US Open preview: Can Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic defend their titles? Will Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek rebound from Olympics?
Coco Gauff will return to the US Open for the first time as a defending champion. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
It’s time again for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the tennis year. The 2023 singles winners, Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic, are both returning at full strength to defend their titles. Will Djokovic smash through the competition again to win his mind-bending 25th major? Will Coco Gauff be able to fend off a feisty women’s field? Read on for a preview of the 2024 US Open.
Rafael Nadal isn’t able to give 100%: Spain’s greatest tennis star pulled out of the US Open in early August, saying only that he wouldn’t be able to give the tournament his all. He hasn’t made any decisions on retirement yet, but that’s the inevitable destination as Nadal travels these last steps on his professional tennis journey.
Andy Murray has retired: The beloved player, who never gave up despite injury after injury, retired after a marvelous run at the Paris Olympics with doubles partner Jack Draper. This is the first major tournament without him, and it’s frankly pretty weird. His presence was always a symbol that there were tennis stars outside the Big Three, and he became impossible to root against in the second half of his career when he struggled mightily with injuries. We miss you, Andy.
