With the shock default of 17-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, we will have a first-time US Open men's champion in 2020. The Serb was the only man in the Round of 16 with a major singles title to his name, and an overwhelming favorite to lift the trophy in one week's time. Now with the three-time US Open champ out of the draw, the window of opportunity has opened up for the next wave of contenders. It's a list of many usual suspects, none of whom have been able to reach the right verdict at the majors.
Dominic Thiem: The No. 2 seed, who reached the semifinals or better on the red clay of Roland Garros each of the past four years, has been flashing his hard-court credentials in recent years. Thiem won Indian Wells in 2019 and was a set away from winning his first Slam at the 2020 Australian Open, before Djokovic came from behind to win a five-set final. The Austrian has adjusted well to the concrete jungle in New York, famously going five sets with Rafael Nadal in the 2018 quarterfinals—his best run here to date.
Daniil Medvedev: Thiem's projected semifinal opponent, according to the seeding, served notice in 2019 with a dramatic and sometimes controversial run to the US Open final. The Russian also won the 2019 Western & Southern Open, part of an 11-week stretch in which he recorded a 29-3 record on hard courts and won three titles. He is one of three men (Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini) yet to drop a set at the 2020 US Open, dropping an average of eight games in his first three matches.
Alexander Zverev: Already through to the quarterfinals after a fourth-round demolition of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the 23-year-old German could have faced Djokovic in the semifinals. Zverev reached his first major semi at the 2020 Australian Open, helping to reverse his reputation as a Grand Slam underachiever. Ranked No. 7 in the world and seeded fifth in New York, Zverev spent nearly two full years in the ATP’s Top 5 and has not been below his current spot of seventh since 2017. Prior to 2020, he had only been beyond the Round of 16 at a Slam twice, when he reached the French Open quarterfinals each of the past two years.
Matteo Berrettini: The 2019 US Open semifinalist still has his work cut out to better his career-best Grand Slam performance from a year ago. But if he can get past Andrey Rublev and, potentially, Medvedev in the semis, he will not have to worry about having his run ended by a legend of the game, as it was when Rafael Nadal beat him last year.
David Goffin: The No. 7 seed will face Denis Shapovalov in Sunday’s evening session as he bids for his first US Open quarterfinal appearance. But he’s already reached the quarterfinal stage once at every other Slam.
Andrey Rublev: The 22-year-old, who joins fellow Moscow native Medvedev in the draw’s bottom half, has played some of his best tennis in New York. He reached the quartfinals here in 2017 (l. to Nadal) and the fourth round in 2019 (l. to Berrettini).
The field: The above just covers the Top 10 seeds. Don’t count out 2017 semifnalist Pablo Carreno Busta, the direct beneficiary of Djokovic’s fourth-round default, or any other men still standing in the wide-open men’s singles draw. No. 12 seed Denis Shapovalov, No. 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 21 Alex de Minuar and No. 27 Borna Coric are also prime contenders to win their first career Grand Slam singles title this fortnight.
