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.
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."
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."
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.