The rankings for next week's men's half of the U.S. Open have been announced with Novak Djokovic taking the top seed for the tennis tournament.
Djokovic, who won the Australian Open and was a Wimbledon finalist this year, has reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open in each of the last six years, making the finals four times in his career and winning the tournament in 2011 - the last time he was the top seed.
Djokovic made it to the finals last year but lost in five sets to Andy Murray - ranked third going into next week's tournament. Murray is on a roll, having made history at Wimbledon, defeating Djokovic in dramatic fashion, becoming the first British tennis player to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry did it in 1936.
"I'm feeling good," said Murray. "I am moving much, much better than when I first came back in Montreal [for The Roger Cup]. That's always a positive sign because, even if you're not hitting the ball particularly well, you can get through matches with good movement and gradually work yourself into a rhythm."
French Open winner Rafael Nadal was ranked second between Murray and Djokovic, who looked in top form coming back from a seven month layover due to a severe knee injury. Nadal defeated American John Isner at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati over the weekend. Nadal has made 11 finals and won nine titles in 12 tournaments in 2013, going 48-3 in match record this season, and owning a perfect 10-0 on hard courts.
"I would say Rafa is the favorite going to the U.S.," said Isner after losing to Nadal in Cincinnati over the weekend. "Clear-cut? I wouldn't say that. I think he'd probably say the same."
Nadal's longtime rival, Roger Federer, dropped to the seventh seed, first time the Swiss tennis has been ranked outside the Top Five at any Grand Slam in over decade. Federer has not been been ranked lower than the Top Three at the U.S. Open since 2002. Federer, who was upset in the second round by 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovksky at this year's Wimbledon tournament, has struggled of late, losing to 114th-ranked Federico Delbonis in the semifinals of the German Tennis Championships in Hamburg.
"I've had serious problems with the back," Federer said after losing to Delbonis. "I had to get some anti-inflammatories last week in Hamburg due to the pain. I will have to do a lot of exercises and see how it all feels."
Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe, who was in New York City last month supporting the John McEnroe Tennis Academy based out of the SPORTIME Randall's Island Tennis Center in Manhattan, believes that while the days of automatically penciling Federer into the finals of any Grand Slam tournament are over for the Swiss tennis champion, though he still has the ability to play at a very high level despite age and injuries.
"I don't think he'll win another one, but it wouldn't shock me if he did win one more," said McEnroe, discussing the U.S. Open with reporters at the press conference for the Mylan World Team Tennis match. "He is still going to be able to do everything he can to contend. You never know, Andre got [to the US Open finals] at age 35. Andre was a great champion but Federer is better."
McEnroe is not so enthusiastic about the men representing the United States at this year's U.S. Open, noting a dearth of talent on the men's half of the tournament. Only two Americans - John Isner (#13 seed) and Sam Querrey (#26) - were seeded in the Top 30.
"What do we deem success, the quarterfinals? Can I see an American making it into the quarterfinals?," McEnroe asked reporters while discussing the state of men's U.S. tennis. "Sure, I can see it, maybe someone like John Isner. Anything is possible. I just don't see it happening."
McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slam titles throughout his career, is doing his best to help find the next great batch of young American tennis talent through his John McEnroe Tennis Academy, who along with SPORTIME, provides resources for players to reach their potential both in the sport and as scholar-athletes.
"That's why we have our Academy here, at Sportime, in the shadow of Manhattan," said McEnroe. "So we can give those young athletes a chance to see what tennis is all about, and hope that they take it up for life."
The U.S. Open begins Monday, August 26th with CBS Sports Network and ESPN providing television coverage.
For the full U.S. Open schedule click here.
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