The last grand slam of the year was already in the spotlight with the ‘reimagined’ mixed doubles tournament that lasted two days.
With singles stars adding to the wow factor and a prize-purse that got tongues wagging, the US Open started a new fad and it remains to be seen whether the other majors would follow suit.
But some normalcy was restored on Wednesday with finally a doubles specialist team, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, retaining their crown, defeating a much-fancied third-seeded team of singles specialists Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.
With the dust having settled, the focus now is back on the ‘real’ tournament — starting in New York from Sunday.
That, too, is another departure from the norm of a Monday start, expanding it to 15 days and shifting to a Sunday start for the first time in the Open era that began in 1968.
The extra day puts the US Open in line with the Australian Open, which made the change a year back and the French Open, which was the first tennis major to make the move when it added a 15th day in 2006.
This move leaves Wimbledon as the only grand slam event that begins on a Monday and has action on just 14 days.
The hard-court major promises to be a riveting spectacle packed with high drama, generational shifts, and narrative arcs that span across both the men’s and women’s draws.
On the men’s side, the tournament finds itself defined by the growing and riveting rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Cementing their position as the top two players in the world, they have given rise to the portmanteau “Sincaraz”.
Between them, they’ve captured the last seven grand slam titles — and nine of the past twelve — leaving just three for Novak Djokovic, who last broke the chain by winning the US Open in 2023
Their duopoly has surged into the record books, positioning them as possibly the defining duo of their era, true successors to the legendary trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The two major finals this year, featuring the duo, have delivered unforgettable tennis. At Roland Garros, Alcaraz came back from being two sets down and saved three championship points to secure a monumental five-set final that clocked in at 5 hours 29 minutes, the longest ever in French Open history.
Sinner rebounded at Wimbledon, winning the final in four sets — ending Alcaraz’s perfect major-final record.
But top seed Sinner’s health remains a cause for concern after he withdrew from the Cincinnati Open final, followed by the mixed doubles event in New York. His coach, Darren Cahill, though, is optimistic, suggesting that Sinner should be ready to compete.
While the focus will be on these two, as long as Djokovic, the last of Big Three, is still standing, he cannot be discounted.
Seeded seventh, he is placed in the bottom half of the draw along with Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton. At 38, Djokovic still is a presence and embodies the grit and excellence of his generation.
On the women’s side, like it has been for a few years now since the domination of Serena Williams ended, the draw remains refreshingly wide open.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka returns as the top seed, but she faces stiff competition from recent grand slam winners Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys.
The past five majors have been won by five different players — Swiatek (Wimbledon), Gauff (French Open), Keys (Australian Open), Sabalenka (2024 US Open), and Barbora Krejcikova (2024 Wimbledon) — making for a thrilling test of form, temperament, and endurance.
The top three in the rankings — No. 1 Sabalenka, No. 2 Swiatek and No. 3 Gauff — have won the past three US Open titles. This unpredictability makes the women’s singles an open contest, primed for upsets and breakthroughs.
As the first serves begin to fly on Sunday, tennis fans will look forward to the rise of new narratives, and look out for who will reign in the last major as the season winds down.
Dark horses
Felix Auger-Aliassime: The Canadian has two ATP titles this season — in Adelaide and in Montpellier — and so can spring a surprise at the Flushing Meadows this time. He lost to Sinner in the Cincinnati Open quarters, but that doesn’t take anything away from the momentum he has built this season. He has beaten top players, including Alcaraz, in the past and he can do so again.
Victoria Mboko: Another Canadian who has created ripples in the circuit. The 18-year-old Mboko has emerged out of nowhere and can cause a few upsets at this US Open. She beat four former grand slam champions — Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka — on way to becoming the champion in Montreal. Born to Congolese parents, Mboko
has a 53-9 record across all professional levels this season. She was world No. 333 at the start of the season, but has rocketed to No. 24. Watch out for her.