The U.S. Open begins play Monday in Flushing. Here are some players to watch heading into tennis’ final Grand Slam event of the season:
4 Men to watch
Novak Djokovic
Country: Serbia
Age: 27
Rank: 1
Seed: 1
Best U.S. Open result: champion, 2011
The No. 1 player in the world is the favorite to win. He already has made the past two Grand Slam finals of 2014, and has been in the U.S. Open final each of the past five years, but has just one title. Djokovic won’t have to worry about facing Rafael Nadal, the man who has beaten him in four Slam finals, including twice in Flushing. Over the past four years, no one’s been more consistent than Djokovic, who has made 12 of the past 16 Slam finals (with a 6-6 record).
Andy Murray
Country: Great Britain
Age: 28
Rank: 9
Seed: 8
Best U.S. Open result: champion, 2012
Murray doesn’t look like the player who won Wimbledon last year and the Open title in 2012, although he has made the quarterfinals in each of the first three majors this year. He hasn’t won a title of any kind in 2014 — the last time he was shut out was 2007. He split with his coach and tennis legend Ivan Lendl in March, under whom Murray won two Grand Slams.
Roger Federer
Country: Switzerland
Age: 33
Rank: 3
Seed: 2
Best U.S. Open result: champion, 2004-08
His last major title came at Wimbledon in 2012, but the Swiss Maestro could be back. He made the Wimbledon final in July, losing to Djokovic in five sets, and the five-time champ has a favorable draw. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he meets Djokovic in the final. Federer comes in strong, having made the Rogers Cup final and winning the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month.
John Isner
Country: United States
Age: 29
Rank: 15
Seed: 13
Best U.S. Open result: quarterfinals, 2011
The state of American tennis is so bad that John Isner pretty much is the only hope the United States has at producing the men’s champion for the first time since 2003, when Andy Roddick won. Isner has made the quarerfinals of a Grand Slam just once in 26 tries (2011 U.S. Open). You have to go all the way to No. 46 for the next American (Donald Young). Isner has won two titles this year, but he could face Djokovic in the third round.
Other men watch
Grigor Dimitrov
Rank: 8
Seed: 7
Made the quarters or better for the first time in a Slam this year with a quarterfinal appearance in Australia and a semifinal appearance in Wimbledon.
David Ferrer
Rank: 5
Seed: 4
Probably would have a few Slams already if not for the big four. Has made the quarters in 10 of the past 11 Slams and is a two-time U.S. Open semifinalist.
Noah Rubin
Rank: 584
Seed: none
The Rockville Centre, N.Y., native won the Junior title at Wimbledon this summer and earned a wild card into the main draw of the Open. He will face Federico Delbonis (ranked No. 66) in the first round.
Ernests Gulbis
Rank: 12
Seed: 11
Made headlines for the wrong reasons this summer when he suggested women should focus on their families and having children instead of playing sports. But has a favorable draw.
Stan Wawrinka
Rank: 4
Seed: 3
Won his first Slam in Australia but followed that up with a first-round exit in the French Open and a quarterfinal appearance in Wimbledon. Inconsistency has been an issue.
4 Women to watch
Serena Williams
Country: United States
Age: 32
Rank: 1
Seed: 1
Best U.S. Open result: champion, 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-13
Williams comes in having won back-to-back U.S. Opens, but hasn’t done much in the majors this year — making the fourth round in Australia, the second round at the French Open and the third round at Wimbledon. She has won five titles, and two recent ones in August — the Bank of the West Classic and the Cincinnati Masters. After a virus at Wimbledon forced her to withdraw from her doubles match in July, Williams missed some time but has come back strong.
Eugenie Bouchard
Country: Canada
Age: 20
Rank: 8
Seed: 7
Best U.S. Open result: second round, 2013
Bouchard is having a breakout year. She already has made the semifinals in all three Slams — including the Wimbledon final, where she was overwhelmed in straight sets by Petra Kvitova. Bouchard is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam, and if seeds hold, would face Kvitova in the quarters and Serena in the semis. Bouchard is known for her aggressiveness on the court, forcing her opponents to react quickly.
Maria Sharapova
Country: Russia
Age: 27
Rank: 6
Seed: 5
Best U.S. Open result: champion, 2006
Sharapova missed the Open last year because of a shoulder injury but has one title in Flushing (2006) and made the semifinals in 2012. Typically, this is her worst of the majors, but she is always one of the non-American crowd favorites. She has three calendar titles in 2014 including the French Open, and wouldn’t face Williams until the final.
Sloane Stevens
Country: United States
Age: 21
Rank: 16
Seed: 21
Best U.S. Open result: fourth round, 2013
One of the big stories of last year’s Open was Stephens, who lost in the fourth round to Williams. If 2013 were Stephens’ breakout year, she has regressed in 2014. She started off making the fourth round in the first two Slams but lost in the first round in Wimbledon and hasn’t been consistent. Still, Stephens is one of the top U.S. women not named Serena.
Other women watch
Victoria Azarenka
Rank: 17
Seed: 16
Foot and knee injuries have hampered her performance this year, causing her to plummet in the rankings, but she has made the Open final the past two years and always is a threat.
Ana Ivanovic
Rank: 9
Seed: 8
Has been more of an afterthought the past decade, but did make the quarters in 2012. She also won the French Open in 2008, although that was on clay, not hardcourt.
Taylor Townsend
Rank: 103
Seed: none
After making the third round of qualifying last year, Townsend advanced to her first main draw as a wild card, where she will face Williams in the first round, so her stay might be short. But at least it probably will be in prime time.
Caroline Wozniacki
Rank: 12
Seed: 10
The former No. 1 player and Rory McIlroy’s ex-fiance hasn’t been relevant on the court in a few years but did win a tournament in July. But she isn’t the same player who made three great runs in Flushing from 2009-11.
Simona Halep
Rank: 2
Seed: 2
Halep has risen to No. 2 in the rankings with a strong 2014. She has been to the quarters in all three Slams this year, but hasn’t been able to win one.