Will there be another epic showdown between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open? And if so, will Alcaraz, the defending champ, prevail? Or, will Djokovic set the Open era Grand Slam record?
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff could clash in the quarterfinals — and Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina also have something to prove after disappointment at Wimbledon.
Our experts make their predictions as the US Open starts on Monday.
Who do you think will win the men’s singles title and why?
Cliff Drysdale: Jannik Sinner. He joins Alcaraz as the future of the men’s game. Like Alcaraz, he has no weaknesses. Now with a big win under his belt at the Canadian Open, his confidence level will be high. But he has a challenging draw.
Pam Shriver: Djokovic will win the US Open after a few years of huge disappointments and embarrassments. Djokovic showed this year in Melbourne that he thrives to erase poor memories and rewrite more tennis history. Nobody in the men’s game knows how to manage the 3-of-5 set format better than Djokovic.
Alexandra Stevenson: If I had a genie bottle and my genie gave me three wishes, I would pick Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner. But for the 2023 US Open, I’m taking Djokovic. He appears relaxed and recovered from winning the Cincinnati Masters. I like his team and preparation.
Alcaraz admitted the Wimbledon win made big changes in his life, and perhaps he won’t have enough to win here. Djokovic is glad to be back in the U.S. He’s not taking anything for granted — and you can’t overlook the team around him. The best thing — he’s keeping the possibility of achieving 24 Grand Slam wins on mute.
Rennae Stubbs: Djokovic. I believe that he will bookend this year with wins in Australia and NYC. Three of four Grand Slam victories this year will solidify him as the greatest player of all time.
Bill Connelly: In one way, it almost feels strange to say this is a two-man race considering we’ve had six different finalists in the last three years and six different champions in the last seven. But it’s clear that Djokovic and Alcaraz are ahead of the pack at the moment. Outside of three matches against each other, they’re a combined 120-15 over the last year, and Tennis Abstract gives them a combined 67% title chance.
Considering how absurdly tight their head-to-head matchups have been, it’s basically a…
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