The 2021 US Open will get underway on Monday and it is difficult to look beyond Novak Djokovic winning a record 21st Grand Slam title in the men’s singles.
Djokovic has already won the Australian and French Opens, as well as Wimbledon this year, a run that has drawn him level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam career wins, which means a fourth title in New York next month would see him move clear as the most decorated men’s player of all time.
The absence of Federer and Nadal through injury, along with defending champion Dominic Thiem, appears to have left the door wide open for Djokovic to create history, with the Serbian being the overwhelming favourite at 5/7 to clinch the title and subsequently the “Calendar Grand Slam”.
Medvedev to Lead Djokovic Challenge
Russian world number two Daniil Medvedev is perhaps the best placed to challenge Djokovic’s expected dominance in New York, with the 25-year-old having contested the US Open final back in 2019.
Medvedev also reached the final of the Australian Open earlier this year, where he lost in straights sets to Djokovic, and he is still awaiting a maiden Grand Slam success, although his victory in the 2020 ATP Finals shows he can win on the big stage and he is priced at 4/1 to triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Another bonus for Medvedev is he cannot face Djokovic until the final, although a semi-final clash with third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is a possibility, with the Greek being another that is still awaiting his Grand Slam breakthrough.
Tsitsipas is 8/1 to triumph in New York, but he has never been beyond the third round of the final Grand Slam of the year, while he has also been handed a tough opening match against former champion Andy Murray.
Alexander Zverev completes the trio of likely challengers to Djokovic, with the German having reached the final in New York 12 months ago before throwing away a two-set lead to lose against Thiem.
The world number four will be buoyed by his gold medal success at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo and he could provide good value at 6/1.
Barty the One to Beat in Women’s Draw
World number one Ashleigh Barty faced questions regarding her form and fitness at the start of the year, but she has dispelled those doubts in style this season, winning five titles across three surfaces, including a second Grand Slam success at Wimbledon in July.
The US Open has been traditionally Barty’s weakest slam, as she has never been beyond the fourth round in New York, but her victory at the recent Western & Southern Open shows the hard courts offer her no fear and she looks well priced at 16/5 to reign supreme in New York.
Barty vs Naomi Osaka could be the dream final for many, although the latter has suffered early exits at both her home Olympics and the Western & Southern Open over recent weeks, with her best form seemingly yet to return since missing Wimbledon.
Osaka does tend to save her best performances for Grand Slams, which makes her 6/1 odds seem tempting, while it is also worth bearing in mind that she has never failed to win one of the big four events once she has reached the quarter-finals.
*All odds correct at time of writing