World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is the favorite to win, but the fan favorite on Monday will be Tommy Paul.
“It makes it more fun because you have the crowd cheering,” Paul said. “And of course, most of the games here, when we're Americans playing against foreigners, the crowd is on your side. Momentum plays a big role.”
The 27-year-old American has not been cruising through the U.S. Open draw like Sinner, who has won his last eight matches in a row.
But even without the steroid scandal surrounding the Italian, Paul would still be a hit with the crowds.
While Paul is working hard, Sinner has been struggling with illness and back problems in recent months.
Pole's speed and athleticism make him a tough returner who will make life difficult for Sinner – and he did just that to beat the Italian in the last 16 at Eastbourne two years ago.
“I'm definitely going to give him a hard time,” Paul said. “From the baseline, I'm not a better ball-striker than him, so I've got to try to push my game on him and play my tennis more than his — bang-bang tennis from the baseline. He's probably the best ball-striker on tour, and I'm not. I don't want to just go bang-bang with him from the baseline. I want to try different things.”
Three months ago, New York native Paula Badosa thought she might have to give up tennis.
Now the Spaniard has beaten Yahuan Wang 6-1, 6-2 to set up a meeting with American Emma Navarro in the US Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.
“I'll be playing in front of an American crowd, a home crowd, but I like this kind of thing. It's a challenge and I'm really looking forward to it,” Badosa said.[Navarro] “She's very talented. There was a big battle in Rome. It was on clay. No. But she's playing very well. She's playing very well in the summer, playing good matches. … Maybe I have to be more aggressive than she is.”
Badosa suffered a stress fracture in her L4 vertebra last year and thought she might have to retire at the start of this season, but she has fought her way back.
Born in Manhattan to Spanish parents and moving to Barcelona at age 7, Badosa set her best Grand Slam records in her hometown, but she is under no delusions that the crowds are on her side.
“No, it doesn't matter to me, I'll be honest with you,” Badosa laughed. “I'm an American by birth, and I think people only care about the flag. I'm playing against Americans, people are going to root for the Americans, and I totally get that.”
“It'll still be cool. I still like it. It'll be my first time riding Ash.” [U.S. Open] “We can reach the quarter-finals so it will be an experience for me. I like these challenges. I was born to play on the big stage so I'm really looking forward to it.”
