John McEnroe: 'Door open' for a surprise winner at US Open

Former world No. 1 John McEnroe believes that "the door is open" for a surprise in the US Open men's draw and warns the big names that an outsider could take the crown from the favorites Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.

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The Italian has maintained a high level throughout the season and already lifted the Australian Open, remaining as the world No. 1 with five titles this season. On the other hand, Alcaraz is the champion of the last two Grand Slams and already knows what it’s like to win the title at Flushing Meadows.

The 7-time Grand Slam champion discussed what Nole achieved in Paris 2024, where he won the gold medal by showing his best level. Djokovic has already put his injury and an irregular first half of the season behind him, and his goal is to secure the 25th Grand Slam title.

"I think [Djokovic has] been underappreciated," McEnroe said. "It's been difficult for him to constantly be compared to Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer]. He's done an amazing job of putting himself ahead of those guys in many ways."

"It's truly remarkable. In 10 or 20 years, I think people will love him even more. Once he stops playing, they’ll realise what he brought to the sport."

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McEnroe pointed to 4-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz as his favorite in New York: "Alcaraz is my favourite player to watch right now," the American admitted. "You know he brings everything. I like people that can do everything.”

"It almost seems impossible that someone like him could stay so positive, always smiling. It's hard to believe he wouldn't get frustrated, especially in a sport as mentally tough as tennis,” he added. "I’m sure, in a way, he probably needed a longer break. But maybe he felt some pressure because Novak wasn’t playing, and at 37.”

"In hindsight, he probably would have been better off not playing at all. Given everything that's happened, emotionally, it's going to be a big ask for him to win this tournament,” John McEnroe added. "How much does he have left in the tank? This might open the door for someone outside of the three guys we expect... the door is certainly open for a surprise."

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The American commented that the top 3 players are not the only contenders and mentioned some names that could threaten the favorites: "I think there’s a handful of guys who could potentially step up," McEnroe continued. "Obviously, Zverev is in the mix. Whether he can pull it off remains to be seen. Medvedev losing two straight matches on hard courts? Who would've thought that?

"Some of the American guys seem to be getting closer, and with a couple of good breaks, maybe one of them can make that next step,” he added. "[Andrey] Rublev, for example, hasn't made it past the quarters yet, but with a better draw, something favourable could happen.

"It’s hard to say. But honestly, even with all that in mind, I'd probably still pick one of the big three guys to win it,” McEnroe added.