Interesting stat as reigning champions return to defend US Open for first time since 2019 as top seeds

The return of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek to the US Open has brought forth an interesting statistic that hadn't been seen since 2019.

Just days before the start of the tournament at Flushing Meadows, the Spanish and Polish players arrive with the goal of defending their 2022 crowns. Swiatek showcased her favoritism and secured her third Grand Slam to cap off a remarkable season, defeating Ons Jabeur in the final with a score of 6-2, 7-6.

In Alcaraz's case, he made an impressive journey, winning three of his matches in the fifth set and ultimately defeating Casper Ruud in the final by 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3. The Spaniard entered the main draw as the third seed and with the title, he reached the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.

Interestingly, both reigning champions from the previous edition now arrive as the first seeds, a situation that hadn't occurred since 2019. While Swiatek held onto the top spot continuously, Alcaraz totaled 34 weeks at the top, alternating with Novak Djokovic during the past year.

The last time both reigning champions arrived as the first seeds to defend their US Open titles was in 2019, with Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka as the main favorites.

However, both of them had their hopes of winning the title two times in a row dashed that year, as the men's champion was the second seed Rafael Nadal, while the women's champion was the 15th seed Bianca Andreescu.

The US Open remains a tournament that few have managed to successfully defend. The last time a male player achieved consecutive titles was Roger Federer, who secured the remarkable feat of winning 5 titles in a row between 2004 and 2008.

On the women's side, the last player to do so was Serena Williams, who claimed the title three times in a row between 2012 and 2014.