Men’s tennis enters the final slam of the season with quite a lot of uncertainty and something of a tarnished rep.
The end of the Djokovic era doesn’t seem upon us at all, not after the tennis he produced to win Gold in Paris.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz is rumored to have picked up an injury (so has Djokovic but injuries seem not to matter much with him). And it’s unlikely he’ll win three slams on the run at this stage of his career and the letdowns he does have after a run of sustained success.
Then there’s Sinner. I won’t say much on that. But a world No.1 and slam champ being involved in a doping story is never a good look and it’d be understandable if the scrutiny got to Sinner and he lost early.
If all that weren’t enough, dark horse Jack Draper has tarnished his reputation with double-bounce gate. It’ll be tough for him to focus and get that breakthrough with that still on his mind.
So, where does that leave us? I’d say Djokovic winning is highly probable.
But, he’s not my pick.
Medvedev is.
The Russian has zero pressure or expectations. He has motivation, too, after losing last year’s final and most likely wanting to end his career as a multiple slam champ.
We know he has the hard court skills and pedigree, and while his mentality is sometimes questionable, he can rise to the occasion as he did back in 2021 and in the spotlight, too. The guy singlehandedly stopped Djokovic winning the calendar slam, and in straight sets no less.
Winning another USO is certainly in Medvedev’s capabilities. A window has opened for him at this year’s event should be bit fit and hungry. With those long legs of his and all that height, it’ll be entertaining, as always, watching him try and squeeze through.
thetennisreview 
Leave a comment