Six talking points before grand slam finale at US Open gets under way

Flushing Meadows beckons for the brightest stars of world tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz, left, will battle with the likes of Novak Djokovic for the US Open crown (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

The US Open, the final grand slam of the year, begins on Monday.

Here is a look at the talking points ahead of Flushing Meadows.

Will the rivalry continue?

Novak Djokovic’s rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz has captivated men’s tennis (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

The hottest rivalry in the sport looks set to continue as Novak Djokovic will be aiming to get the better of Carlos Alcaraz and land a record 25th grand slam title.

Djokovic, who has not lifted a major trophy since winning at Flushing Meadows in 2023, beat his rival at the Olympics earlier this month but Alcaraz coasted to victory at Wimbledon a few weeks earlier.

Gauff gunning for more glory

Coco Gauff landed an emotional first grand slam title in New York last year, becoming the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

She will be hoping that the comparisons to Williams do not end there as she looks to dominate her home grand slam, where she will have a famously raucous crowd on her side.

However, she was the ninth different women’s champion in 10 years at this tournament so it is anyone’s guess as to who will actually lift the title.

Sinner or a saint?

The Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry has captured the imagination of the men’s game, but it is Jannik Sinner who comes into the tournament as the world number one. However, he is currently shrouded in controversy.

The Italian has been cleared of any wrongdoing after failing two drugs tests earlier this year, with an investigation accepting Sinner’s explanation that the substance had accidentally entered his system via a product one of his team had used to treat a small wound.

Other players on the Tour have questioned the decision, so Sinner could lack goodwill as he hopes to advance past the fourth round for the first time, having won in Cincinnati last week.

Life after Andy

Andy Murray’s career finished after defeat in the doubles at the Olympics (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

There is new landscape in British tennis following the retirement of Andy Murray. This is the first grand slam since the Scot called time on his career, so the main focus will now be on Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu.

Draper will be seeded in the men’s draw and his run to the fourth round last year shows he is a threat on the American hard courts.

Boutler is the women’s British number one and has the most consistency, but Raducanu has history in New York. She had promising results in the British grasscourt swing but has played just one tournament since Wimbledon.

Draper’s reparation job

Draper comes into the tournament on the back of a promising run to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open last week, but finds himself having to repair his reputation.

Draper was accused of cheating after a controversial match point in his last-16 tie with Felix Auger-Aliassime where he appeared to hit the ball into the ground at the net before it looped over.

The umpire Greg Allensworth ruled it was a legal shot but Draper has attracted criticism for not conceding the point, with players and ex-players wading into the debate, saying the British number one would have known it was a foul point.

It will be interesting to see how the crowd react at Flushing Meadows.

Wheelchair clash

There will be no wheelchair tournament at Flushing Meadows as it clashes with the Paralympics in Paris, meaning it will be the only grand slam this year not to feature action.

A lot of the top players have expressed their disappointment at the scheduling and it robs the likes of Alfie Hewett and Tokito Oda of the chance of another grand slam title.

We shall see what happens when the same clash happens again in 2028.