After his win in Cincinnati, Novak Djokovic heads into the US Open as the favourite but I’m going to pick Rafael Nadal to win his fourth US Open.
Rafa has been playing well and it seems like he’s fit as he has ever been and he’s got a fair but of confidence with the tournaments he has won.
He’s had a week off as well, so he’s going to be strong.
There’s no doubt that Djokovic’s game has improved a lot since he’s recovered from his injuries.
He’s now playing with a lot of confidence having beaten Roger Federer in the final at Cincinnati, so he’d be my second favourite.
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic usually plays well in New York, so he would be the next best contender behind Federer, Djokovic and Nadal.
Roger would have been happy with the way he played in Cincinnati and after having some time off, I’m sure he’s going to feel confident playing in New York where he’s played before.
Of the others, Kevin Anderson has improved a lot but his game relies heavily on his serve as it does for John Isner.
There are plenty of guys who can cause upsets including Juan Martin del Potro and Alexander Zverev.
I’d like to see Zverev do a lot better as he’s a bit hot and cold at the moment.
If Nick Kyrgios keeps concentration going, gets on with the game and keeps his mind on the game, he’s going to be a dangerous player but he’ll have some good players to beat, especially if he reaches the round 16.
How he fares depends on himself and whether he feels like he’s going to play 100 percent.
But he can be dangerous and I don’t think anyone would want him in their part of the draw.
Alex de Minaur is going to be floater but you couldn’t expect him to go deep in the tournament but he could cause a bit of an early upset.
The Verdict
Nadal has won in New York before and he’s quite confident playing on the hardcourts and after some time off, he’ll be feeling confident and there’s no reason why he won’t play well.
If he keeps control of his game, he can play well over a long period of time and he’s proven before in previous grand slams that he knows how to play well over seven matches.
