The 2023 US Open draw has been completed on the Men's side with the tournament set to take place between August 28 - September 10 on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.

One storyline in particular is the main focus of the Men's preview as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be the outstanding favourites to seal glory in New York.

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Alcaraz anchors Men's Draw as top seed

Breaking records that have stood for 66 years, Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest top seed in history at the 2023 US Open as he continues to break new ground in the modern era.

He returns to the site of his first Grand Slam triumph and the last Grand Slam also went to the Spaniard in the form of Wimbledon where he denied Novak Djokovic in an utter epic.

Since then, it has been good and bad for the World No.1 who floundered in the latter stages in Toronto losing to a familiar foe in Canada in Tommy Paul. But that defeat last year didn't hurt his chances.

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The next one saw him burst out in tears as he lost to Novak Djokovic after being in an imperious winning position. He will be the main aspect that Alcaraz will have to deal with.

Not allowed in the US for the past two years due to vaccination dramas, Djokovic finally returns and having only played one tournament and winning it as a warm-up. He already looks back to his best as only the 23 time Grand Slam champion can.

Most of Alcaraz' matches pre US Open have gone three sets so he has got match practice in albeit arduous. But many who win warm-ups fail to produce in the main event and he will hope that is a befitting conclusion this time.

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Djokovic returns with a vengeance

In many ways, this is a redemption arc for Djokovic heading into the US Open. He has not won the title since 2018. His worst slam in terms of recent form, he has a point to prove.

In 2019, he retired with a shoulder injury as defending champion. In 2020, he defaulted in the infamous incident with the line judge and in 2021, he lost in the final to Daniil Medvedev.

In that time, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz who won it in 2022 have claimed the title after her previously won it three times.

Albeit in 2022, it was merely due to vaccination protocols that he did not play. It is his second worst also in terms of stats. At the Australian Open, he has won 92% of all matches. At Wimbledon 89% with only Roland Garros and the epic brilliance of Nadal eclipsing the 86% of US Open with 85%.

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But he will aim to regain the World Number One spot and the US Open. He starts against Alexandre Muller and could meet Alcaraz in the final. As alluded to, it has been a non fatigued road since that epic Wimbledon loss.

He has been training, but unlike many has not played both ATP warm-ups in Toronto and Cincinnati, only opting for the latter. Usually with Wimbledon, he plays none which lends itself to glory.

He won the Cincinnati Open too and will aim for the return to the US Open to be a golden one. Also one that is without pressure for the first time in years with the Alcaraz loss taking away the Calendar Slam.

Usually a harbinger of doom inside Flushing Meadows, it is not a talking point this time around and perhaps gives Djokovic freedom to win the title this year without added pressure. All shifted onto Alcaraz for a change and Djokovic will be there waiting to pounce.

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Doubts about challengers

Unlike WTA, the ATP is suffering as such with a myriad of the top names being off colour and out of form. Daniil Medvedev is probably best placed out of all the main names to mount a challenge.

A former winner two years ago, he reached the Quarter-Final and Last 16 in the warm-ups and after a superb Spring, he will aim that the start to Autumn catches light.

Holger Rune is up to World Number Four but since Wimbledon has suffered with injuries and illness and lost first round in Toronto and technically Cincinnati with a walk-over win for Mackenzie McDonald. In no place to challenge really, he joins Casper Ruud.

Ruud lost to Max Purcell in Cincinnati and early to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Toronto. Both stars of their respective weeks, but for Ruud, he has failed yet to take his European Clay Court form onto hard court in the last two tournaments.

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Albeit his runs in the last few tournaments show that it is possible that he will reignite and no illness or injury is weighing him down.

Jannik Sinner is likely best placed alongside Medvedev, with the Italian highly in the conversation as ever placed with Alcaraz as the next rivalry in Men's Tennis. After winning Toronto, he understandably lost early in Cincinnati so comes in alongside Djokovic as a title winner.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are also recent title winners out of the current crop in Los Cabos and Hamburg, so could prove to be dangers yet. As could Taylor Fritz who barring a whooping by Djokovic in Cincinnati has been in insanely good form as of late.#

Frances Tiafoe also had one of his best runs ever last year and will look to emulate that. So will Christopher Eubanks and Ben Shelton, in front of their home crowd. The American theme carrying on with John Isner in his final career tournament.

While Alcaraz-Djokovic will be the main storyline, could a cork in the bottle send the tournament in a different direction? It all begins Monday.

US Open Tennis

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It's been back and forth since day one of 2023. 😤

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