Tennis

Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova won the mixed doubles gold medal in the Paris Olympics, and the images suggested that the two have made up. The Czech pair rather not revealed the real score between two, but Machac believed that his story and Siniakova’s is better than “Challengers” (starring Zendaya). Or “The Notebook” (starring Ryan Gosling). 

"I think the story deserves a movie or a book at least. I think somebody has to pick us up and say that we need to write it, or we need to film the movie, because this is not happening every day for sure," Machac said. 

Will Machac and Sianiakova team up in the upcoming US Open? Your guess is as good as mine. But let’s focus on the men’s singles. 

The 2024 US Open tennis results are the most unpredictable Grand Slam tournament if tennis fans would look at the last fifteen editions. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic lifted the handcrafted trophy four times (during that period), but that was it. Melbourne Park looks like Djokovic's backyard, having won the Australian Open a record 10 times while Nadal's 14 French Open titles might remain unbroken. And Roger Federer won Wimbledon a record eight times. The US Open is the final Grand Slam tournament of the season. It's a long, grueling season, so most players are tired or injured. And not a few players would win their first major title in Flushing Meadows. 

Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, and Daniil Medvedev won their first, and only, Grand Slam title in New York. Andy Murray made his breakthrough in the US Open after losing in the other majors finals many times. And Stan Wawrinka's US Open triumph was arguably the most memorable win in his career. Let's not forget Kei Nishikori and Alexander Zverev reached their first (Grand Slam) finals in the US Open. Expect this unpredictable streak to continue. 

The staging of the Olympic Games, in Roland Garros, would put a strain in most of the (56) participants. This could be the moment for the so-called late bloomers to make their long-awaited breakthrough. Think of Stefanos Tsitsipas. (The Greek player may have found more success in red clay, but he's an all-court player.) And Holge Rune could surprise tennis fans. 

10 trivia about the US Open

The US Open is the only Grand Slam tournament being played on three different surfaces. The very first US Open was held in the grass courts of Newport Casino in 1881. The Hall of Fame Open, which is played during the week after Wimbledon, is held in Newport Casino. The tournament moved to the grass courts of West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills in 1915. The surface was changed to clay in 1975. And then the US Open moved to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 1978. 

The US Open became the first major tournament to feature night matches. Onny Parun of New Zealand and Stan Smith, the 1971 US Open champ, played their first-round match against the bright lights of the West Side Tennis Club. Parun won that match in straight sets, but it would be remembered as the first night match of the US Open. 

The US Open is the only major event to use a tiebreaker in the final set. The organizers of the US Open figured out that a fifth-set tiebreaker would make it more exciting, and more entertaining, for the fans. After all, luck is a factor in these tiebreakers. Wimbledon and the French Open stuck to the old ways, as players held their nerves until one would win two more games than his opponent. 

The US Open once featured Super Saturday. It was the craziest idea ever thought of, about the second Saturday of the tournament featuring the men’s singles semifinal matches and the women’s singles finals between the two. It was a great weekend for the fans, but not for the players. The men’s singles final was scheduled the next day.

The 2006 US Open was the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments to allow players to challenge line calls via the Hawk Eye system. Line calls were often contested in major tournaments, and it could be a make-or-break moment. Fans would recall the French Open at this very moment. The USTA figured that the Hawk Eye system should save players the trouble. And it didn’t take long for the other major tournaments to follow. 

Tennis fans couldn’t figure out which player won the most US Open titles. Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer won five US Open titles during the Open Era. However, hardcore tennis fans recall Richard Sears, William Larned, and Bill Tilden winning seven US Open titles during the amateur days. 

Stefan Edberg defeated Michael Chang in the longest-ever US Open match. Michael Chang was renowned for his resilience, patience, and grinding. His fourth-round win over Ivan Lendl in the 1989 French Open may be THE match his fans would remember, but we believed that his semifinal match against Stefan Edberg was his best. It was undoubtedly the most memorable match of the 1992 US Open, almost five hours long. Edberg was the winner of that sensational match at 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4. It was remarkable that he played the final the next day. He won his second US Open title. 

Andre Agassi is the only unseeded player to win the US Open. Andre Agassi is THE only tennis player to experience the highs and lows during his career. Tennis analysts tipped defending champion Sampras to win his third US Open title, but Agassi surprised everyone. And the rivalry between Sampras and Agassi took a turn. 

Who are the best performers from the Philippines? Filipino-American Ceciil Mamiit reached the second round of the 1999 US Open, losing to Belgium’s Xavier Malisse in five (tough) sets. The result propelled Mamiit to a career-high 72 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles ranking. Mamiit became a hitting partner of Maria Sharapova later.Treat Huey, another Filipino-American player on the ATP tour, had a successful doubles career. Huey and Colin Fleming of Great Britain reached the third round of the 2025 US Open. 

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center won’t host the Summer Olympics. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was the venue of the 2012 Summer Olympics while Roland Garros recently hosted the 2024 Paris Olympics. The (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center won’t host the Summer Games because New York is not a viable venue. Melbourne Park might host the Olympics in the near future, though. Melbourne hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics. There’s a possibility that the southern metropolis will host the quadrennial multi-sport event again. Many European capitals balk at the responsibility of hosting the Summer Games, so it would be sensible to let the former hosts do the gargantuan task again. 

MEN'S SINGLES

Who will win? Jannik Sinner (Italy)

Who should win? Daniil Medvedev (Russia)

Watch out for: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

The very long ATP Tour season is about to enter the final quarter, and injuries - and rain delay - would make fans keep on second guessing on who will win the big tournaments. Jannik Sinner may have lost his quarterfinal match at the 2024 Canadian Masters, but he’s the most rested. Perhaps the luck of the draw would help him. On the other hand, Daniil Medvedev has done well in Flushing Meadows. Most fans expect him to make a deep run. Another final? It’s possible. Last but not the least, fatigue is Carlos Alcaraz’s only issue. It’s possible that he can win his second US Open title. If it happens, he’ll be the winner of three major tournaments this year. Novak Djokovic did it last year. 

We believe that Tommy Paul would make a deep run in the US Open. The native of Boca Raton is the top American player at the moment, having achieved a great result in this very tough season (so far). We won’t be surprised if he makes it to the final. 

MEN'S DOUBLES

Who will win? Rajeev Ram (USA) and Joe Salisbury (GBR)

Who should win? Simone Bolelli (Italy) and Andrea Vavassori (Italy)

Watch out for: Rohann Bopanna (India) and Matt Ebden (Australia)

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salibury won the US Open men’s doubles title during the last three years, so it would be hard to bet against them. The American and British duo must watch out for India’s Rohann Bopanna and Australia’s Matt Ebden, though. Matt Ebden and John Peers won the Olympic gold medal. The Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori may have felt short in the Paris Olympics, but they can bounce back in New York. The draw may look wide open at first, but a closer look would reveal that one of these talented pairs would win the US Open. 

The Polish pair of Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski could surprise everyone. The latter, along with Desirae Krawzyck, won the mixed doubles titles in Melbourne and Wimbledon. Nys and Zielinski are dangerous on any surface, and a little luck in the tiebreak could make them the first Polish team to win the men’s doubles title in Flushing Meadows. 

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