Close to a million fans will flock to the US Open Grand Slam to catch the two-weeks of entertainment and sports in Queens, New York. The fourth and final leg of the Grand Slam is something to look forward to for a lot of tennis fans in the world because the most glamorous superstars in the world of tennis come together to provide fans a spectacular show. This tournament will set the stage for the 2017 Grand Slam events, for which tickets are already being sold by online marketers like QueenofTickets.
The US Open, also known as the United States National Championships, may lack the rich history that circles the French Open and Wimbledon but it has some incredible stories from its inception in 1881. While the US Open was originally played on grass courts, in Newport Casino, Rhode Island, there have been many changes over the years both in rules, location, and court style.
US Open championships saw the emergence and descent of the biggest names in tennis: Martina Hingis, Flavia Pennetta, Steffi Graff, Angelique Kerber, and Serena Williams (just to name a few). With the upcoming US Open Grand Slam happening on Monday, many people are with high hopes of seeing the familiar faces of their favorite tennis stars. After the many upsets that occurred during the Rio Olympics, many people are curious as to the outcome of the US Open.
One of the popular bets for the US Open Grand Slam championship this year is on top seed, female Serena Williams–who is out for her seventh title and a 23rd major crown. Alongside are top seeds and contenders to the US Open Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, and Agnieszka Radwanska who all want the crown for themselves. Each and every one is deemed worthy – but who is hungriest to win and bring home the glory?
The Men’s US Open
From the first leg of the Grand Slams, everyone has been looking out for Novak Djokovic, the world’s #1 seed, to win all the four majors. It seemed likely that the top tennis player of the world would win a calendar-year Grand Slam, but his fate changed completely with that major upset in the third round. The first six months of the 2016 men’s tour went great for Djokovic but the final two months drastically changed with victories going to Andy Murray.
The invincible Djokovic suddenly lost and he seemed mortal again to many players. When Murray won in the Rio 2016 Singles, he also became the first man to ever win consecutive gold medals in the Singles during the Olympics. If luck will be on his side for the US Open, this would be a defining moment for Murray.
The Women’s US Open
Compared to last year’s hype, Serena Williams’s entry into the US Open this year is more tranquil and less of a fuss. She may have lost at the French Open and Australian Open, but was able to regain her pace and won in the Wimbledon. She was able to conquer Angelique Kerber at the All England Club, but a lot of critics and spectators noted that she lost her increased momentum at that point. This led to her major upset in Rio Olympics where she lost in the third round of the Singles tournament and lost in the first round of the Doubles. There is not much pressure now for Serena Williams but she is still eyeing for her 23rd Grand Slams to surpass Steffi Graff’s Most Slams won in the US Open and also get to beat Chris Evert’s record of six US Open titles in the Open Era.
Angelique Kerber, also a top seed and contender for the US Open championship got too close to toppling Serena Williams from the top spot but failed to do so. If only she was able to champion the Cincinnati finals, she could have snagged the top spot from Williams, which she has held on to for 184 long weeks.
This is, however, a strong year for Angelique Kerber. This is her highest single-year total prize money in her career. Right now, she trails from Williams by 190 points. Her WTA rankings could still improve as this 2016 tour has shown Kerber to become one of the many surprises and is also one of the biggest stories to watch out for. After her appearances in Cincinnati and Rio, she looks to be ready to win and conquer the US Open Grand Slam. The world is ready for these tennis gladiators to conquer the courts in the upcoming US Open Grand Slam.