It’s a big three, but it’s not the old Big Three. The betting odds show a three-horse race is expected between Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic for this title. Next follow Zverev and Medvedev, and then there’s a cliff in the odds. Do the bookies have it right? First Quarter Jannik Sinner has been #1 for a quarter year now. And for the first half of this year, that seemed pretty accurate. But he actually achieved that ranking right after the French Open on June 10, right when it stopped feeling relevant. There’s always a lag in the rankings, because they’re based on the last year of results. And although Sinner seemed to own the year right up until his semi-final with Alcaraz at Roland Garros, since then, the game has shifted. Alcaraz has gone on to win the French, Wimbledon, and a silver at the Olympics. Sinner? He’s been battling a hip injury. Granted he did just win the Cincinnati 1000 on Monday, and while his victories in the last three rounds over Rublev,
Aryna Sabalenka is the favourite for this US Open on hard courts: the bookies and pundits agree. She just won Cincinnati last, I mean…, ‘this’ week. She won the last hard court slam (Aus Open). She’s in form and hard is her best surface. But this is women’s tennis where anything can happen and there have been some other strong performances to consider… like Jessica Pegula, who just won Canada and was runner-up in Cincy. Or Qinwen Zheng who’s fresh off an Olympics victory replete with a defeat of Swiatek on clay. And of course there’s Swiatek, #1 player by a significant points margin. Not to mention last year’s winner, Coco Gauff. Can Sabalenka triumph over them all? First Quarter Iga Swiatek ends up being the top pick or close to it in every tournament she plays. Yet most of them she doesn’t win. She’s a lot more bankable on clay. But this is hard court and I just have a feeling, after disappointments at Wimbledon, the Olympics, and Cincinnati, that she’s not i