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 again at her time on the Cincinnati Open earlier than flying again to the States in time for this 12 months’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 event 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 12 months is a busy and thrilling one in tennis constructing as much as the ultimate Grand Slam of the 12 months. 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 because the summer season, with these off to the clay for the Olympics, others straight to the arduous 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 arduous courts since March noticed her run by way of to the semi-finals, dropping out to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka, who was in her third event again from a shoulder harm.

Sabalenka, whereas pissed off together with her summer season of rehab, appreciated that the time without work 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 a whole lot of factors and titles to defend.

Following on from her exit on the Olympics, which meant she missed out on the prospect 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 by which she mentioned she was going to take a number of days off again at residence to ‘reset’ forward of the US Open.

Lopsided ladies’s draw?

Wanting on the ladies’s draw it is fairly lopsided and really prime heavy with 15 Grand Slam finalists and eight Grand Slam champions, together with Swiatek, Elena Rybakina who has parted methods together with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov, two of the three Brits in the principle 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 the right 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 related with a heavier prime 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 12 months 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 in a position to maintain enjoying.

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 differ on the case however one conclusion appears to be that the system must do higher. It has proven that it could possibly act swiftly, as has occurred in Sinner’s case, nevertheless it’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 effectively and win titles. I simply marvel if along with the query mark over his proper hip being put to the check over the very best of 5 units and every thing now out within the public, if the US Open title is perhaps a step too far this 12 months.

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 is not in regards to 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 will likely be pleased with will probably be powerful to guess in opposition to him, until his publish Olympic partying has taken it is toll!

From a British standpoint we now have British No 1 Jack Draper, slated to face Carlos Alcaraz within the third spherical, Dan Evans, who wants a very good 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 12 months 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 ‘inside feeling’, led to him asserting that he hopes to retire at his residence event in Austria later this 12 months.

The USTA have given him a wild card and it might be beautiful to see him win a number of rounds and get the send-off that he deserves, so perhaps extra one to look at than a shock!

Prediction time

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

Notoriously unhealthy 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 kind which makes it tough for others to maintain up together with her. Glad on and off the courtroom, I believe Sabalenka will win her first Grand Slam title outdoors Australia!

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

I am comfortable to say I will likely be joined by Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman, Marion Bartolli, Feliciano Lopez and Laura Robson to call however a number of, so I hope you may be a part of us Monday from 3pm on Sky Sports activities Tennis.

Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and will likely 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 dwell sport this 12 months at no additional value. Discover out extra right here.