By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Reigning US Open champion Rafael Nadal is 37-1 when winning the first set this season.
Photo credit: US Open Facebook
One of the most celebratory weeks of the Grand Slam season begins today.
US Open qualifying play gets underway today at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
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Qualifying is open free to fans and offers the opportunity to see top stars tuning up their games for the season's final Slam on the practice court.
To get you pumped up for US Open main-draw play on Monday, here's some notable Flushing Meadows facts, figures and stats.
0 Number of times reigning US Open champion Rafael Nadal has successfully defended a major hard-court title.
1 Jimmy Connors is the only man to win the US Open on three different surfaces: grass, Har-Tru clay and hard court.
2 Total US Open main-draw wins to Alexander Zverev's credit.
4 For the first time since since the 2017 Wimbledon, all four of the Big 4—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray—will play the same Slam.
5 Years since Rafael Nadal scored a Top 10 win in New York—the king of clay beat No. 9 Richard Gasquet and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in succession to win the 2013 US Open.
6 Roger Federer is playing for an Open Era record sixth US Open crown.
7 Number of former Flushing Meadows singles champions slated to play the 2018 US Open: Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka.
7 Of the top eight favorites for the US Open title are former champions, according to Oddschecker.
8 Former US Open mixed doubles champion Jack Sock arrives in New York mired in an eight-match losing streak.
8 Of Novak Djokovic's 10 career US Open losses have come against Grand Slam champions.
10 Novak Djokovic has reached at least the semifinals in 10 consecutive appearances.
10 Years since Roger Federer won his fifth straight—and last—US Open title.
12 Years since an American man—Andy Roddick—reached the US Open final.
14 Novak Djokovic is playing for his 14th career Grand Slam title, which would equal Pete Sampras on the all-time list.
37 Years since John McEnroe swept US Open singles and doubles championships, beating Bjorn Borg in the singles final and partnering Peter Fleming to the doubles crown.
37-1 Rafael Nadal's record when winning the first set this season.
61 Ivo Karlovic cracked a US Open record 61 aces in his 2016 opening-round win over Yen-Hsun Lu.
85 Number of American men's singles champions—66 in amateur era and 19 in Open era.
145 David Ferrer enters his final US Open with a 145-62 career Grand Slam record.
146 Number of spots 15th-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas has leaped in the rankings since the 2017 US Open when the world No. 161 fell to Nicolas Mahut in the final round of qualifying.