The final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, is now underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Use this thread to talk about the tournament, discuss players’ strategies, and live-chat matches.

Stuff to watch:

• On the mens’ side, the two Masters 1000 singles tournaments leading up to the US Open, Canada and Cincinnati, were won by two first-time Masters 1000 champions: Pablo Carreño Busta and Borna Ćorić. Carreño Busta is a previous US Open semifinalist, and Ćorić had a red-hot career before succumbing to injuries, so both of these players will be ones to look out for.
• On the womens’ side, last year’s finalists, champion Emma Raducanu and runner-up Leylah Fernandez, have had a respectable amount of success in the 2022 season, with Fernandez reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, but neither is considered to be a favourite to win this year’s US Open. The year’s biggest star has been Iga Świątek, who went on a 37-match winning streak in late spring and early summer, winning the French Open in the process, but finally losing to veteran player Alizé Cornet at Wimbledon. She’s the heavy favourite to win the whole thing, but the US Open tends to surprise. 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina might be a dark horse.
• One of the greatest female tennis players who ever lived, Serena Williams, will be playing her last tournament here. She’s not expected to lift the trophy, but don’t be surprised if she makes a deep run.
• In the doubles draws, last year’s men’s champs, Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram, are the number one seeds. Last year’s women’s champs, Shuai Zhang and Sam Stosur, are partnered with different players this time around: Marta Kostyuk and Latisha Chan, respectively. Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens hold the number one seed.

For more information on the tournament, please visit the official website.