The draws will take place on Friday in the Big Apple. Before the draws are revealed, we take a look at four players who can make a mockery of the draw. Top dogs will be hoping and praying that they won’t get to face them.
Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro is perhaps the most dangerous unseeded player in the history of the U.S. Open. In Rio, Novak Djokovic got an early taste of his prowess when the Tower of Tandil dumped him in straight sets in the first round. In the semifinals, where the match swung back and forth, Del Potro held firm and fought ‘til his last breath to upset Rafael Nadal. The Argentine spent nine months in the wilderness but deservedly earned worldwide admiration for his courageous comeback and his pure passion for the game. If he can beat the higher-ranked players on slower surfaces, imagine the damage he can do on faster courts in New York. So far this season, Del Potro is a healthy 10-4 on the hard courts, which is much better than his numbers on the other surfaces. He’s compiled a record of just 3-2 on the clay courts and 5-3 on grass, which is so-so. Hard courts are where he butters his bread.
Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov had a horrid 2015 and a horrendous first half of this season. Ever since Dani Vallervedu took over as his coach, he has instilled purpose in Dimitrov, and now he looks more like a player who is ready to take on the world. In Cincinnati, he beat Stan Wawrinka in comprehensive fashion and also made the semifinals. For the first time since 2014, Dimitrov looks focused, assured, and appears tactically solid. A deep run in the Big Apple will bring Dimitrov close to where he was two years ago. If this doesn’t spur him to perform better, nothing will. The good news is that the hard court is his best surface. When you take a look at the numbers, he’s 27-19 on the year but most of that damage has been done on the hard courts. He is just 4-5 on clay and 2-3 on grass, but he is a healthy 21-11 on the hard surface. That’s a good sign.
Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini is far more capable than he thinks and what he actually does. However, to everyone’s dismay, he settles for momentary magic more than sustained brilliance. Last year, he played the match of his life and beat Rafael Nadal in a gripping five-setter at the U.S. Open. In doing so, he thrilled the spectators with his crazy shotmaking ability. In the Rio Olympics, he had Andy Murray on the ropes in the deciding set, but his brain took over and he completely lost the plot. He may be the ultimate head-case but that doesn’t mean he can’t surprise in New York. He is just 5-5 on the hard courts this season, which is fairly disappointing. He’s 11-9 on clay and 1-1 on the grass in tour main draws.
Gael Monfils
Has he done enough? You look at his career stats and you’ll get your answer. Despite his immense talent, Monfils continues to be a frustrating figure. However, this season, the acrobatic Frenchman has shown seriousness and consistency—a new set of words in a Monfils dictionary. By winning the Washington Open, he broke a two-year title drought. A week later, he continued his solid run of form with a semifinal showing in the Rogers Cup and then advanced to the quarterfinals in Rio, losing an intense battle to Kei Nishikori. He pulled out of Cincinnati citing a back injury, which makes it unclear whether he’ll be fully fit in time for the U.S. Open. Assuming he’ll be fit, he is the man to beat outside Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. One thing in Monfils’ favor: His back injury was probably just an excuse to not have to play Cincinnati so soon after the Olympics. One other thing in Monfils’ favor: He had match point in the 2014 U.S. Open quarterfinals against Roger Federer, but Federer is not in this tournament.
