We don’t know which men will play at the US Open, next month, but if they had a chance, they will seize an opportunity. Roger Federer is out this year, but Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal are healthy and kicking it.
Recently, the No. 1 Djokovic tested positive with the coronavirus, following the tournament he organized in Serbia and Croatia. Even though he wanted to show all the fans in Serbia who wanted to cheer at in stadium, the venture was seen as reckless by most observers. However, watching on TV, there were virtually no masks at all. I mean, hundreds of people were sitting at the event jammed into seats and close to Djokovic. Only days after, a number of people became sick. Not just Djokovic, but three other players, too. They all feel good, now, but with the fans … who knows? Are they OK? But statistically — like where I live in Los Angeles — there are many hospitals overrun with coronavirus patients. And many have died. So while everyone wants to watch tennis, just be careful.
Djokovic looks pretty good, and there was a picture last week, where he was practicing on the hard courts. Nadal was also practicing, but he was hitting on clay.
Will both of them come to the US Open, given that they have won the titles in NYC? They love the American Slam, but do they want to travel across the ocean? They aren’t sure yet. They have some time, in the next few weeks. It is not just the top players, it is everyone, especially Europeans, who are questing whether they will try to travel or just not go. Everyday, there are new changes; so just be patient. Or yell when they cannot find a solution. Scream!
NOTES
No. 3 Dominic Thiem says that he is ready to jump on the plane. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam yet, but he did reach the final twice at Roland Garros, losing against the main man, Nadal, and dropping this year’s Australian Open final to Djokovic. He could win a Slam, at some point, as long as he pushes himself to go for the lines. Daniil Medvedev almost won the 2019 US Open, nearly upsetting Nadal. In the fifth set, the Spaniard kept clubbing him, and he finally reached another trophy. Nadal can do it again and, assuming Medvedev gets better each year, he can win a Slam, too. As long as he works on his return.
Other in the mix for Flushing Mead are these three top-10ers: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Matteo Berrettini. They can crush the ball when they want to, but they lose their focus and forget their strategies. They need more practice. Two young Americans, Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka, are rising. They have to figure how to make a major move to be real Slam contenders.
