Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Second seed Roger Federer has played down his chances of winning a sixth US Open, tipping rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as favourites to win this year’s final grand slam.
The 37-year old was speaking ahead of next week’s tournament, which gets underway on Monday at Flushing Meadows.
Federer is coming off the back of a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Djokovic in the final of last week's Cincinnati Masters, a defeat that saw the Serb become the first player to win all nine Masters 1000 titles, a feat known as the “golden Masters.”
That fact led the 20-time grand slam champ to pick the sixth seed and current world number one Nadal as the players to watch next week.
“I think it will be a very exciting end to the season because everybody's going to probably be healthy or healthier again,” said Federer.
“It's nice to see Novak has come back, and Milos (Raonic) has been playing great tennis again,' Federer said. 'Stan (Wawrinka) seems solid again. Same with (Kei) Nishikori. These are all guys that we were missing for the last nine months or so. So that's going to be fun.
“I'm not the favourite. They are. Rafa (Nadal) and Novak, in my opinion.”
He added that it would probably take something special for him to capture a first US Open title since 2008.
“I'm happy that my level is there. I just need to figure out my game, get used to different balls.
“That's going to be just something I'm going to be working on. I just gotta come up with a lot of energy, and then hopefully I also have a chance after 10 years to do something special again at the Open.”
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw Serena Williams was given a boost as she was seeded 17th.
Williams is the only player in either draw to receive a seeding higher than her world ranking.
The 23-time slam champion is currently ranked 26th by the WTA.
Simona Halep is the top seed with Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber and Petra Kvitova making up the top five.
Seedings for men's and women's singles tournaments at US Open announced on Tuesday:
Men's singles
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2. Roger Federer (SUI)
3. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
4. Alexander Zverev (GER)
5. Kevin Anderson (RSA)
6. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
7. Marin Cilic (CRO)
8. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
9. Dominic Thiem (AUT)
10. David Goffin (BEL)
11. John Isner (USA)
12. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
13. Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
14. Fabio Fognini (ITA)
15. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
16. Kyle Edmund (GBR)
17. Lucas Pouille (FRA)
18. Jack Sock (USA)
19. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
20. Borna Coric (CRO)
21. Kei Nishikori (JPN)
22. Marco Cecchinato (ITA)
23. Chung Hyeon (KOR)
24. Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
25. Milos Raonic (CAN)
26. Richard Gasquet (FRA)
27. Karen Khachanov (RUS)
28. Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
29. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
30. Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
31. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
32. Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Women's singles
1. Simona Halep (ROU)
2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
3. Sloane Stephens (USA)
4. Angelique Kerber (GER)
5. Petra Kvitova (CZE)
6. Caroline Garcia (FRA)
7. Elina Svitolina (UKR)
8. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
9. Julia Goerges (GER)
10. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
11. Daria Kasatkina (RUS)
12. Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
13. Kiki Bertens (NED)
14. Madison Keys (USA)
15. Elise Mertens (BEL)
16. Venus Williams (USA)
17. Serena Williams (USA)
18. Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
19. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
20. Naomi Osaka (JPN)
21. Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU)
22. Maria Sharapova (RUS)
23. Barbora Strycova (CZE)
24. CoCo Vandeweghe (USA)
25. Daria Gavrilova (AUS)
26. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
27. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
28. Anett Kontaveit (EST)
29. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
30. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
31. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
32. Maria Sakkari (GRE)
