When you hear about a World #1 returning to defend a Grand Slam trophy in men\u2019s tennis, thoughts immediately flash towards Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been eons since anyone else was in that position. But in 2022, that all changes as Daniil Medvedev arrives in Flushing Meadows atop the men\u2019s rankings and with a trophy to defend.<\/p>\n
Can the enigmatic Medvedev go back-to-back<\/a> at the US Open<\/a>? His stunning straight-sets win over Djokovic in last year\u2019s final helped propel him to the summit of men\u2019s tennis. That said, as the old adage tells us: it\u2019s harder to stay at the top than it is to get there.<\/p>\n With that in mind, here are three reasons why Medvedev will win again \u2013 and three why he will fall short.<\/p>\n Medvedev has won enough titles to prove he is the elite player his ranking suggests. Even so, there\u2019s no doubt that this year\u2019s field works in his favor. We now know there will be no Djokovic. There will be no Zverev, out due to his ankle injury. Rafael Nadal\u2019s preparation has been less than ideal. Dominic Thiem is still far short<\/a> of his 2020 US Open-winning level. Nick Kyrgios will be a dangerous threat<\/a> in Medvedev\u2019s quarter, but injury murmurs mean the Australian may not be at full power. This is a very manageable draw for Medvedev–now he needs to navigate it.<\/p>\n This is unquestionably the Russian’s favorite Grand Slam, at least judging by on-court results. Aside from being current US Open champion, Daniil Medvedev has had plenty of success. His last three trips here have ended in the final, the semifinal and then with the trophy in his hands. His overall win\/loss ratio is here is 20-4–certainly nothing to sniff at. During the 2019 tournament, the sometimes-abrasive Medvedev started to develop a strange love and hate rapport with the New York crowd. So far, that seems to help his performance rather than hinder it. By last year\u2019s final, Flushing Meadows\u2019 attitude towards Medvedev seemed to have softened.\u00a0Expect that relationship to be a big story again this year.<\/p>\n A motivated Medvedev is a dangerous Medvedev. As mentioned above, he seems to thrive on the energy of the crowd–especially if it\u2019s hostile and directed at him. Banned from Wimbledon<\/a> this year, the Russian missed the chance to compete on a grass surface on which he is quickly improving. Is it only six years since he lost to Marcus Willis in qualifying there? He would have had lofty aspirations for SW19 after a fourth-round appearance in 2021. He will surely use that to fire himself up here.<\/p>\nDaniil Medvedev at the 2022 US Open<\/h2>\n
Why He’ll Win<\/h3>\n
The competition\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
He loves (and hates) New York<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Post-Wimbledon motivation<\/strong><\/h4>\n