Federer, Djokovic and Nadal Lead 2012 U.S. Open Men’s Field

The USTA has announced that world number one and five-time U.S. Open singles champion Roger Federer, defending U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic, and 2010 U.S. Open and 2012 French Open champion Rafael Nadal lead the men’s singles field for the 2012 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. The player field also features former U.S. Open champions Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro. Each of the world’s top 101 men received direct entry into the U.S. Open, representing 37 countries.

The 2012 U.S. Open will be played Aug. 27-Sept. 9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Both the men’s and women’s U.S. Open singles champions will earn $1.9 million with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money (for a total $2.9 million potential payout) based on their performances in the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series. The U.S. Open Men’s Singles Championship is presented by Mercedes-Benz USA.

Leading the entry list is world number one Roger Federer, who returned to the top ranking following his title at Wimbledon this year. Federer surpassed Pete Sampras to set the record for the most weeks at number one in the ATP rankings at 287 weeks. Federer is seeking his sixth U.S. Open title, which would surpass Sampras and Jimmy Connors for most U.S. Open men’s singles titles in the Open Era. In 2007, Federer became the only man to win the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series and U.S. Open titles in the same year.

World number two Novak Djokovic is the defending U.S. Open champion after defeating Rafael Nadal in four sets in the final last year for his first U.S. Open championship. Djokovic won the 2012 Australian Open and reached the final of the French Open. He held the number one ranking from July 2011 up to Wimbledon this year—the first player other than Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to be ranked number one on the ATP World Tour since Andy Roddick in 2003.

World number three Rafael Nadal, who won the 2010 U.S. Open, is seeking his 12th career Grand Slam singles title after winning the 2012 French Open.

Following Federer, Djokovic and Nadal on the entry list are number four Andy Murray of Great Britain, the 2008 U.S. Open runner-up; number five David Ferrer of Spain, a 2007 U.S. Open semifinalist; nmber six Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up; number seven Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up; number eight Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, a 2011 U.S. Open quarterfinalist; number nine Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, the 2009 U.S. Open singles champion; and number 10 Nicolas Almagro of Spain.

In all, there are six entrants who have won Grand Slam singles titles in their careers, including 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

Other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include: No. 11 John Isner of Tampa, Fla.; No. 13 Mardy Fish of Los Angeles; No. 43 Ryan Harrison of Austin, Texas; No. 55 Sam Querrey of Las Vegas; No. 58 Donald Young of Atlanta; No. 79 Brian Baker of Nashville, Tenn.; No. 85 Jesse Levine of Boca Raton, Fla.; and No. 96 Michael Russell of Houston.

Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil, ranked No. 101, is the last player accepted directly into the men’s field of 128. Additionally, three players used protected rankings to gain direct entry: Somdev Devvarman of India; Paul-Henri Mathieu of France; and Tommy Robredo of Spain. Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, Aug. 21-24, while the remaining eight spots are wild cards awarded by the USTA.

Among the players competing in the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament will be the winner of the third annual U.S. Open National Playoffs–Men’s Championship presented by playtennis.com, held during the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series women’s event in New Haven, Conn., prior to the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament. The USTA created the U.S. Open National Playoffs in 2010 to allow players 14-and-older, regardless of playing ability or nationality, to vie for a spot in the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament via one of 13 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments.

The July 16 edition of the ATP World Tour rankings was used to determine the U.S. Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.