The thrill of the last and fourth prestigious Grand Slam tournament of the year, US Open, is going to start in Flushing Meadows from Sunday. The background of this time's tournament has become very interesting and exciting because the absence and return of many big personalities of the sports world has completely changed the equations of the title match. World number one tennis player Jannik Sinner has been ruled out of this year's final Grand Slam due to a serious knee injury, while second seeded Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz is making his comeback through this tournament after being away from the court for more than four months due to a wrist problem. Amidst all these circumstances, a golden opportunity appears to be emerging for the great tennis player Novak Djokovic to create history once again. Serbian legend Djokovic is eyeing a historic and record 25th Grand Slam title of his career, to achieve which he will have to overcome tough challenges from the world's top players. Djokovic has a chance to create history, tough competition from Zverev and Alcaraz Ever since registering a spectacular title win on this prestigious court of Flushing Meadows in the year 2023, Novak Djokovic has been entering every Grand Slam as a strong and strong contender. However, over the past few years, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated men's tennis, sharing 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam titles between them. Djokovic's every attempt to overtake Margaret Court in winning the most Grand Slam titles in the pages of history has been challenged time and again by these young players. Djokovic has faced defeat against him in five of the last six Grand Slam matches. Djokovic missed a big opportunity after his defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final this year. Despite this, the courage and confidence of the 39-year-old experienced Serbian player has not diminished at all. Despite limited preparation and persistent physical fitness problems, he looks all set to win the fifth US Open title of his career. The return of Carlos Alcaraz and the performance of other top contenders One of the biggest changes seen in this year's US Open is that the conditions of the competition seem to be favorable to Djokovic to a great extent. On one hand, Jannik Sinner is out of the tournament due to injury, while on the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz is returning after a long break. Although there may be some questions being raised about Alcaraz's form due to his extended absence from the court, it is well known that the defending champion is known to give his best performances on the big stages. Therefore his return cannot be taken lightly under any circumstances. Apart from this, German star Alexander Zverev is also in great form and he can prove to be the biggest and strongest obstacle in Djokovic's way. Tennis great Roger Federer also believes that despite all the ups and downs, Novak Djokovic's ability can never be dismissed. Other stalwarts present in the draw are also making the title race very exciting this time. The rise of young players and the command of the American challenge Apart from the main contenders, there is full hope that young talents will be seen in this US Open. Dion Open winner Ben Shelton and Cincinnati runner-up Frances Tiafoe are leading the American challenge this time. Apart from this, 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz will also try his best this time to end the drought of domestic men's champion that has been going on for the last 23 years. Ben Shelton has established himself as a real and dangerous contender by winning the Montreal title earlier this month after an early Wimbledon exit. However, sports experts have their own opinion about his ability to consistently maintain his performance levels during big tournaments. Apart from these, young stars like Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar are also desperate to leave their indelible mark on the tough courts of New York, while last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime will try hard to take his past excellent performances one step further. Arina Sabalenka eyes a historic hat-trick in the women's category. Along with the men's category, the competition in the women's singles category is also going to be very exciting this time. World number one and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has maintained her unilateral dominance in the US Open women's division for the last two years. Now he has a golden opportunity to complete his title hat-trick on this historic court of New York. If Sabalenka is successful in winning the title this time too, she will become the first female tennis player of the modern era to win three consecutive US Open titles after the legendary Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014. By winning her third consecutive title, her name will be included in the list of those immortal legends of the sports world like Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe who had captured the trophy of this tournament thrice in history. Apart from them, in the women's category, excellent players like Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and young sensation Mira Andreeva are also ready to give a tough fight for the title. Tournament Key Players and Last Year's Winners Statistics Top players from both categories are taking part in this prestigious competition. The men's squad includes names like Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Coboli, who will entertain the spectators in every match. In the women's category, Arina Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Mira Andreeva will take to the court to prove their superiority. If we look at last year's figures, in the thrilling title match of the men's singles of the year 2025 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz had captured the trophy by defeating Jannik Sinner. On the other hand, in the final match of 2025 women's singles, Aryna Sabalenka performed brilliantly and defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. This time too, on this red gravel and hard court of New York, tennis lovers will get to see many excellent and breath-taking matches, on which the eyes of the whole world are fixed.
