win an ATP title, reach a Masters 1000 final and advance to a Grand Slam semi (Australian Open), could be headed for a quarterfinal matchup with Thiem, though veterans Roberto Bautista Agut, Gael Monfils and Kyle Edmund could have some say in the matter.
4th Quarter
Last year, Hall of Famer Chris Evert called Rafa Nadal “the greatest competitor in any sport.” It was high praise, but who could argue? The Mallorcan had just survived a five-set onslaught against Dominic Thiem, a four-hour, 49-minute, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 triumph that didn’t end until 2:04 a.m. A three-time US Open champion, Nadal had perhaps never shown so much grit, so much determination on the Flushing cement as he did in that match. Fans gasped earlier this year in Indian Wells when, just minutes before his much-anticipated semifinal with Mr. Federer, he was forced to pull out with a knee injury. However, the 33-year-old has since captured his record 12th Roland Garros crown, reached the Wimbledon semis, and christened his North American hard-court campaign by steamrolling his way through the draw in Montreal. In New York, Nadal could meet the likes of 2014 champ Marin Cilic or American John Isner in the Round of 16, while potential quarterfinal opponents include No. 6-ranked Alexander Zverev, world No. 9 Karen Khachanov, Diego Schwartzman and Benoit Paire. Of course, if the seedings hold up, we’re headed for a Djokovic-Nadal final. It would be their 55th head-to-head, and a match to savor.
