The US Open is less than a week away – and there are three clear contenders for the men’s singles title.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner, No 2 Novak Djokovic, and No 3 Carlos Alcaraz sit well clear of the rest of the field, and it is tough to see who could challenge all three of them.
While they are the top three favourites, it is a little hard to judge who is the overall favourite for the title.
Ahead of action at Flushing Meadows, we look at the pros and cons all three have with and against them.
Jannik Sinner
Pros: No one goes into the US Open having won as many titles as Sinner, with five wins in 2024 to his name after his Cincinnati Open victory on Monday.
That triumph makes him the only one of the trio to have won a title on hard in the build-up to the US Open, with Djokovic skipping both Montreal and Cincinnati, and Alcaraz losing his opening match at the latter.
With an Australian Open title, French Open semi-final, and Wimbledon quarter-final to his name this season, he has proven himself a capable Slam performer – and should go deep in New York.
Sinner has also won three of his last four meetings against Djokovic, suggesting momentum is with him in their rivalry
Cons: The main doubt over Sinner is his recurring hip injury, which affected him greatly during his Montreal loss to Andrey Rublev, and at points throughout his Cincinnati run.
The world No 1 proved he can manage it to a large extent, though seven best-of-five matches provide a different test.
Sinner has also lost both his meetings to Alcaraz this season, meaning the Spaniard may have a slight mental advantage should they face off.
The US Open has also been the weakest Slam of his career so far, being the only major he has yet to reach the last four.
Novak Djokovic
Pros: No man in history has proven more capable of winning Grand Slam titles than 24-time major winner Djokovic – and that will always count for something in these discussions.
He is also a four-time champion in New York and is the reigning US Open champion, and was the runner-up in his last appearance before that in 2021.
Djokovic has also rediscovered something close to his best form recently, reaching his first final of the season at Wimbledon and then claiming his historic gold at Paris 2024 – facing Alcaraz in both matches.
That Olympic gold will have eased a significant amount of pressure on him, something that will always work to his advantage.
And, with four US Open and 10 Australian Open titles to his name, he has proven that he does not need much preparation to thrive on hard courts.
Cons: The biggest issue for Djokovic may be his rivalry with Sinner, with the Italian certainly having the upper hand in their recent matches – including a fairly convincing win at the Australian Open.
Interestingly, the Serbian has also never successfully defended the US Open title, so is looking to achieve one of the rare milestones that has so far eluded him in his career.
Carlos Alcaraz
Pros: Alcaraz has still been the form player of the summer, and comes into this event off the back of consecutive Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon.
He may still be the world No 3 but titles in Paris and London, and his run to the Olympic final, show that he is often playing at a level above the third-best player in the world.
The US Open has also been a very consistent Slam for him in his career, reaching the quarter-final in his 2021 breakthrough, winning the title in 2022, and reaching the last four a year ago.
A big win in Indian Wells back in March, where he defeated Sinner in the last four, further shows the form he has brought on hard courts this year.
His French Open run, after a disrupted clay season, demonstrates he does not need much build-up to win a major.
Cons: Alcaraz looked emotionally off in his Cincinnati defeat and, though he has time on his side, there is certainly plenty to fix before the tournament begins.
His Olympic final loss was also clearly a blow and, should he face Djokovic, it will be interesting to see if there is any mental hangover.