US Open Tennis 2019: TV Schedule and Predictions for Event's Biggest Stars
The 2019 U.S. Open is almost upon, and tennis' biggest stars are gearing up for the final Grand Slam of the year.
The tournament will run from August 26 through to September 8. Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka will each look to defend their 2018 singles titles.
ESPN will provide full TV coverage in the United States, with streaming also available via ESPN3 and ESPN+, while the Tennis Channel will offer Encore Coverage. In the UK, Amazon Prime has exclusive broadcast rights for the tournament until 2023.
The full schedule can be found at the U.S. Open's official website.
Predictions
In the men's draw, it's hard to look past Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Djokovic for the title.
The trio has shared the last 11 Grand Slam titles available between them. The last time a man who wasn't one of those three won a major was in 2016, when Stan Wawrinka claimed the U.S. Open title.
Nadal, who has three U.S. titles, warmed up for the tournament well with victory in the Canadian Open, so he looks to be in good shape.
Federer, on the other hand, does not. He lost in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters, per Metro's George Bellshaw:
The Swiss star only made it to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows last year, and he has not won a title there since 2008. While the 38-year-old has shown time and again that you write him off at your peril, this doesn't seem to be his best chance of adding to his 20 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic, who lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final of the Cincinnati Masters, enters the tournament on a Grand Slam hot streak:
Recent history is against him as the defending champion at Flushing Meadows, since a male player has not won the tournament back-to-back since Federer secured his fifth consecutive title in 2008.
However, with the exception of his absence in 2017, the Serb has made the semi-finals or better every year since 2007, with eight final appearances to his name.
His remarkable consistency in New York perhaps gives him an edge over Nadal, and he would move just one major title behind the Spaniard's 18 if he were to win here.
In the women's draw, Serena Williams will continue her bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title, which would equal Margaret Court's all-time record.
The American will come into the tournament having been dismantled in the Wimbledon final by Simona Halep in just 56 minutes.
Per tennis journalist Matt Cronin, the 37-year-old's fitness could be a concern, too:
She hasn't won a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2017. However, since her return from childbirth the following year, she has reached three major finals, including at the U.S. Open last year.
Williams is strong on home soil, with five titles at Flushing Meadows to her name.
Like Djokovic, she's incredibly consistent there. Aside from absences in 2010 and 2017, she has made it to the final four or better in every U.S. Open appearance since 2008.
Much will depend on her fitness, but if she's able to enter the tournament unaffected by the problem that caused her to withdraw from Cincinnati, expect another deep run.
If she continues to reach major finals, it's only a matter of time before she secures title No. 24, and that could be here given her excellent record.
Predicted Winners: Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams
