This year’s fourth and final tennis grand slam, the U.S. Open, begins tomorrow morning (AEST) at Flushing Meadows in New York City. Seven of the 20 Australians competing in Round 1 will compete on the first day.
Aussie Women Day One
Ajla Tomljanovic, a quarter-finalist in 2022, is the only Australian woman playing tonight who automatically qualified for the grand slam. The world no.118 will play American qualifier Ann Li.
Three Australian women who came through last week’s qualifying tournament will play on day one — Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, and Priscilla Hon. 18-year-old Joint will make her grand slam debut against 36-year-old German veteran Laura Siegemund. Birrell, also playing her first grand slam, and Hon face more daunting assignments in Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic (no.24) and two-time slam winner Aryna Sabalenka (no.2) respectively.
Aussie Men Day One
In the men’s draw, Alexei Popyrin (no.28), Adam Walton, and Rinky Hijikata will begin their 2024 U.S. Open campaigns on day one. Popyrin is one of two seeded Australians in the draw (the other being Alex de Minaur) and will take on South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon. Meanwhile, debutant Walton will play France’s Alexandre Muller, and Rinky Hijikata will play former world no.21 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from Spain.
Tournament Favourites
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff is the defending U.S. Open champion, but may not be in her best form, judging by her first-round exit at the Cincinnati Open. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka has won both of her grand slam titles on hard courts (at the Australian Open) and enters this draw fresh off a win at the Cincinnati Open. It’s also hard to discount world no.1 Iga Świątek. The five-time grand slam champion will be looking to add a second U.S. Open title to her trophy cabinet after winning at Flushing Meadows in 2022.
In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic is the defending champion. The 37-year-old has won at least one major tournament title in 12 of the last 13 years and is seeking his first grand slam title of 2024 after winning Olympic gold in Paris. A 25th major title would also set Djokovic clear of the 24-slam record he shares with Margaret Court and make him the winningest player in history.
The men to stop him may well be either Carlos Alcaraz, who has won the last two grand slams, or world number one Jannik Sinner who won the Cincinnati Open earlier this month and the Australian Open, the only other hard court slam, in January.
How to watch the U.S. Open in Australia
You can watch the U.S. Open on Channel 9, 9Now, and Stan.
