Who could win a shock US Open? Taylor Fritz, Cameron Norrie, Jessica Pegula look to follow Emma Raducanu
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Published 25/08/2022 at 13:41 GMT
Could Taylor Fritz, Cameron Norrie, Caroline Garcia or Jessica Pegula follow Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu and win their first major at the US Open? The final Grand Slam of the tennis season has thrown up several surprise winners over the last few years. Medvedev will be the top seed in the men's draw ahead of Rafael Nadal while Iga Swiatek is women's world No. 1.
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Look down the list of US Open champions over the last 10 years and you’ll immediately notice something different from the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon: variety.
While Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have dominated the first three men's Grand Slams of the season, in New York there have been seven different champions over the last 10 years. On the women’s side the US Open has also thrown up more surprises than elsewhere, with five first-time Grand Slam champions in the last seven years.
So, after Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu both broke their major ducks in New York in 2021, who could follow this time around?
Taylor Fritz
Fritz is enjoying a very strong year, rising up from outside the top 20 to the brink of the top 10 and separating himself from an upcoming bunch of young Americans to so far look the cream of the crop.
He won the biggest title of his career in Indian Wells earlier this season, came agonisingly close to making the Wimbledon semi-finals (failing to close out against an injured Rafael Nadal) and has wins over Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev and Nick Kyrgios this summer.
Although Fritz hasn’t enjoyed much success at his home slam yet, failing to make it past the third round, his big-hitting game and growing confidence should make him a contender for the latter stages this time around.
Cameron Norrie
After making the last four at Wimbledon, could British No. 1 Norrie go even further at the US Open?
Like Fritz, Norrie claimed his biggest career title at Indian Wells in 2021 and he has continued to build on that result to establish his place around the top 10. He might not always be the most aesthetically pleasing to watch, but there is little doubt that Norrie’s game deserves a high level of respect, especially on hard courts, where he has enjoyed most of his success.
In Cincinnati he produced one of his best performances of the season as he beat Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling three-set clash, with Norrie's composure in crunch moments and physicality again shining through.
Norrie has moved into the top eight seeding spots after Alexander Zverev's withdrawal from the US Open, meaning he won't face a fellow top-eight player until at least the quarter-finals.
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Highlights: Coric storms past Norrie in rain-affected Cincinnati Masters semi-final
Pablo Carreno Busta
Carreno Busta will fly under the radar in New York compared to fellow Spaniards Nadal and Alcaraz, but the 31-year-old could go as far as both of his compatriots.
Even though his fine Canadian Open triumph earlier this month was followed up by a disappointing first-round loss in Cincinnati, Carreno Busta clearly enjoys this time of the season. He’s made the semi-finals of the US Open twice, including in 2020 when he held a two-set lead over Alexander Zverev before losing in five. He was also giving Novak Djokovic a stern examination that year before his disqualification for hitting a ball towards a line judge.
Carreno Busta doesn’t have any huge weapons but is defensively strong and can take matches away from opponents when he does dial up the aggression. He’s one to watch over the next few weeks.
Jessica Pegula
While most of the top 10 have struggled for form this summer, Pegula has been a consistently strong performer, making the semi-finals in Toronto, where she also won the doubles titles with Coco Gauff, and reaching the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.
World No. 8 Pegula also beat Emma Raducanu in impressive fashion – after which she spoke about her position in women’s tennis.
“I feel like I am under the radar a little bit. I feel like a lot of people don’t know me or don’t care that I’m the No. 1-ranked American. ‘Oh, whatever. She’s kind of boring.’
“I’m fine with it. Yeah, I know my story is not the one people really want to root for. I’m kind of, like, ‘It’s fine.’ I will just be here and try to keep winning and doing my thing. I think I like it that way.”
While Pegula hasn’t achieved Raducanu levels of stardom yet, her summer form has been very impressive and a strong run in New York would win her many more admirers.
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Jessica Pegula
Image credit: Getty Images
Caroline Garcia
“This girl is on fire.”
Once predicted to be a future world No. 1 by Andy Murray, Garcia is in red-hot form ahead of the US Open. Petra Kvitova used Alicia Keys’ song lyrics to sum up her sizzling play after losing to her in the Western & Southern Open final, adding that when Garcia “is on, she is on”.
Garcia is ‘on’ right now. She’s won 26 of her last 30 matches, is 4-0 against top-10 players in that stretch, including beating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Warsaw, and has won three titles in the last two months.
Garcia has not yet had a standout result at a Grand Slam, only making one quarter-final at the French Open in 2017. But with confidence soaring and her aggressive return position putting pressure on opponents, Garcia looks primed to make a run in New York.
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Caroline Garcia celebrates winning the title in Cincinnati
Image credit: Getty Images
Daria Kasatkina
Kasatkina was perhaps one of those more impacted by Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players given she was in encouraging form earlier this summer.
But she rebounded from the enforced absence in perfect fashion by winning the Silicon Valley Classic, beating Elena Rybakina, Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka along the way.
The big-hitting Russian, who came out as gay last month, didn’t manage to back up the result with any further wins in Toronto or Cincinnati, but if she’s on her game she could go far at the US Open.
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