It is expected that we will crown new champions both in the men and women’s divisions.
The stage is finally set in the Flushing Meadows to where four players remain, as Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka vie for the coveted US Open trophy.
The usual names in Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been eliminated in the tourney – albeit for contrasting reasons.
Djokovic made the US Open 2020 news for the wrong reasons because of an unfortunate incident, while Serena Williams suffered an upset at the hands of Victoria Azarenka.
As we are approaching the conclusion of the bubble tournament, the action continues to get better here at SBOTOP, and we have you covered with the latest news and updates.
Novak Djokovic booted out of the tournament
It is going to be weird seeing none of the Big 3 in the biggest stage.
Novak Djokovic would have been the one to carry on the mantle of the famed triumvirate, but he was eventually shown the door because of a rare, yet avoidable mistake.
The Serb’s frustrations clearly got the better of him. When Djokovic had been broken to trail 6-5 in the first set versus Pablo Carreno Busta, he hit the ball behind him with anger.
Although Djokovic never intended to aim at anyone in particular, the ball hit the face of the line judge so hard that she fell to the ground.
Djokovic tended to the line judge to check if she was ok, but tournament referee Soeren Friemel and supervisor Andreas Egli have already laid down the verdict that he is disqualified from the competition.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong,” said Djokovic on his Instagram post.
“As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being,” he added.
Not only did that cost Novak Djokovic in what could’ve been his fourth US Open Grand Slam, but he will also lose all ranking points that he gained in the Flushing Meadows.
The Serb will be fined the prize money that he won during the tournament. Djokovic will be $250,000 short after reaching to as far as the fourth round.
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev face off
With Djokovic out of the competition, two young upstarts are very well on their way to possibly win their first-ever Grand Slam title.
Dominic Thiem needed almost three hours to defeat Daniil Medvedev, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5), in what was a thrilling match in the semifinals.
For the most part, Dominic Thiem fell short when the title was within his reach. But having learned lessons from the past, the 27-year-old Austrian is more than ready to claim his crowning moment.
Thiem is backed by the US Open 2020 odds to win it in the men’s division, especially after overcoming Daniil Medvedev despite playing with a hurt right ankle.
But expect Alexander Zverev to give him a run for his money coming off of his stirring performance in the semis.
The 23-year-old German made a remarkable comeback to beat Pablo Carreno Busta, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. It marked the first time in Zverev’s career that he came from two sets behind to win.
He also made history in the process by being the first German since Rainer Schuttler at the 2003 Australian Open to reach the final of a tennis major.
Will Victoria Azarenka’s Cinderella run continue?
Victoria Azarenka aims to secure her third career Grand Slam as she faces Naomi Osaka on Saturday evening.
The Belarusian scored one of the biggest upsets in recent memory when she defeated Serena Williams in the semifinals.
Azarenka may have lost the first set, 6-1, but she dug deep to pull off the improbable comeback. The final score was 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
It has been a while since Azarenka won a Grand Slam, as the last one was back in the 2013 Australian Open. However, since then, her career was plagued by injuries and personal issues.
But now with a rejuvenated mindset, Azarenka will be coming in playing like she has nothing to lose.
“Mentally I’m in such a different place. I think seven years ago, after I won the Australian Open, it was kind of expected for me to be in the final.” said Azarenka.
“I don’t think that was the case this year. It feels more fun this year, more fulfilling, more pleasant for me,” she added.
This will be the fourth time that they’ll lock horns. Naomi Osaka has a 2-1 edge in the head-to-heads as of the moment.
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