Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu in US Open rankings stories to watch
The US Open is underway in New York and the WTA and ATP rankings are se to have a big shake-up by the time the final ball is struck.t
With 2,000 ranking points up for grabs for the champion and enough points to radically change a player’s position in the top 100, the next couple of weeks will define the tennis season for a lot of players.
Here are our big rankings stories to follow at the 2024 US Open:
Alexander Zverev’s big chance
The ‘Big 3’ in the men’s game have consisted of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for the last year, with all three having spells at the top of the rankings.
Yet that order looks set to be shaken up after the US Open, with Germany; ‘s Alexander Zverev knocking on the door of a move into No 2 in the ATP Rankings.
Zverev is currently in second spot in the live ATP Rankings that remove Djokovic and Alcaraz’s points from last year’s US Open and if he can progress to the latter stages of the final major of the year, he should match his career-high ranking of No 2 in a couple of weeks.
Sinner is untouchable at the top of the rankings, with his win in the Cincinnati Masters last week adding to his commanding lead as world No 1.
New No 2 for WTA Rankings?
Like Sinner in the men’s rankings, Iga Swiatek is untouchable at the top of the WTA list as she has a huge lead over nearest rival Aryna Sabalenka.
Yet the battle for the No 2 spot is wide open, with Sabalenka tipped to go close to winning the title in New York after her impressive form as she won the WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati last week.
Elena Rybakina won her first round match against Australia’s Destanee Aiava on Tuesday and the Khzakstan player is in teh mix to claim the No 2 ranking for the first time in her career with a strong run in New York.
As for defending US Open champion Coco Gauff, she is down to No 6 in the live rankings as she tries to defend the 2,000 ranking points she collected from her first Grand Slam win a year ago.
Gauff will need to get to at least the final to have a chance to stay in the top three of the WTA Rankings when the US Open concludes.
What about Emma Raducanu?
The 2021 US Open champion is reluctant to play in qualifying for tournaments and that means she is under extra pressure to perform well in the events she enters.
So her first round exit after a defeat against Sofia Kenin has the potential to leave her career in limbo as she plots her next moves.
Tellingly, Raducanu admitted for the first time that her decision not to play in qualifying for the Toronto WTA 1000 event despite initially appearing on the entry list was ‘a collective decision’, which some suggesting the rumours she opted out of the preliminary matches as it would not look good for her brand and her sponsorship deals to be playing and possibly losing in qualifying.
Yet the harsh truth is Raducanu will not return to the top of the game unless she plays more regularly and 21-year-old now needs to decide whether she will commit to the extensive schedule required to compete at the top end of the sport.
US Open News
John McEnroe reveals why ‘favourite’ Carlos Alcaraz might not win the US Open
Already missing out
It has been a magical year for Danielle Collins, but her hopes of finishing her final season in tennis on a high at the US Open ended in round one as she lost against fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
Collins confirmed earlier this year in January that this would be her final season on tour and she went on a great run after that announcement, but she was not impressed when US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster appeared on court with flowers after her final match in New York.
Typically for a player who is never afraid to let her feelings be known, Collins did not want a send-off and waved the offer away before leaving the court.
There was also disappointment for Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has dropped out of the top ten of the ATP Rankings in recent months after a decline in fortunes and his poor form at the US Open continued as he lost against Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Tsitsipas has never gone beyond the third round in New York, losing in the first round on three occasions and he was not at his best again as he lost 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 against world No 86 Kokkinakis.
Mothers on the move
Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka have a big chance to make a leap up the WTA Rankings at the US Open and they have got their stories off to a flying start.
Osaka admitted she was emotional walking out at the US Open and she pulled off an impressive win against No 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko.
“I was trying not to cry when I was walking out,” the 26-year-old said.
“I remember last year I was watching Coco [Gauff] play and I so badly wanted to step on these courts again.
“I didn’t know if I could – athletically, physically, if I was able to. Just to play this match and be in this atmosphere means so much to me, so thank you.”
Osaka is up to No 70 in the live WTA Rankings, with Wozniacki holding on to her place in the top 100 of the rankings after she beat Nao Hibino 6-0, 6-1 in her opening match.
