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

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

Here, we look at the talking points ahead of Flushing Meadows.

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.

A post shared by Coco Gauff (@cocogauff)

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.

pic.twitter.com/8UhRd8qik9

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) August 20, 2024

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