Rediff.com presents the early surprises at the year's final Grand Slam
Naomi Osaka is no longer a shy, introvert youngster and the newest Grand Slam winner in women's tennis says she owes her maturity to last year's US Open triumph.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic is the top seed in the men's draw which includes five-times US Open champion and 17-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer as seventh seed - his first time the Swiss has been placed outside the top three in a Grand Slam in over ten years.
Novak Djokovic opened defence of his US Open title with a laboured 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win over Poland's Jerzy Janowicz on Monday that brought new concerns about the world number one's fitness.
Rafael Nadal, who said his injured wrist is improving daily, beat Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in his first-round match on Monday's opening day of the year's last Grand Slam.
Patrick Mouratoglou said he and Serena Williams had decided not to do any on-court coaching, even at the tournaments on the professional women's WTA circuit where it is permitted.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza notched up her first ever victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 6-0, 6-3 win over American Varvara Lepchenko at the US Open on Monday.
The 30-year-old former world number one retired with an elbow injury during his Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych this month.
If Serena Williams' rivals were hoping that the American would take some time out to savour drawing level with Steffi Graf's professional-era record of 22 grand slam titles, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou fired off an immediate warning.
"I feel like I'm more... I wouldn't say confident but I'm more, like, I have inner peace. I don't know. Like zen. I don't really want to use words I don't know.'
Issues of sexism, officiating double standards and adverse playing conditions have dominated the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open, raising uncomfortable questions and prompting authorities to promise a review of existing policies.
Marin Cilic handed Roger Federer "a tennis lesson" in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open on Saturday, his coach Goran Ivanisevic said.
A year after Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka were both caught up in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, both will be trying to make history in the US Open final on Saturday.
Millman advanced to a quarter-final match-up against sixth seed Novak Djokovic.
Nadal and Williams headline party for all ages at US Open
The US Open is the biggest tournament in America's tennis calendar. Enough reason for the big personalities from Hollywood, former tennis champions and other celebrities to catch their favourite tennis stars in action.
Leylah Fernandez's storybook US Open continued with yet another upset on Thursday, as the Canadian teenager shocked second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Roberta Vinci, playing in her first grand slam singles final, lost twice at the US Open on Saturday after coming up short in an all-Italian clash against her closest friend on tour.
Flavia Pennetta crushed Romanian second seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3 to kick off a packed day of action at the U.S. Open on Friday with a stunning upset that put the Italian into her first Grand Slam final.
Serena and Venus Williams added another chapter to what the world number one claims to be greatest story in tennis when she outslugged her sister 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
Lleyton Hewitt waved goodbye to the US Open on Thursday, the tenacious Australian dragged kicking and screaming to the Flushing Meadows exit by countryman Bernard Tomic.
While the stakes could not be higher on Thursday, Sloane Stephens said there will be no "weirdness" in the locker room.
When you can travel globally is when tennis can come back, from a pro level. From a local level, we can start right away and that's what we would be focused on at the beginning, says Tennis Australia head Craig Tiley.
Playing her first match of the North American hard court swing after pulling out of last week's event in Stanford with a sore right elbow, Williams played a ragged opening set in which she was broken four times while firing four double faults.
Germany's second seeded Angelique Kerber beat Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to win the US Open final on Saturday, and collect her second Grand Slam title of the year.
While 40 have tried only nine times have both Williams sisters been beaten by the same player at the same tournament and that list reads like a Grand Slam Hall of Fame with names that include; Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, who like Pliskova, pulled the double off at the US Open.
It was his first victory ever against a player ranked in the top two and it avenged the semi-final loss at the Rio Olympics where Murray went on to win gold and Nishikori settled for bronze.
Garbine Muguruza was once again left to sift through the remains of another failed US Open campaign after the third-seeded Spaniard suffered a shock 7-5 6-4 second round upset by unheralded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova on Wednesday.
Eugenie Bouchard slumped to a first-round defeat at the US Open on Tuesday but the Canadian might yet leave Flushing Meadows a big winner with her lawsuit against the Grand Slam and United States Tennis Association still to hit the courts.
Former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic suffered a shock 6-7(4), 1-6 loss against Denisa Allertova of Czech Republic in the women's singles first round at the 2016 US Open on Tuesday. Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open winner, started off well but failed to maintain her momentum. With the scored tied 6-6, the first set went into tie-break and the Serbian star failed to keep her nerves.
Rafael Nadal was exhausted yet exhilarated following his emotional return to action at this month's Rio Olympics after an injury-absence and is looking forward to gearing back up for the US Open starting on Monday.
IMAGES from matches on Day 4 of the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York on Thursday.
Serena Williams capped off a season to remember by capturing her fourth WTA Championship title with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Li Na on Sunday.
Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points in a thrilling final at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday before handing world number one Roger Federer his first loss of the year and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title.
World number one Novak Djokovic turned the page on his contentious US Open exit and began his claycourt season with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over wildcard Salvatore Caruso in the second round of the Italian Open.
Images from Day 7 of the 2020 US Open in New York on Sunday.
