Experience the excitement of the 2024 US Open as Gauff and Djokovic kick off their title defenses on Day 1. Stay updated with live scores and highlights.
Introduction:
The 2024 US Open gets under way, the promise of high-octane excitement surfacing with the US Open tennis championship, the last of the four Grand Slam events of the 2024 season. Many eyes in the tennis world will be focused on defending champions Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic, who headline a packed roster. Under the theme “Celebrating the Power of Tennis,” Day 1 at the Meadows features an exciting schedule of games.
See also: Novak Djokovic’s Historic Golden Slam Victory at the 2024 Olympics
Let’s wade through what the key matchups are, expert predictions, and what each of these matches mean as the open truly gets under way. Coco Gauff vs. Varvara Gracheva: Defending Champion on a Mission Gauff’s Journey to the Top.
She has returned to Flushing Meadows: the young champion of the US Open women’s draw, Coco Gauff. Last year, the 20-year-old American emerged on the scene with thunderous applause by taking her first major title in stunning fashion at her home country’s grandest slam. The victory had rapidly, categorically pushed Gauff up the ranks to recognize her as a major star of today’s generation.
However, 2024 has been a year of mixed results for Gauff. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, thus asserting herself that she was consistently good at that top level of tennis. She did not, however, do it convincingly on the hard courts. She bowed out of Wimbledon early, in an exit in the fourth round at the hands of compatriot Emma Navarro. Further struggles followed at the Paris Olympics where she was dismissed in the third round by Croatia’s Donna Vekic.
See also: Carlos Alcaraz’s Remarkable First-Round Victory at the 2024 US Open
Gracheva: The Rising Star
Coco Gauff’s first-round opponent is Varvara Gracheva, a player who is on the rise but still hasn’t established herself at the sport’s top levels. The 24-year-old Frenchwoman has shown flashes of brilliance over the year, most recently reaching the last 16 at Roland Garros. Her recent record over Flushing Meadows is a little paler, though, having been eliminated in the first round over the past couple of years.
The last eight months have been possible across 2021 for Gracheva, but all the other situations make her a tough opponent to overlook. She pushed world No. 1 Iga Swiatek to a three-set battle earlier this month in Cincinnati, proving she at least can hang with the best. But Gauff’s edge in familiarity with the conditions at Flushing Meadows, plus the advantage of sheer support, swings it in her favor.
Expert Prediction: Gauff’s Advantage
Gauff is likely to come through in straight sets as her experience and determination will likely be too much for Gracheva to respond with. The defending champion should à shake off those nerves early in this one and post a comfortable win buoyed by that confidence on courts where she has already achieved so much.
Novak Djokovic against Radu Albot: The Cheeky Creep to History
Men’s draw second seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic begins his journey to achieve the record 25th Grand Slam title. The 37-year-old Serbian superstar has remained a powerful force in the sport of tennis. His 2024 season was quite impressive, reaching the semifinals of both the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
For Djokovic, the biggest achievement of this season was at the Paris Olympics, where he pocketed his most long-awaited gold, an omission from the big titles in his shining career. A potential fifth US Open title would not only take him to 25 major titles but put him level with Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors for the most US Open men’s titles won in the Open Era. Each of these has 5 titles.
Another victory here at Flushing Meadows will award Djokovic his 100th career singles title, a landmark triumph to be associated with all the tennis gods.
Radu Albot, a qualifier from Moldova, will be up against him in the first round, and it is going to be a pretty heavy task for him. This 34-year-old has had quite a decent career, with a few stars, including a third-round appearance at the US Open in 2017, and a singles titleholder at Delray Beach in 2019. Albot is the first Moldovan man to ever win an ATP title and play in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
Albot’s achievements, however, are easily made to pale in comparison to Djokovic’s. Albot has never played Djokovic before, and that is not going to last long. Djokovic is the strongest on hard court, and while Albot has dug in until this stage, his chances look extremely slim against the Serbian great.
Expert Prediction: Djokovic Rolls On
Djokovic should win this contest in straight sets. Djokovic, who last graced the tennis courts at the Olympics, should feel at home on the Flushing Meadow hard courts. With an 88/13 record at the US Open, Djokovic will have a smooth sail through to the second round.
Other Notable Matches on Day 1
Wimbledon Champion Looks to Continue Momentum. Barbora Krejcikova, this year’s Wimbledon women’s champion, is another athlete to fleetingly watch torsailing into the opening day of the tournament. The Czech has had an outstanding year, having won her first title at Wimbledon to remain in an elite position in women’s tennis. Quite a formidable player on any surface, this is all made in view of having an all-court game and mental toughness by herself.
In her opening match, Krejcikova is expected to advance comfortably. Her recent success was on the grass courts, where she picked up much-needed confidence to now take to the hard courts at the US Open looking to carry on with her good tidings. With an assuredly deep run likely, the top seeds, including Krejcikova, would wish to break into the top 1%.
Casper Ruud: Seeking a Major Break
Three times a major finalist, Casper Ruud has threatened Grand Slam success since a while ago. One of the ATP Tour regulars, the Norwegian youngster has been a model of consistency but is still without a major title in his trophy cabinet. The US Open is another platform where Ruud looks for a breakthrough.
On Day 1, Ruud faces a challenging opponent but is expected to prevail. His solid baseline game and ability to adapt to different surfaces make him a dangerous player in the draw. A deep run at Flushing Meadows could finally see Ruud capture the major title that has been within his grasp.
Aryna Sabalenka: A Contender on Hard Courts
Doubly former junior Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka is one of the strongest servers and strikers on the women’s circuit. Having unleashed her aggressive style a few years back, coupled with being accustomed to this stage of winning, most elated odds must arise about the ability of Sabalenka to perform in the US Open. Sabalenka has been more than decent on such surfaces in the past and will try to get a good bit of US Open title under her belt.
It will be a pretty one-way game for Sabalenka in her first game. The domination in power and precision becomes too much for her opponent, and in the end, she is through to almost the next round with almost no hassle. Sabalenka is one of the names who will be keenly observed throughout the journey to progress in the tournament.
Sloane Stephens: A Quest for Glory
US Open champion Sloane Stephens re-enters Flushing Meadows this year looking to recapture the mojo that led her to triumph seven years ago in this city. It has been a topsy-turvy career ever since, but she always turns out to be a dangerous opponent on New York’s hard courts.
Stephens is expected to win her opener. Her experience and ability to deliver when it counts will simply be crucial to her winning. If Stephens should get it right, then she is likely to trouble a few in this tournament.
Gael Monfils vs. Diego Schwartzman: Glamor and Grit Touch Hurdles ?
This will surely be the most anticipated match of Day 1: Gael Monfils vs. Diego Schwartzman. Both are busy, high-octane players, and the fighting spirit is likely to be tangible in this one. It usually is in the case of Monfils, given his athleticism and flair, but it is often in the case of Schwartzman, his tenacity and speed making him a tough adversary.
This is more a match where the two players will hard-fought battle each other, and every point played will be pushed to the supreme limit. Monfils will have the edge right here because of his stunning variety and unpredictable flare late in the sets, while Schwartzman has to rely on a combination of depth, grind, and grit to grind this one out in a three-set thriller.
Day 1: The Beginning of a Thrilling US Open
The 2024 US Open has begun with a lot of spectacle, as the biggest names in tennis have graced Day 1 of the event. The journey to the finals will be filled with its challenges, surprises, and unforgettable moments. As time goes by, the stakes keep getting higher with each match, revealing to us who the next US Open champions will be.