Depleted men's draw an open affair

NEW YORK • Rafael Nadal's timely recovery from injury to return to the US Open for the first time since winning the 2019 title is a big boost to the men's draw, which has been depleted by the absence of Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.

The Spaniard made a comeback to the tour only two weeks ago at the Cincinnati Open, having not played a competitive match since pulling out of his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios last month due to an abdominal injury.

The 36-year-old lost to Borna Coric at the Masters 1000 event but more importantly for the record 22-time Grand Slam winner, he did not seem hampered by the injury.

Flushing Meadows has been a happy hunting ground for the left-hander, who won the hard-court Major four times before the Covid-19 pandemic and injury forced him to skip the 2020 and last year's tournaments respectively.

"I need to move forward and just start to think about the energy that the crowd gives me in New York," said Nadal, who has already won two of the season's three Slams at the Australian and French Opens.

"I hope to be ready for the action. That's the only thing I can say. With the tools I have today, I hope to be competitive enough to give myself a chance."

The world No. 3, who will meet Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round on Tuesday, has become accustomed to overcoming setbacks, winning a 14th French Open in June despite playing with pain-killing injections in his foot.

An added incentive for him is the opportunity to reclaim the world No. 1 spot from defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the man he defeated in the 2019 final.

Without a clear favourite in the men's draw as Djokovic is ruled out due to his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, Nadal's biggest threat is expected to come from the Russian, bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to retain the US Open title.

Medvedev has also finished runner-up on the hard courts of the Australian Open in the last two editions. He has 14 career singles titles - all but one on hard courts, including his only Major when he denied Djokovic the calendar Slam last year at Flushing Meadows.

The 26-year-old was forced to miss Wimbledon due to the ban on Russian players and stepped up his preparations for the US Open with a title in Los Cabos, Mexico and a semi-final defeat by Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in Cincinnati.

Medvedev has said he wanted to try "something big" in New York, adding: "I'm working well. I'm working well with my team. I'm confident in myself."

One of the tour's red-hot players on current form is Nick Kyrgios.

After years of being branded a wasted talent, the Australian has displayed a never-seen-before level of consistency in the last couple of months. He finished runner-up at Wimbledon, won the Washington title and reached the quarter-finals in Montreal.

Another player bubbling with confidence will be Croatia's Coric, who clinched the Cincinnati title with wins over three top-10 ranked players - Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tsitsipas - among others.

World No. 4 Carlos Alcaraz, 19, will lead the charge of the young brigade with pundits confident it is just a matter of time before the athletic Spaniard wins his first Slam.

Djokovic, three-time US Open winner, will be the biggest name missing in New York.

The Serb, who won Wimbledon for his 21st Major title, was unable to defend his Australian Open crown after being deported from the country in January over his vaccination status. Other top absentees are 20-time Slam winner Federer, who has been sidelined by a knee injury for a year, and world No. 2 Zverev, recuperating after his French Open ankle injury.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE