Who’s Winning the US Open 2022?
The US hard court swing is here, and it’s time to predict who ends up on top. Here are my picks to win at Flushing Meadows.
Men’s Singles
Rafael Nadal
Djokovic is out, which means the immediate next member of the Big Three is the top pick. Zverev being injured helps Rafa’s chances, even coming off an injury of his own. Insane how these three 36+ year olds have run the sport for the better part of 20 years now.
Carlos Alcaraz
With every slam performance we’ve seen from this teenager, the question grows more into a “when” and less of an “if.” He has all the tools, Zverev and Djokovic are out, and he was the cause of a hefty upset at the US Open just last year. Is it time for Carlos Alcaraz to win a grand slam?
Daniil Medvedev
The US Open is his title to defend. He has been a very proficient hard court player lately, immediately backing up his US Open title with a run to the Australian Open final. His serve, ground game and movement should be enough to make a deep run at least. It will be interesting to see how the Russian fares after missing Wimbledon!
Matteo Berrettini
He missed Wimbledon, so I’m hoping he wants to perform well at the US Open to compensate. A very strong serve and forehand work well enough to keep him in the top 10, and he seems to be figuring out how to use his backhand slice effectively enough to make up for its relatively weak topspin equivalent. Solid playing and some luck in the draw may form a deep run for the Italian.
Taylor Fritz
The American has had a really good 2022 so far – can he top it off with his first slam win? He has a really strong ground game (including a notably not-weak backhand, unusual for an American) and a powerful, consistent, and well-placed first serve. He also has the advantage of a home American crowd. In my opinion, he has all of the tools necessary to play solid tennis, but it’s easy to imagine him outclassed by higher-ranked players. With a decent draw, Fritz should make a deep run.
Women’s Singles
Let’s be honest here. It could be anyone. That’s just how the women’s game works. For example, I’ve always thought that Madison Keys is one lucky draw away from a US Open title. For the fun of it, though, I picked people I think have a good shot.
Iga Swiatek
The obvious favorite. I worry about her serve, which has been destroyed by big returners in some of her losses this year (Collins in their AO SF, Garcia in Warsaw, Ostapenko in Dubai). I still feel that she can make her serve a viable tool in her arsenal and win the entire tournament. She has the best ground game on tour right now.
Naomi Osaka
Hear me out. She has a pattern (US Open 2018, 2020, possibly 2022??) and she made the Miami final. The US Open’s fast courts should benefit her game greatly. Her second serve has been looking somewhat weak lately, but that shouldn’t be an issue if she can land even 60% of her firsts. She can still pummel the ball harder than almost everyone on the tour, and she’s still capable of hitting good angles from pretty much anywhere on the court. If she can reach even 80% of her 2018/2020 level, she can be a strong contender for the title. Some things to watch out for would be her point construction, in my opinion; her rally ball should be a little heavier (compare to Miami final against Swiatek.) My final point: she’s the underdog now. She has basically nothing to defend here. No reason not to go all out.
Coco Gauff
I feel roughly the same way about her as I do regarding Alcaraz. Her backhand is really, really solid and her forehand has been improving gradually. Her serve is exceptional for someone so young. She is becoming more confident on the court. One good draw is all it takes. She also has the home crowd!
Amanda Anisimova
I’m usually really impressed when I watch her play. She does so well against people who smack the ball as hard as possible, it makes me think she would just need a ball-basher draw to make the final! And just like Gauff, she’s got the home crowd. I would love to see her stage some upsets this year!
Complete random with very small/no merit in singles going into this slam
See: Raducanu, Krejcikova, Swiatek (RG 2020), Kenin, Ostapenko
Thanks for reading!