Open season: The Hindu Editorial on the U.S. Open
There was a time in men’s tennis when the defeat of a favourite, the top seed or the defending champion in the first week of a Grand Slam tournament was less of a shock and more awe. But over the last two decades, wherein Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have been the hegemonic forces, such bursts of surprise have been few and rare. Seen in this context, the exits of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic — against Botic van de Zandschulp and Alexei Popyrin, respectively — in a 24-hour span from the ongoing US Open appear seismic. The 21-year-old Spaniard won the French Open-Wimbledon double — among the hardest feats in all sport — and fought Djokovic tooth and nail in the Paris Olympics final before settling for the silver medal. World No.1 Jannik Sinner now has a golden opportunity to firmly establish the new order by adding the US Open to his 2024 Australian Open crown.
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