Djokovic rarely contests the Canadian Masters so his withdrawal from that event came as no surprise. He also elected to skip his Cincinnati title defence to allow time to replenish his mental and physical reserves, and to savour his monumental Olympic accomplishment on holiday with his family.

Despite being the defending champion this year, the pressure has shifted considerably from that he experienced at the 2021 US Open.

That year, Alexander Zverev ended his bid for the Golden Grand Slam in Tokyo, but he still had a shot at achieving the calendar Grand Slam in New York. Daniil Medvedev foiled that bid at the final hurdle. 

This year, much of the focus has centred on the two men who have taken the reins as the best-performed players at the majors.

After a blazing start to the season, including his maiden Grand Slam trophy at Australian Open 2024, it has not been entirely smooth sailing for Jannik Sinner. A hip injury and a bout of tonsillitis did not help his cause, although his second ATP Masters 1000 trophy of 2024 in Cincinnati has restored the world No.1’s status as the favourite on paper to triumph in New York.

Meanwhile, the first cracks in Alcaraz’s season since he took control mid-year emerged in an off-kilter early exit against Gael Monfils in Cincinnati. It was the first hint that the letdown of losing the Olympic final, on the heels of a gruelling stretch which included major titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, had started to weigh.