By Alberto Amalfi | Wednesday, July 18, 2018
For the first time since 2015, each of the Big Four are scheduled to play Flushing Meadows.
Photo credit: US Open Facebook
The Big Four will reunite in the Big Apple.
Six previous US Open champions, led by defending champion and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, will headline the men’s field for the 2018 US Open, the USTA announced today.
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The field includes five-time US Open champion and world No. 2 Roger Federer, 2009 US Open champion and world No. 4 Juan Martin del Potro, 2014 US Open champion and world No. 7 Marin Cilic, two-time US Open champion and world No. 10 Novak Djokovic and 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray.
The Big Four—Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray—are all scheduled to play the US Open for the first time since 2015.
A year ago, Djokovic withdrew from the US Open due to a cranky elbow injury, snapping his streak of 51 consecutive Grand Slam appearances. Murray also pulled out of the Open the day after the draw was announced due to a hip injury, which eventually required surgery forcing him to miss all three majors this season.
In 2016, Federer missed Flushing Meadows while rehabbing a knee injury.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion revealed four essential elements to Big Four success.
"I think mind, fitness, tenacity, then talent as well," Federer said. "Put them all together, it's hard to crack us four consistently down. If you beat one of us, you might not beat the next guy."
Rounding out the top 10 entries for next month's US Open are No. 3 Alexander Zverev ; No. 5 Kevin Anderson, the 2017 US Open finalist; No. 6 Grigor Dimitrov; No. 8 John Isner, of Greensboro, N.C., who reached his first career Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon earlier this month; and No. 9 Dominic Thiem.
The US Open main draw will be played Monday, August 27, through Sunday, September 9th, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
Each of the world’s top 101 men received direct entry into the US Open, representing 40 countries. The United States has 11 men who qualified for direct entry into the US Open’s main draw—the most of any country.
Australian Jordan Thompson, ranked No. 101, is the last man to receive direct entry into the field of 128.
Three players used a protected ranking to gain entry, including No. 2 Murray, No. 66 Yoshihito Nishioka, and No. 95 Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, held August 21-24th, while the eight remaining spots are wild cards awarded by the USTA.
In addition to Isner, the other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include: No. 14 Jack Sock, of Lincoln, Neb., No. 28 Sam Querrey, of Santa Monica, Calif., No. 45 Frances Tiafoe, of Orlando, Fla., No. 48 Steve Johnson, of Orange, Calif., No. 55 Ryan Harrison, of Austin, Texas, No. 56 Tennys Sandgren, of Gallatin, Tenn., No. 60 Jared Donaldson, of Providence, R.I., No. 65 Taylor Fritz of Rancho Sante Fe, Calif., No. 80 Mackenzie McDonald, of Piedmont, Calif., and No. 86 Denis Kudla, of Arlington, Va.
The July 16 edition of the ATP Rankings was used to determine the US Open main draw entry list.
Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.