Gigi Salmon column: Is the US Open a step too far for Jannik Sinner? Can Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic defend their titles? | Tennis Information

In her newest Sky Sports activities column, Gigi Salmon appears to be like again at her time on the Cincinnati Open earlier than flying again to the States in time for this yr’s US Open as Novak Djokovic goes for an historic twenty fifth Grand Slam Coco Gauff defends her ladies’s title, whereas additionally asking whether or not the match might be a step too far for Jannik Sinner.

In the meantime, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Jan Choinski characteristic as a part of the British cost…

This time of yr is a busy and thrilling one in tennis constructing as much as the ultimate Grand Slam of the yr. Add within the Olympics and there is barely time to take a breath. As I write this it has gone midnight and I am ready for the ultimate bits of my washing to dry having landed again from Cincinnati on Wednesday, to be again on a aircraft Friday morning to New York and the US Open.

The gamers have all been on totally different schedules for the reason that summer time, with these off to the clay for the Olympics, others straight to the laborious courts and a few nursing accidents.

Over in Cincinnati for the ultimate 1000 occasion forward of the US Open, it was attention-grabbing to see the place sure gamers have been at.

For world No 1 Iga Swiatek, Cincy was a warm-up occasion. Her first time again on laborious courts since March noticed her run by way of to the semi-finals, shedding out to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka, who was in her third match again from a shoulder harm.

Sabalenka, whereas annoyed along with her summer time of rehab, appreciated that the day off and away from tennis, had helped her reset, the week additionally noticed her rise again as much as world No 2 after Coco Gauff suffered an early exit within the defence of her title.

Defending US Open champion Gauff is an attention-grabbing case coming right into a pressure-filled few weeks with numerous factors and titles to defend.

Following on from her exit on the Olympics, which meant she missed out on the possibility to defend her title and 500 factors in Washington, she would solely win one match from the back-to-back WTA 1000 occasions – together with in Cincinnati the place she was defending champion.

She did not maintain a press convention following her exit to Yulia Putintseva however quotes have been launched through which she stated she was going to take just a few days off again at dwelling to ‘reset’ forward of the US Open.

Lopsided ladies’s draw?

Trying on the ladies’s draw it is fairly lopsided and really high heavy with 15 Grand Slam finalists and eight Grand Slam champions, together with Swiatek, Elena Rybakina who has parted methods along with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov, two of the three Brits in the primary draw, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter and a blockbuster first spherical between Naomi Osaka and Jelena Ostapenko.

To not say that the underside half is not with out its challenges and it is the place we discover Gauff, who’s on track to face Elina Svitolina within the third spherical. Sabalenka props up the underside of the draw because the second seed and Harriet Dart takes on the French participant Chloe Paquet, who she sits 20 locations above within the draw.

Within the males’s draw it is a bit comparable with a heavier high half that sees Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev collectively.

Will Sinner be prepared?

Sinner, the world No 1, arrived in New York because the Cincinnati champion and on the again and a few entrance pages of the papers after information that he had examined constructive for a banned substance earlier within the yr however the tribunal had absolved him of any fault or negligence.

A provisional suspension was utilized mechanically however because it was challenged efficiently he was capable of maintain taking part in.

For individuals who have not examine it the Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company (ITIA) discovered Sinner was inadvertently contaminated with the banned substance by Giacomo Naldi, his physiotherapist.

Views fluctuate on the case however one conclusion appears to be that the system must do higher. It has proven that it might probably act swiftly, as has occurred in Sinner’s case, but it surely’s one thing that should be rolled out throughout the board, with some instances taking years to resolve.

Regardless of Sinner having this hanging over him, he nonetheless managed to play very properly and win titles. I simply marvel if along with the query mark over his proper hip being put to the take a look at over the very best of 5 units and every part now out within the public, if the US Open title is likely to be a step too far this yr.

Can Djokovic make extra historical past?

Novak Djokovic is eyeing up Grand Slam singles title No 25 – a quantity the place he would stand alone in reaching and with the Olympic gold hanging spherical his neck he would possibly simply obtain it.

The strain that was constructing main as much as the Olympics has been launched and the trophy cupboard is now full. Djokovic pulled out of Cincinnati the place he was defending champion as it isn’t concerning the factors or rating anymore, it is about Grand Slam titles and being within the backside half of the draw and with a draw he can be pleased with will probably be robust to wager towards him, except his publish Olympic partying has taken it is toll!

From a British standpoint we’ve British No 1 Jack Draper, slated to face Carlos Alcaraz within the third spherical, Dan Evans, who wants an excellent deep run to spice up his rating, and Jan Choinski who grew to become the primary British man to come back by way of qualifying at Flushing Meadows since Cameron Norrie (who’s lacking by way of harm) in 2017, his reward a gathering with the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who’s ranked 175 locations above him.

It was nice to see Diego Schwartzman come by way of qualifying for his eleventh consecutive most important draw look on the US Open – he plans to retire subsequent yr after the Argentina Open.

Another person retiring is former champion right here, Dominic Thiem, who by no means absolutely recovered from a wrist harm and mixed with what he calls an ‘interior feeling’, led to him asserting that he hopes to retire at his dwelling match in Austria later this yr.

The USTA have given him a wild card and it could be pretty to see him win just a few rounds and get the send-off that he deserves, so possibly extra one to look at than a shock!

Prediction time

Having already made them for a bit it is possible for you to to learn on the Sky Sports activities web site this Sunday so I had higher follow them.

Notoriously dangerous with predictions, I’ve performed it secure going for Novak Djokovic to defend his title and get No 25, and Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka confirmed in Cincinnati that she’s again and in the kind of type which makes it tough for others to maintain up along with her. Joyful on and off the courtroom, I feel Sabalenka will win her first Grand Slam title exterior Australia!

It was this time a yr in the past after we have been constructing as much as Sky Sports activities’ return to tennis and it is nice to see how the crew and protection has grown during the last 12 months, however one factor that’s the identical as final yr, is that reside and unique within the UK you should have entry to all 16 match courts each day, with Sky Sports activities Tennis combining motion and response.

I am glad to say I can be joined by Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman, Marion Bartolli, Feliciano Lopez and Laura Robson to call however just a few, so I hope you possibly can be part of us Monday from 3pm on Sky Sports activities Tennis.

Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and can be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this yr at no further price. Discover out extra right here.