Will Raducanu repeat 2021 triumph? Reasons to watch the US Open

Will the Americans finally provide another male winner? Can Emma Raducanu replicate her stunning 2022 success? And Is Jack Draper ready to take over the mantle from Andy Murray?…

We look at some of the biggest reasons to tune into the US Open, live on Sky Sports from Monday August 26.

Will the US end their run without a male winner?

In truth, the likely winner of the men’s singles comes from one of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, as has been the case for the last nine Grand Slam finals… or could this finally be the year that an American upsets the odds and comes through?

We’re not quite yet at Fred Perry levels, and the 77-year long wait for a British male Wimbledon winner before Murray finally scratched that itch, but it’s now up to 21 years since America last got to celebrate a male winner of their major championship (Andy Roddick, 2003).

Jimmy Connors’ 1974 success triggered a run of 17 American champions over the next 29 years, which included spells of dominance at the top from himself, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. A glorious era for US men’s tennis.

Having gorged on such success then, the country has been starved since… but, coming into 2024, they have five players ranked inside the top 20, three of which reached the quarter-finals last year – Taylor Fritz (12th), Ben Shelton (13th) and Frances Tiafoe (20th) – and with Shelton going one stage further. It was the first time the USA had three men’s players in the last eight of their home Slam in 18 years.

Home favourite Coco Gauff ticked off her maiden Slam in the women’s singles last year… could 2024 be the turn of the men?

Who will win wide-open women’s singles?

The women’s singles also has its standout contenders in the form of world No 1 – and five-time Grand Slam champion – Iga Swiatek, plus Aryna Sabalenka, a hard-court specialist, as proven by her two Australian Open titles in the last two years and she is also in great form after winning the Cincinnati Open warm-up event.

But, certainly since 2015 and Serena Williams’ run of three in a row (and six total) was ended, the US Open, of all the Slams, has not always gone the way of the formbook.

There have been eight different winners of the last nine tournaments, with Naomi Osaka the only one to have triumphed twice (in 2018 and 2020).

There was Italian Flavia Pennetta’s shock win in 2015. After a desperate run of injuries, Sloane Stephens was ranked as low as 957th in the world prior to the American’s storied run to the title in 2017, while Emma Raducanu took over her mantle as the lowest-ranked winner in 2021 as she became the first Grand Slam winner to come through qualifying. Two years earlier, Bianca Andreescu of Canada was also a teenage champion, shocking Serena in the final.

Essentially, in the women’s singles at the US Open, the winner could quite literally come from anywhere.

Raducanu’s quest for historic repeat title

It is precisely why Raducanu stands a very good chance of making it two historic runs to the Flushing Meadows title, doubling up on her remarkable 2021 triumph when just 18 years old.

She has had her ups and downs in the intervening three years, but recently spoke to Sky Sports of “playing a lot freer in the last month”, an assessment borne out by the fact her fourth-round run at Wimbledon earlier this summer was her best at a Slam since her unexpected US Open win.

“I just feel a real fire back and desire,” Raducanu added.

A first-round draw with fellow former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin (Australian Open, 2020) is far from the easiest start, while sixth seed Jessica Pegula potentially lies in wait in the second round… albeit Pegula was one of Raducanu’s first two top-10 career wins achieved this summer.

“I’m very, very confident,” Sky Sports’ Naomi Cavaday said of Raducanu’s chances.

“The US Open is a place that she absolutely loves. She is beyond a superstar there, just like she is here. I could absolutely see her finding her best level.”

Fellow Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend added: “When she came through qualifying and won in 2021, it deemed all predictions irrelevant for pretty much the rest of time. Could she do it again? You have to say that absolutely she could.”

Who will step into Murray’s sizeable shoes?

If not Raducanu, then what about Jack Draper?

In the first Grand Slam sans Andy Murray for 19 years (other than due to injury), will we immediately see the British baton ceremoniously passed on with a deep run for our newest men’s No 1?

Draper won his first ATP Tour title this year, in Stuttgart in June, while he followed that up mere days later with the highest-ranking win of his career to date, beating Alcaraz at Queen’s Club – in straight sets too – to drop the Spaniard down a spot from two to three in the world.

That came during the grass-court season, but Draper has also found some recent form on the hard courts of the US, reaching the quarter-finals of Cincinnati in the lead-up to the US Open, while Flushing Meadows was home to the 22-year-old’s two best runs at Slams so far, with his third-round effort in 2022 only bettered by a trip to the fourth last year.

“I absolutely think Draper has got the ability to go very, very deep at the US Open,” Overend said. “Every time I see him, I see some progress, and that’s all you can ask from a young player.

“And one thing I know for sure is, he’s feared in the locker room. Everyone else, if they were to point their finger at a quality young player who has the ability to win big tournaments and do a lot of damage, a lot of them will look to Draper.”

US Open sees expanded use of video replay

Sticking with Draper briefly, he booked a quarter-final place in Cincinnati in slightly controversial fashion as technology failed to come to Felix Auger-Aliassime’s aid on match point of their contest.

The Canadian argued the ball had hit the frame of Draper’s racket and gone onto the ground before looping up onto the net cord and over, but the umpire called the point to the Brit and video replay was not in use to dispute the decision.

A similar situation will hopefully be avoided in the US Open, however. Having trialled video technology on five courts at last year’s tournament, it is set to be rolled out on eight for 2024.

“It’s not necessarily the easiest call for the umpire,” Tim Henman told Sky Sports after Draper’s Cincinnati win. “We need to use the technology we have – I mean, I got sent a video clip of it 45 seconds later.

“I’m glad that at the US Open, if there is a repeat of that, then we will be able to use the video replay. Fingers crossed this can speed us up to be at a better place within the sport.”

More match choice than ever before on Sky Sports

As well as the exclusive live coverage of the US Open daily on Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+ now means you can watch literally any match you want from Flushing Meadows over the course of the tournament.

Sky Sports+ is live and already integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app– giving you access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.

Sky Sports+ can be found on channel number 410 for Sky Glass customers, 412 for Sky Q customers and 416 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.

Or you can head to the ‘Watch’ section on the Sky Sports app to access all Sky Sports+ live streams via the event centres.

You can also stream the US Open on Sky Sports Tennis and more live sport with a NOW Sports Month Membership. With no contract, you can cancel anytime.

And across Sky Sports digital and social channels, you can enjoy extensive coverage of the final grand slam of 2024 with daily live text commentary on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as live scores, reports, analysis, features and videos.

Watch the US Open, from Monday August 26, live on Sky Sports Tennis and new channel Sky Sports+.

Source : Sky Sports