New York will love if Rafael Nadal can stay on the road to the US Open

Here are five men who could be number one in the world by the end of the US Open.

At the moment, the leader is Russian Daniil Medvedev, but after a year the team’s ranking points have fallen, so Rafa Nadal is the most likely to replace him.

The great Spaniard has not been leading the charts for two and a half years. Nadal, 36, is as good at managing his time as he is at managing his game.

He has not lost a Grand Slam match this year. In one of the greatest matches of all time, he defeated Medvedev in straight sets to win the Australian Open in January and the French Open in Paris in June for the 14th time.

At Wimbledon, he failed to meet Nick Kyrgios in the semis after a magical five-set victory over Taylor Fritz. At that point, the tournament was pretty low.

Elsewhere, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz and the Norwegian Kasper Ludo could be number one.

For that, everyone has to advance to the final. But the best hard court player of all time doesn’t play.

Novak Djokovic has not been authorized to enter the United States as an unvaccinated alien. John McEnroe may call it dumb, but that’s the rule.

There was a lot of speculation in the locker room that Djokovic could cross the Mexican border and fix the situation that way, but it was absurd and more than that.

He would aspire to match Rafa’s 22nd Grand Slam, but of course he won’t go that far.

For me, Medvedev starts as the favorite to defend his crown. Alcaraz, 19, goes deep again and hopes Tsitsipas wins.

A lot depends on Nadal’s physical state. If he can get inspired and play seven games on hard, hard courts, New York will love it. Who knows how long that will last?

Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie has raised Britain’s hopes after breaking into the world’s top 10 on Monday.

However, it was its governing body, the ATP Tour, that canceled those points in response to bans on Russian and Belarusian players.

Nori was never one to lick her wounds or complain. He continued his form, reaching the semifinals in Cincinnati, where he beat Andy Murray and Alcaraz, and is now ranked ninth in the world.

Murray is still in the top 50, but he is not considered a major title contender. So why does he play him? Because he loves competition and he loves physical performance.

It’s really inspiring. When he decides to step down, Murray will have to take responsibility for British tennis performances solely in his designated role.

I don’t think so, but I can’t afford to miss out on your experience.

The most interesting British prospect is Jack Draper. He started the year with 262 in the world. He is currently number 55 and climbing.

He’s only 20 years old, but he’s 6’4″ and left-handed, so he has the tools to do it all. He always believed he belonged and immediately felt comfortable with the top players.

This week in North Carolina he beat Fabio Fognini and Dominic Thiem to reach the quarter-finals, and two weeks ago he defeated Tsitsipas. I can’t wait to see what he will create in the next ten years.

Stunning Emma Radkanu is racking up rounds

A year has passed, but Emma Radkanu is in no hurry to forget.

He played and won the US Open last year and of course his life changed from that moment on.

I think he did a great job dealing with it, as did his family.

Every aspect of their lives, something about their game and mentality, has come under scrutiny, but despite all the attention from the press and the public, they have played well and adapted to life on tour.

Emma works diligently and diligently just like any other player in the game, and her desire to succeed is total. Of course, who knows if she will reach a Grand Slam final, but I would be very surprised if she didn’t.

She has been on the run this summer in America, beating Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

You might think the amount of coverage given to this young Englishman is excessive, but the survey makes it clear that publishers, sponsors and broadcasters are right to take note of him.

Imagine someone who only had A-level results a year ago.

Evolution is an appropriate word for Serena Williams

Serena Williams, 41, is retiring from tennis.

I’m sure her close friend Meghan Markle would approve of this phrase. Serena was recently on Markle’s podcast. An hour with Selena is more than the press has done in years.

Selena didn’t do anything in the book, she was never predictable.

His track record speaks for itself, but his influence is harder to define.

Without a doubt, he is an inspiration, a role model and an irreplaceable presence for the non-traditional tennis public.

Sometimes that turns into poor manners and poor sportsmanship, but in the heat of battle things are said and done that cannot be erased.

Say goodbye to fascinating characters and sports legends, but that’s not all.