Heartbreaking News: Alexander Zverev died of diabetes this morning after serious treatment in the hospital…seemore…

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev are among the contenders who can upend pre-tournament favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open while Taylor Fritz is the best bet for ending America’s long wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion.

Former U.S. Open champion Medvedev may not have had the best lead-up to the U.S. Open but the self-proclaimed Russian hard-court specialist has the tools to deny Alcaraz and Djokovic another New York title.

World number five Medvedev, whose sole Grand Slam title came at the 2021 U.S. Open where he beat Djokovic in the final, has made no secret of his preference for hardcourts and the ease with which he moves on the surface has been evident this year.

Zverev is one of the sport’s most consistent performers this year and his 49 wins in 2024 leads all players on the ATP Tour.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who has made the New York quarter-finals in the last two years, will also arrive in New York full of belief after reaching the Montreal final and the last eight in his other two tune-up events.

Meanwhile, no American man has won a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick triumphed at the 2003 U.S. Open, and this year Fritz appears to offer the best shot at a homegrown winner.

The 26-year-old used to struggle at Grand Slams but has changed the narrative and made the quarters in three of the last four blue-riband events, including last year’s U.S. Open.

But Fritz’s lead-in has been far from ideal as he lost in the second round at the Canadian Masters before suffering a first-round exit at the Cincinnati Open.

Among the other American hopefuls in New York will be Frances Tiafoe, who finished runner-up to Sinner in Cincinnati, and big-hitting Ben Shelton, who electrified the home crowds last year with a spirited run to the semis. REUTER