(August 30, 2015) Profiles of the top Men’s Singles contenders for the 2015 U.S. Open. Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only. – by Jack Cunniff http://twitter.com/jrcunniff
2015 Record: 56-5
Grand Slam Record: 200-34
U.S. Open Record: 50-9
U.S. Open Best Result: Won (2011)
Fast Fact: With his losses to Murray (Montreal) and Federer (Cincinnati), Djokovic lost in consecutive events for the first time in a year (2014 Cincinnati – 2014 Toronto).
2015 Record: 45-7
Grand Slam Record: 291-48
U.S. Open Record: 72-10
U.S. Open Best Result: Won (2004, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08)
Fast Fact: With a win in the opening round, Federer will tie Ivan Lendl with 73 match wins at the U.S. Open, 3rd most in Open era history; he could tie for No. 2 with a U.S. Open title (Connors – 97, Agassi – 79).
2015 Record: 56-9
Grand Slam Record: 150-36
U.S. Open Record: 37-9
U.S. Open Best Result: Won (2012)
Fast Fact: Since 2011, Murray is 83-1 at Grand Slams against opponents ranked outside of the Top Ten (l. Dimitrov, 2014 Wimbledon).
Kei Nishikori
2015 Record: 46-10
Grand Slam Record: 45-23
U.S. Open Record: 13-6
U.S. Open Best Result: RU (2014)
Fast Fact: Nishikori hasn’t defeated a Top 5 player since beating Djokovic in the 2014 U.S. Open Semifinals.
Stan Wawrinka
2015 Record: 36-12
Grand Slam Record: 98-40
U.S. Open Record: 26-10
U.S. Open Best Result: SF (2013)
Fast Fact: Before even playing at the U.S. Open, Wawrinka has won more matches at 2015 Grand Slam events (16) than he has had in any other year of his career.
Tomas Berdych
2015 Record: 42-14
Grand Slam Record: 114-48
U.S. Open Record: 28-12
U.S. Open Best Result: SF (2012)
Fast Fact: After reaching the semifinals in 7 of his first 8 events of the year, Berdych has failed to reach that stage in his last six events.
David Ferrer
2015 Record: 36-9
Grand Slam Record: 128-50
U.S. Open Record: 28-12
U.S. Open Best Result: QF (2007, ‘12)
Fast Fact: When he withdrew from Wimbledon, Ferrer ended his streak of appearances in 50 consecutive Grand Slam events, dating back to the 2003 Australian Open.
2015 Record: 42-14
Grand Slam Record: 196-28
U.S. Open Record: 41-8
U.S. Open Best Result: Won (2010, ‘13)
Fast Fact: Nadal has won 20 of his last 21 matches at the U.S. Open, with his only loss in the last five years coming to Djokovic in the 2011 Final (did not compete in 2012 or 2014).
Marin Cilic
2015 Record: 18-13
Grand Slam Record: 70-29
U.S. Open Record: 20-5
U.S. Open Best Result: W (2014)
Fast Fact: Cilic is the lowest ranked and lowest seeded defending U.S. Open champion in the Open era.
Milos Raonic
2015 Record: 25-13
Grand Slam Record: 41-18
U.S. Open Record: 9-4
U.S. Open Best Result: 4R (2012, ’13, ‘14)
Fast Fact: Raonic reached the quarterfinals in 7 of his first 9 events this year, but has won only two matches in his last three events.
Gilles Simon
2015 Record: 34-18
Grand Slam Record: 65-37
U.S. Open Record: 16-8
U.S. Open Best Result: 4R (2011, ‘14)
Fast Fact: Simon has a 3-15 record vs. Top Ten players at Grand Slam events, but two of those wins have come in the last 4 majors (d. Ferrer, 2014 U.S. Open, d. Berdych, 2015 Wimbledon).
Richard Gasquet
2015 Record: 30-11
Grand Slam Record: 84-43
U.S. Open Record: 21-9
U.S. Open Best Result: SF (2013)
Fast Fact: Of Gasquet’s eleven losses in 2015, nine have been to higher-ranked players, and eight have been to Top Ten opponents.
John Isner
2015 Record: 34-19
Grand Slam Record: 42-29
U.S. Open Record: 17-8
U.S. Open Best Result: QF (2011)
Fast Fact: Isner has defeated only two top ten opponents in the last two years (2-19), and both wins were at 2015 Miami (Nishikori, Raonic).
Kevin Anderson
2015 Record: 35-18
Grand Slam Record: 38-26
U.S. Open Record: 7-5
U.S. Open Best Result: 3R (2010, ’11, ‘14)
Fast Fact: If Anderson wins his opening round match at the U.S. Open, it will be the longest ATP match win streak of his career (6).
Gael Monfils
2015 Record: 31-15
Grand Slam Record: 73-35
U.S. Open Record: 17-8
U.S. Open Best Result: QF (2010, ‘14)
Fast Fact: Before losing to Jerzy Janowicz in the 1R of Cincinnati, Monfils had won 24 consecutive opening round matches (2014 Miami, l. to Garcia Lopez).
Grigor Dimitrov
2015 Record: 26-16
Grand Slam Record: 25-20
U.S. Open Record: 3-4
U.S. Open Best Result: 4R (2014)
Fast Fact: Since defeating Andy Murray in the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinals, Dimitrov hasn’t defeated a Top 50 opponent at a Grand Slam event.