**US Open 2024: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz Among Top Contenders**
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz are the top three seeds for the 2024 US Open and are among the favorites to win the tournament. Djokovic enters Flushing Meadows as the defending champion, having secured a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title at last year’s event. Alcaraz is also a strong contender after his historic triumphs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, all by the age of 21. As the top seed and current World No. 1, Jannik Sinner will be looking to make a deep run, aiming to surpass his previous best of reaching the quarterfinals in New York.
**Djokovic’s Draw at the 2024 US Open**
Novak Djokovic, the second seed, faces a moderately challenging draw. He will kick off his campaign against Radu Albot from Moldova in the first round. A potential second-round clash with Laslo Djere could be intriguing, as Djere took Djokovic to five sets at last year’s US Open. Djokovic might then face newly crowned Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin in the third round. The two have met twice in Grand Slams this year, with Djokovic winning both, though Popyrin put up a strong fight in each encounter. In the fourth round, Djokovic could potentially face the crowd-favorite Ben Shelton.
Should he progress, Djokovic is likely to encounter sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals and fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. Although these matches might pose challenges, Djokovic holds favorable head-to-head records against both Rublev (5-1) and Zverev (8-4). In the final, he could face either Sinner or Alcaraz as he pursues the title.
**Alcaraz and Sinner: One Can Reach the Final**
With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner placed in the same half of the draw, only one of them can advance to the final. The two are expected to clash in the semifinals. Alcaraz begins his US Open campaign against Australian qualifier Li Tu, followed by a possible second-round matchup against former Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov. Alcaraz may face his first significant challenge in the third round against Jack Draper, who recently defeated him at the Queen’s Club Championships, despite Alcaraz holding a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head.
The fourth round could see Alcaraz facing a tough opponent in Sebastian Korda, who is in good form and will have the crowd’s support. In the quarterfinals, Alcaraz might go up against either Hubert Hurkacz or Alex de Minaur, both of whom have struggled with recent fitness issues. De Minaur is returning from a hip injury sustained at Wimbledon, while Hurkacz is recovering from meniscus surgery and recently retired from his Cincinnati semifinal match against Frances Tiafoe.
Jannik Sinner will start his US Open journey against Mackenzie McDonald in the first round, with another potential American opponent, Alex Michelsen, awaiting in the second round. The Italian could face his first real test in the third round against Nicolas Jarry, who won their only previous encounter in 2019.
In the fourth round, Sinner might encounter a third American, 14th-seeded Tommy Paul. The quarterfinals are where Sinner’s path gets tougher, as he could face either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas. While Sinner trails in head-to-head records against both Medvedev (5-7) and Tsitsipas (3-6), he recently defeated Medvedev in the Australian Open final. Tsitsipas, on the other hand, has never advanced beyond the third round at the US Open. If Sinner reaches the final, he will likely need to overcome both Alcaraz and Djokovic to claim his second Major title.
