The 2024 US Open will see a handful of familiar faces, as many are eager to compete in the final Grand Slam of the year at Queens, New York.
One of them is Naomi Osaka, who, after taking a year off since she was pregnant, will make her awaited comeback in Flushing Meadows, looking to remind everyone of the two-time champion she once was.
Coco Gauff is the reigning champion ahead of this weekend, but the US Open 2024 odds aren’t optimistic on her chances to repeat because of her lacklustre form in the build-up to this event.
Elsewhere, former US Open finalist Ons Jabeur recently announced that she is pulling out due to injury, opening a spot for a former quarter-finalist to directly qualify.
Learn the latest US Open 2024 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Osaka needs to rediscover her identity
Naomi Osaka burst onto the scene when she won four Grand Slams (2 Australian Opens and 2 US Opens) from 2018 to 2021, but that feels like a lifetime ago since she has gone through so much since then.
From mental breakdowns to having a new baby, Osaka painfully admitted that she is far from what she used to be, but at least she is doing her best to work her way back, one tournament at a time.
“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses, though my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” Osaka wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to.”
“I could liken how I feel right now to is being postpartum. This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it’s not, and I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now,” she added.
The 26-year-old returned to court in January, but her comeback hasn’t gone as planned.
She lost in the first round of the Australian Open and got eliminated in the second rounds of the French Open and Wimbledon. And most recently, she was defeated by Ashlyn Krueger in the final round of the Cincinnati Open qualifiers.
Osaka, once the world’s No. 1 player, will enter Flushing Meadows with a 90th WTA ranking, and she’ll face world No. 10 Jelena Ostapenko to kick off her new US Open campaign.
Gauff must get over her slump
It has been an eventful year for Coco Gauff because she has experienced a lot of firsts. She had her first WTA 1000 title, her first Grand Slam win, her first No. 2 WTA ranking, and her first time being the United States flag bearer in the Olympics alongside LeBron James in Paris.
So naturally, all eyes are going to be on her when she plays at home, although it’s worth noting that she hasn’t been in her best form lately.
Since her consecutive semi-final appearances in the Italian, French, and German Opens, Gauff has been unable to make it past the Round of 16 in Wimbledon, the Canadian Open, and, most recently, the Cincinnati Masters. And then, in the Paris Games, Donna Vekic eliminated her in the third round.
She may have more rest after being eliminated early in Cincinnati. However, it’s worth noting that Coco Gauff has a so-so record against Top 50 players at 16-14.
Fortunately for the 20-year-old, she will have favourable matchup in the first round since she’s slated to take on Varvara Gracheva, whom she beat in straight sets most recently in the ASB Classic last January.
Earlier this year, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek successfully defended their Australian Open and French Open titles, and Gauff will look to follow in their footsteps.
Jabeur withdraws, Mertens to replace her
Unfortunately for Ons Jabeur, she won’t have the chance to avenge her US Open Final loss in 2022 against Iga Swiatek because of a shoulder injury.
The Tunisian star, who also reached the finals of Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, has been struggling with fitness lately. Before confirming her withdrawal from Flushing Meadows, Jabeur also pulled out from Washington and Cincinnati for the same shoulder problem.
Her only match during this summer’s hard-court swing has been an opening-round defeat to Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open earlier this month.
Elise Mertens, the No. 33 seed, will claim her spot because she is the next highest-ranked player eligible after Jabeur’s withdrawal. The Belgian will face Veronika Kudermetova in the first round. A qualifier or a lucky loser will take Merten’s previous spot.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE TENNIS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
