This year’s men’s draw at the US Open is full with a both anxiety and excitement. As Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal nurse wrist injuries, Andy Murray and Co are working hard to maximize their chances at Flushing Meadows. Once again the draw promises to entertain and below are six facts about this year’s draw.
1. Five former champions
The draw is not short of champions. No fewer than five players have won the title since 2009. Besides defending champion Novak Djokovic, previous winners include Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal. None of these players have been able to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows. The last player to achieve this was Roger Federer between 2004-2008.
Previous winners in the draw:-
Novak Djokovic – 2011, 2015
Andy Murray – 2012
Rafael Nadal – 2010, 2013
Marin Cilic – 2014
Juan Martin del Potro – 2009
2. Six teenagers
Six rising stars of the men’s game will make their bid in New York. The youngest player in the draw, 18-year-old Francis Tiafoe, was just six months when Federer made his ATP Tour debut at the 1998 Gstaad Open.
List of teenagers
Francis Tiafoe (18)
Michael Mmoh (18)
Taylor Fritz (18)
Alexander Zverev (19)
Borna Coric (19)
Jared Donaldson (19)
3. 49 players over the age of 30
38% of the men’s draw will consist of players aged over the age of 30. This total is just two players shy of the 2016 French Open record of 51. It is however a US Open record, surpassing the 2015 mark of 40. Their presence is clear evidence that more players are peaking later in their careers.
The oldest player in the draw is 37-year-old Radek Stepanek. This year will be his 14th appearance in the main draw of the US Open and he will be trying to end his four-year streak of losing in the first round.
The list of 49 includes Gael Monfils and Denis Istomin, who will turn 30 during the tournament.
4. 40 countries represented
Tennis is certainly an international sport and the draw composition is a display of this. A total of 40 countries will be represented, including Uzbekistan, Moldova, Tunisia and Lithuania. Three of the 40 countries will feature ten or more players in the draw. The USA have 17 representatives followed by 13 for France and 11 for Spain. These three countries equate to 32% of the draw.
5. 16 first timers
Rafael Nadal was the last player to win a grand slam title on their debut at the 2005 French Open. This year 16 players will be bidding to emulate the Spaniard. These sixteen players are the following:-
Iñigo Cervantes ESP
Guilherme Clezar BRA
Gastao Elias POR
Ernesto Escobedo USA
Taylor Fritz USA
Marton Fucsovics HUN
Alessandro Giannessi ITA
Christian Harrison USA
Ilya Ivashka BLR
Karen Khachanov RUS
Jozef Kovalik SVK
Mackenzie McDonald USA
Michael Mmoh USA
Saketh Myneni IND
Jan Satral CZE
Jordan Thompson AUS
6. An early exit won’t spoil Novak Djokovic’s No.1 position
Novak Djokovic can lose 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round to Juan Martin del Potro and still maintain his position as world No.1. He currently leads the rankings with 5535 points.
