The final tennis Grand Slam is set to take place at the end of the month, with the US Open scheduled to take place, commencing on Monday 30th August and finishing on Sunday 12th September 2021.
Check out this FAQ about the huge tennis competition to learn everything you need to know about what to expect when some of the biggest tennis stars take to the court and aim for glory in one of the top events the sport has to offer.
Where is the US Open taking place?
The 2021 edition of the competition will be the 141st edition of the prestigious event, making it one of the oldest tournaments to still be in existence.
The competition has regularly been hosted in New York City, with the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center being the main home for the event. Many may not know it by that particular name, though, as it has been known throughout the world as Flushing Meadows.
When is it taking place?
As mentioned, the competition is scheduled to take place at the very end of August, with the Grand Slam being the final one for the season and calendar year.
The very first round will take place on Monday 30th August, whilst the Men’s final will be contested two weeks later as it will be played on Sunday 12th September.
Who is taking part in the competition?
As to be expected, there are a host of top names within professional tennis set to compete in New York City at the end of the month across both the Men’s and the Women’s Singles games, although there are also a number of impressive players to compete in the various Doubles events that are being held, as well.
In the Men’s discipline, players such as Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal and a host of others will take to the court, whilst female stars such as Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Bianca Andreescu and many others will all compete for the championship.
According to the odds provided by Unibet IN, Djokovic is a clear favorite with odds of -143 in the Men’s Singles, whilst Osaka is considered the favorite at +400 to defend her crown from last year whilst Barty is also close at odds of +700 after having won the Wimbledon title in the last Grand Slam to have been played.
Who is not taking part in the US Open?
Unfortunately for tennis fans, whilst the field is packed out with a number of superstars, there will be many who will be disappointed that there are some huge names who will not be at Flushing Meadows this month.
Perhaps the biggest absence for the Grand Slam will be by Roger Federer, as the icon of the sport had to withdraw because of surgery to his right knee. A five-time winner of the competition - although his last victory on the hard court was back in 2008 - his absence will be sorely missed.
His compatriot, Stan Wawrinka, is also unavailable to participate as he will be nursing an injury to his left foot, whilst defending US Open champion, Dominic Thiem will be unavailable to try and retain his title through a wrist injury.
There is currently only one female player set to miss the tournament, though, with Kiki Bertens having decided to retire following the conclusion of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
Who is the most successful player at the Grand Slam?
There are a number of different storylines that can be followed throughout the competition, with both Djokovic and Nadal seeking to catch their 21st major singles title, thus taking them to a record amount.
In regards, to the Serbian ace, Djokovic will also be seeking to become just the second man to complete the Calendar Year Grand Slam in the Open Era, aiming to follow in the footsteps of legendary Australian Rod Laver who managed to accomplish it back in 1969.
Rafael Nadal is the most successful Men’s player in this year’s edition as he has won the competition four times, whilst Djokovic has won three times. They do, though, remain some way off of the record, which is seven and held by three men; Richard Sears, William Larned and Bill Tilden.
The Women’s Singles event will see Serena Williams go for her seventh title, which will take her into the history books as the most successful female player in the Open Era at the Grand Slam.
