US Open’s main draw is set to start later today on August 26. Defending champion in men’s singles competition Novak Djokovic will be in action on Day 1 of the tournament, hoping to extend his form after winning the Paris Olympics gold medal. Alongside Djokovic, women’s singles champion in 2023, Coco Gauff will also take the stage on August 26, hoping to maintain her domination in the tournament.
The action begins at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at 9:30 PM IST with big-serving Ben Shelton taking on Dominic Thiem. After Shelton, Gauff will take on France’s Varvara Gracheva in the women’s singles competition to begin her title defence. With the US Open being played in two phases through the day as usual, Novak Djokovic’s First Round tie will begin early in the morning (post 4:30 AM) for the Indian audience.
Apart from Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, Aryana Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will play late-night matches. India’s Sumit Nagal is set to be in action on Day 1 as well, taking on Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor in his Round 1 match. Nagal will play on Court 15 and his match will start around midnight on 26 August.
The US Open 2024 is expected to be under a lot of focus after the recent Jannik Sinner episode. The tennis world was divided after Sinner was allowed to play despite being caught positive twice for doping.
The world no. 1 neb’s singles player publicly addressed the recent anti-doping case involving him, marking his first statement since an independent tribunal cleared him of any fault or negligence related to two positive tests for the banned substance clostebol.
Sinner also parted ways with his trainer, Umberto Ferrara, and physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, following a recent doping controversy. While the decision to separate from these key team members must have been difficult, reports indicate that Ferrara and Naldi were under scrutiny during the doping investigation.
During a press conference, Sinner expressed relief over the tribunal’s verdict. “In my mind, I know that I haven’t done anything wrong,” Sinner said. “I’ve had to play with this on my mind for months, but I kept reminding myself that I haven’t done anything wrong. I always respect these rules, and I always will respect the rules of anti-doping. It’s obviously a relief for me to have this result.”