Fernandez to Monfils: Eight unseeded players to watch out for at US Open

Sunday, 27 August 2023 at 21:30

Unseeded players like Leylah Fernandez, Gael Monfils, and Sloane Stephens will be seeking their opportunity to go far in the 2023 US Open.

The fourth Grand Slam of the year is one where surprises prevail, often leaving logic and rankings aside. Let's take a look at some of the players who could make waves in each quadrant of the tournament.

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In the women's category, we've witnessed unexpected outcomes in recent years, such as trophies earned by Andreescu, Osaka, Pennetta, and Raducanu. In the first quadrant, former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins stands out.

She is making her return to the Tour after a few intermittent months. The American reached the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, coming through the qualifiers and defeating Svitolina, Sakkari, and Fernandez along the way. She was narrowly defeated by Swiatek, pushing the world No. 1 to a three-set duel.

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The second quadrant features former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who will debut against the 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. Competing at home and in the place where she secured her lone Grand Slam title, the former world No. 3 arrives with good momentum in North America.

In the third quadrant, another fan favorite, the 2021 finalist Leylah Fernandez, emerges. Despite her decline in the rankings, she has the potential to showcase her best tennis at the US Open.

She faces the 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round, although the Russian has never advanced past the second round at Flushing Meadows in six attempts.

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Leylah Fernandez has now won 19 of her last 24 matches in North America, a stretch that includes her 2021 and 2022 titles in Monterrey, as well as her run to the first Grand Slam final of her career at the US Open last summer. Next stop for the Canadian teenager: Indian Wells.

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Finally, another Grand Slam champion could be the dark horse of the tournament. Sofia Kenin, a crowd favorite, has demonstrated her ability to defeat the best, as evidenced by her victory over Coco Gauff in the first round of Wimbledon a few weeks ago.

On the men's side, this Slam has eluded the Big-3 the most, and intriguing players could spring surprises. One such player is Thanasi Kokkinakis, a great talent who has yet to fully break through. In Cincinnati, he came close to eliminating Hubert Hurkacz and has proven his stamina for five-set matches.

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In the second quadrant, the surprising Gael Monfils is poised to cause a stir despite being ranked world No. 163. After performing exceptionally well in Canada and Cincinnati, he fell to Jaannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

However, he secured significant victories against Eubanks, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie, and Alex de Minaur.

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Local player Ben Shelton could also be one to watch, as the home crowd could provide him with renewed energy, possibly allowing him to replicate his astonishing campaign from the 2023 Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Lastly, Milos Raonic aims to improve his record at the US Open and return to victory. The Canadian hasn't participated in the tournament since 2020, but in recent months, he has regained impressive form, potentially setting the stage for a surprise if he is in good physical condition.