2021 U.S. Open Preview
In front of a sea of empty blue seats that filled Arthur Ashe Stadium, Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem lifted the Women’s Singles and Men’s Singles, U.S. Open trophies last September. It was an eerily strange backdrop for Grand Slam finals, especially the U.S. Open, where fan engagement and rowdy crowds are part of the tournament’s ambiance.
While it was different, the 2020 U.S. Open turned out to be a success, and set the template for how other tournaments and leagues could operate safely during the pandemic. With no fans, there was of course a massive financial hit, but the U.S. Open was held and was finished during a time when there were doubts on if it was even possible.
But as we approach the 2021 U.S. Open, last year’s event is squarely in the rearview mirror, with a full capacity of fans set to return to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
“We are extremely excited to be able to welcome our incredible fans back to the US Open this year,” Mike Dowse, USTA CEO, said earlier this summer. “While we were proud that we were able to hold the event in 2020,we missed having our fans on-site, because we know that they are a large part of what makes the US Open experience unlike any other. Indeed, the challenges presented by the pandemic were tough on us all, but our sport came together like never before and tackled each challenge head on. Interest in tennis has accelerated, with four million new and returning players taking to the court last year.
Our sport surged in the toughest of times, and this year’s US Open promises to be an unforgettable celebration of the game, those who play it, and those who revel in it.”
The people who can’t wait to have fans back the most are the players themselves. Being able to feed off of the energy of the crowd, and share those special moments with the audience is one of the things that make the U.S. Open so special. Many times, late in matches, the players rely on the crowds to help them find that lastreserve tank of energy to push them through to the finish line.
“I really miss the fans. They really help me out. At a moment that I feel tired, they would always help me,” said Sofia Kenin last year. “Obviously I prefer playing with them, for sure…Everyone,of course, misses the fans.”
With fans back in the stands, the 2021 U.S. Open is setting up to be a thrilling few weeks in Queens. Between roaming the grounds and catching matches on the side courts, to a packed house inside Arthur Ashe Stadium staying well into the early morning hours for a Night Session match, the fans are as much a part of the event as the players.
The main draw will begin on Monday, August 30 and conclude with the Men’s Singles final on Sunday, September 12, with the qualifying rounds running from Tuesday, August 24 through Friday, August 27.All ticket categories for the 25 tournament sessions, from reserved stadium seating to general admission grounds passes, will be available.
Click Here to see the full 2021 U.S. Open Schedule
Men’s Singles Contenders
Novak Djokovic
The U.S. Open is Novak Djokovic’s tournament to lose. In fact, he is a heavy favorite according to the oddsmakers to win the event, and will arrive in New York in search of history. He has won all three majors thus far this year, and is aiming to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the Calendar Slam. The disappointing conclusion to his run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he surprisingly walked away with no medals, may only add fuel to the fire for the world’s best player.
Daniil Medvedev
The second-ranked Russian came close to winning this event a couple of years ago, but was outdone by Rafael Nadal in a thrilling five-set final. But Medvedev will be one of the players who can truly pose a threat to Djokovic. He’s a player who thrives on the hard-courts, and embraces the fans as we saw in his run to the finals in 2019. His court coverage and ability to counter punch makes him a frustrating opponent, and he should make a run deep into the second week in Queens this year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Photo Credit: Darren Carroll/USTA
A few months removed from his crushing loss to Djokovic in the French Open finals, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas will arrive in New York still in search of his first career major title. He has not been successful here in the past, never making it past the third-round, but that should change in 2021. Tsitsipas is one of the best players in the world despite his recent Slam disappointments (he lost to Frances Tiafoe in the opening round of Wimbledon). But those losses can happen right before a player’s breakthrough. His huge forehand and elite athleticism make him a threat on hard-courts, as evidenced by two semifinal appearances at the Australian Open, and his motivation has never been higher.
Women’s Singles Contenders
Photo Credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Naomi Osaka
Perhaps the most polarizing player in women’s tennis this year, Naomi Osaka enters the 2021 U.S. Open with hopes of defending her title. She is a two-time U.S. Open champion with the pedigree to win it all once again. The only question mark facing Osaka is her lack of match play in 2021, and the classic debate between rust and rest. She did return to the court at the Olympics where she represented Japan, and as she rounds out into match form prior to Queens, Osaka should be considered a U.S. Open favorite.
Aryna Sabalenka
There may not be a player on the WTA Tour who hits the ball harder than Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, and she almost blasted her way to the Wimbledon finals earlier this summer. She has the power game that can rattle any opponent, and has posted a successful year in 2021, going 35-12 (as of publication) and rising to as high as second in the world. If Sabalenka can stay poised late into the tournament, she can take out any opponent who stands on the other side of the net.
Elina Svitolina
It’s been said before in this magazine, but Elina Svitolina may be the most accomplished player on the women’s tour yet to win a major. She has been ranked inside the Top 10 for years now, and is fresh off earning a Bronze Medal at the Olympic Games. Svitolina has advanced to the quarterfinals or later in seven different Slam events, including reaching the semifinals in New York in 2019. Look for Svitolina to possibly make the 2021 U.S. Open the event where she finally puts a stamp on her decorated career.
Men’s Singles Pretenders
Rafael Nadal
It’s hard to label Rafael Nadal a “Pretender”, but it may be tough for the Spaniard to claim his 21st major title in New York. After not playing Wimbledon or the Olympic Games in order to rest for the final stretch of the season, Nadal played at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., but will that be enough preparation to get his body right for the two-week stretch at the U.S. Open? His physical style of play and previous knee injuries don’t match up well with the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and with other young, fresh players in the field, don’t look for Nadal to make it past the first week.
