The 2015 US Open is set to begin at the end of the month. We aren’t entirely sure who’s participating (although the usual suspects are sure to make appearances), and the only guarantees so far are Wimbledon 2015 champion Novak Djokovic for Men and three-time defending champion Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova for Women.
But even with so much uncertainty, there is still much excitement to feel! The US Open signals the beginning of autumn and a ending to an exciting year for tennis. At the Australian Open, we’ve seen Djokovic take the crown from defending champ Stanislas Wawrinka, only for the wily Swiss to return to a champion’s Throne at Roland-Garros. We saw the living legend that is Roger Federer secure his 1,000th win at Brisbane, and fall to Djokovic in a classic Wimbledon showdown.
As for the women, the story has been of one player: Serena Williams. She’s been dominating the court with an unstoppable consistence, winning all three major tournaments this year with poise and superb athleticism. We watched her complete her second Serena Slam at Wimbledon, as she now holds all four grand slam singles titles at once.
So, what’s in store for the US Open? We’ll have a Djockovic looking to further assert himself as the men’s number one, and a Roger Federer looking for his first major singles title of 2015. Although he’s 34, you certainly cannot count him out! And then there’s Nadal who, struggling to return to a healthy form, has not been able to advance past the Quarterfinals. That kind of hunger can be dangerous on a tennis court, and make for very inspired play.
Will Serena stay miles ahead of the competition? No doubt it can be a privilege to see such a master play with such goodness, but it can also be exciting to witness an underdog David toppling a champion Goliath.
August 31 can’t come soon enough!