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- Swiatek begins defence wary of Sabalenka threat
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Note that Novak Djokovic, denied his 24th grand slam by Alcaraz in that magical Wimbledon final plays the last game on the Arthur Ashe Stadium. He’s back in New York, having missed last year’s tournament due to his lack of a Covid vaccine. He’s *only* won the US Open three times and his search for a fourth against France’s Alexandre Muller.
Flushing Meadows it is, or rather the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and here comes two weeks of the rowdiest – and latest, in two senses, slam of the year. The defending champions are Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, two players on a road to greatness that is nowhere near complete, considering we are exiting, just about the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era, and that Serena Williams is a mum once more. Alcaraz has to wait until Tuesday to start his defence so Swiatek takes the centre stage, and early on, in playing Rebecca Peterson of Sweden, the world No 75. That goes off 5pm UK time/midday NYC time.