Alexander Zverev
Photo Credit: Pete Staples/USTA
Fresh off of his Gold Medal in Tokyo, Alexander Zverev will be in search of more hardware, in the form of his first major title. The German has been here before, and lost a heartbreaking match to Dominic Thiem in the last year’s finals. There isn’t too much numerical analysis here, but after having such a successful couple of weeks at the Olympics, it may be difficult for Zverev to turn around and be ready to complete the fortnight in New York.
Hubert Hurkacz
The 24-year-old from Poland has enjoyed the best year of his young career so far in 2021. Hurkacz won his first Masters 1000s title, and third overall, at the Miami Open, and parlayed that into a semifinal run at Wimbledon later in the summer which has put him inside the Top 15. But outside of the Miami success, Hurkacz has not had a ton of success on hard-courts, and his best showing at the Australian Open and U.S. Opens are second-round appearances. Despite the breakout season, Hurkacz could be due for another early exit in New York.
Women’s Singles Pretenders
Photo Credit: Andrew Ong/USTA
Ashleigh Barty
The reigning Wimbledon champion is one of the best players on tour, and that is evidenced by her world number one ranking. She is now owner of two major titles, and she added a Bronze Medal, in doubles, at the Olympic Games this summer. Barty’s game is one that translates so well to the grass and clay surfaces, but without a major power shot, or dominate serve, it may be difficult for Barty to take out some of the bigger-hitting opponents
Karolina Pliskova
Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova is the opposite type of player from Barty, where she possesses a huge serve and is a big-hitter, but someone who doesn’t move as well on court. Pliskova reached her second major final at Wimbledon this year, where she lost to the aforementioned Barty, and enters the U.S. Open still in search of that first title. Despite reaching the finals in New York five years ago, don’t look for her to make a deep run at this year’s event.
Serena Williams
Much like Nadal and Federer, it is strange to put a player of Serena Williams’ caliber on this type of list, but it has been a struggle for the American at majors recently. The greatest women’s player of all-time had to retire in her first-round match at Wimbledon, and prior to that, she was bounced in the fourth-round at the French Open. Those results followed back-to-back semifinal results, at the 2020 U.S. Open and 2021 Australian Open, but at 39-years-old, it is difficult to envision Serena being able to conjure her best tennis for two weeks.
Men’s Singles Sleepers
Denis Shapovalov
The flashy Canadian was close to reaching his first major final at Wimbledon earlier this summer before falling to Djokovic in the semifinals. Shapovalov is a big- hitter and reached the quarterfinals in New York last year. With fans in the building this time around, look for Shapovalov to feed off of their energy and make a deep run, potentially vying for his maiden Slam championship.
Casper Ruud
Photo Credit: Pete Staples/USTA
A name that many people, outside of die-hard tennis fans, may not know is Casper Ruud, the young Norwegian who quietly has had one of the best seasons on the ATP Tour. As of this article, Ruud is 35-9 in 2021 and has won four titles, including notching wins over top players such as Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Don’t be surprised if Ruud is playing deep into week two at the U.S. Open.
Women’s Singles Sleepers
Jessica Pegula
The American will aim to have her best showing at a Slam when she competes in the 2021 U.S. Open. At 27-years-old, Pegula has had the best year of her career, which included a run to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, and her best showing at the French Open and Wimbledon. She has posted 27 wins this season and reached her career-high ranking back in June. With the American crowd backing her, there is no one in the draw who wants to see Pegula on the other side of the net.
Ons Jabeur
Photo Credit: Andrew Ong/USTA
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur was a recent quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, and has posted 33 wins already in 2021. She is ranked 22nd in the world, which is a career-high for her, and enters the U.S. Open ready to post her best results yet in New York. Each of the last two seasons, Jabeur has reached the third-round, but look for the 26-year-old to move beyond that and into the second week this time around, with the potential to be at least one of the last eight players remaining.
Reasons to love the us open
Photo Credit: Adam Glanzman/USTA
Tennis under the stars
There is something special about summer nights in New York City, and that only gets amplified during the US Open’s fortnight. Late-night tennis featuring star-studded matchups have become synonymous with the US Open. From Onny Parun and Stan Smith at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to Andre Agassi and James Blake nearly 15 years ago, the tennis stars always deliver big performances under the stars late into the early morning hours in the city that never sleeps.
Practice court access
A two-story practice gallery debuted at the 2014 US Open, which allowed fans unprecedented access to see their favorite players as they prepared for their matches. In addition to the viewing area of the practice courts, the gallery is also adjacent to Courts 4, 5 and 6 where matches are taking place, giving fans 360 degrees of tennis.
New York, New York
Tennis is an international sport with fans and players from all over the globe. But for a three-week period in the late summer, tennis’ home is located right here in our backyard. New York City becomes the sport’s host site and welcomes the best players and millions of fans to come celebrate the sport, and the city’s energy always brings out the best in the players.
Return to Normalcy
While we are not completely done with the pandemic, the return of fans to the U.S. Open signals that we are close to getting back to a normal way of life. That may be a simplistic view of things, but with the energy of New York taking over the National Tennis Center for three weeks, this year’s U.S. Open is the perfect way to close out this summer.
