The 2016 U.S. Open will soon begin. It’s hard to believe, but the favorite for this event might not be Serena Williams. Angelique Kerber could be the player whose chances burn brightest in New York. Williams is still arguably the player to beat on the women’s tennis tour but as we’ve come to see over the last 12 months or so, she is beatable. She is definitely not the slam dunk that she once was in her career. Can somebody again keep her from adding to her big hardware coolection? We’ll have much more to say on this below.
The competition in the 128-player main draw for the U.S. Open begins on Monday, August 29, in Flushing Meadows.
Event Details
Event: United States Open
Category: ITF (International Tennis Federation) Grand Slam
Date: August 29 – September 11, 2016
Location: The Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center – Flushing Meadows, New York
With a prize money allotment of just over $46 million, WTA professionals know how much the U.S. Open means in terms of being able to reach earnings goals for the year.
The points structure under the ITF system is that for the women, the championship means 2,000 points. A runner-up finish is worth 1,300. A semifinal result is 780 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 430 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Flavia Pennetta def. Roberta Vinci – 7-6, 6-2
2014 – Serena Williams def. Caroline Wozniacki – 6-3, 6-3
2013 – Serena Williams def. Victoria Azarenka – 7-5, 6-7, 6-1
2012 – Serena Williams def. Victoria Azarenka – 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
2011 – Samantha Stosur def. Serena Williams – 6-2, 6-3
Player Info:
Serena Williams is just one month shy of her 35th birthday but like Novak Djokovic, still has the kind of game which can overpower others when she’s in form. Her biggest adversaries are not the ones across the net but her own body parts, which remind Serena of her age. Earlier this month, shoulder pain hampered her progress. In Rio, Elina Svitolina ran past her in straight sets, and then the recurring shoulder pain forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati. Williams has led the WTA rankings for 184 consecutive weeks but if she dreams to make it the longest stretch in the history of women’s tennis (187), she’ll have to record her 23rd Grand Slam title. She still remains the favorite in some eyes, but it’s imperative to stay injury-free.
Serena has found a new rival in Angelique Kerber, who at age 28 is not only having a breakthrough season but has found herself in a position to dethrone America’s greatest tennis player. Last week, the feisty German came within a win from knocking Serena off the perch of World No. 1, but Karolina Pliskova shellacked her in the Cincinnati final to ruin her dream. If anything, the loss should only motivate Kerber to play her best tennis in New York. She has repeatedly shown that she doesn’t get overawed by the occasion and is not intimidated by Serena. With an added incentive — World No. 1 — Kerber might just pull this off.
There have been three different Grand Slam champions this season and Garbine Muguruza is one of them. The Spaniard trounced Serena to capture her first Slam title at Roland Garros but since then everything has gone against the first time winner. She goes for her shots every time and hits a heavy ball. It may be a good tactic against Serena but it doesn’t guarantee success week in and week out against defensive baseliners. However, if she runs hot, she is going to have fortnights like the one she had in Paris. Although Muguruza is more of a natural on clay, she has a very good chance at the U.S. Open. She’s probably a better bet on the clay courts in France rather than the hard courts in New York, though.
The Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center
The U.S. Open has constantly suffered from rain delays over the years. The women’s semifinals were rained out on Thursday night last year. The men’s final was delayed roughly three hours last year. That all comes to an end in 2016 with the completion of a retractable roof. The facility is being modernized in many respects and will continue to undergo various renovations through the remainder of this decade.
