US Open 2021: players, favorites and absences in the USA

Last stop of the season in regards to Grand Slams with the US Open (August 30 to September 12). The New York Grand Slam has a long list of absences in this edition, but with the world number 1s in their respective circuits, Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty, as great attractions of the appointment. But, beyond Serbian and Australian, What other tennis players are featured as title favorites at Flushing Meadows? We review it below.

Favorites

If you have returned to your best physical condition, and passed the mental setback suffered in a Tokyo Games where he left without a medal, Novak Djokovic He is undoubtedly the top seed for the title at the US Open. He will try to get rid of the 'thorn' that he suffered last year, where an inopportune hit to a linesman produced his disqualification when his tennis was at a very high level, in addition to having the motivation that gives the possibility of becoming the tennis player with most Grand Slams in history along with the four majors in the same year.

But there will be few who question the Serbian's world scepter. Daniil Medvedev, Finalist of the US Open in 2019, it will be his great threat from the bottom of the table, with which he could face in the title match. What's more, Alexander Zverev He arrives in top form after his Olympic gold in Tokyo and he already knows what it is like to reach the final in New York (he lost in 2020 to Thiem). Nor can you rule out Stefanos Tsitsipas, player with the most wins this year, or other big names like those of Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini or Diego Schwartzman, among others. Pablo Carreño and Roberto Bautista They will be the best Spanish assets.

Favorites

Ashleig Barty will be the great reference of the women's team at the US Open. It is one of the Grand Slam titles that have not yet appeared on her record, so the number 1 in the WTA ranking will come out extra motivated to try to achieve it, and with the confidence added by her latest conquest at Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka, current champion and winner of two of the last three editions, she will be one of the Australian's main rivals. Among the rest of the applicants, the names of Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu (champion in 2019), Elina Svitolina, Maria Sakkari, Petra Kvitova or Garbiñe Muguruza, best Spanish trick.

Absences

Despite the illustrious names that we have mentioned above, it should be noted that this edition of the American Grand Slam will also be remembered for its significant absences. In the men's box, the most popular are those already known to all: Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. Neither the Balearic nor the Swiss will be able to be present to battle with Djokovic in the major in which the three started tied for 20 Grand Slam titles. Neither will the current champion, a Dominic Thiem (wrist injury) that last year he got his first big trophy at the hands of Zverev and that He recently resigned from both the US Open and the rest of the season.

In the female box, the casualties are not far behind. Among the most striking are those of Sofia Kenin (contracted COVID-19 weeks before the start of the tournament) and Serena Williams (physical problems in the hamstrings).