Here are all the bigwigs of men's and women's categories at the US Open

Jannik SinnerVerdict The defending champion and World No 1 is poised to repeat his success from last year and has the psychological edge over his archrival Carlos Alcaraz having beaten him at the most recent Grand Slam final in Wimbledon last month However an untimely illness on the eve of the Cincinnati Open final last week mdash he ceded the title to Alcaraz after calling it quits in the first set mdash means his preparation for the tournament has been scupperedStrengths The Italian has an excellent record on hard courts since the start of 2024 65 wins 4 losses and is known to be exceptionally consistent and canexpose his opponentrsquos flaws ruthlesslyWeaknesses Sinner has no discernible weaknesses in his game but there are question marks over his ability to withstand the heat and humidity at Flushing Meadows towards the end of a gruelling seasonAryna SabalenkaVerdict The womenrsquos World No 1 is looking good to defend her title on a court that amplifies her bighitting ability However the Belarusian has struggled to get across the line in GrandSlam finals this year losing the Australian Open final to Madison Keys and the French Open title battle to Coco GauffStrengths Sabalenka is equipped with a thunderous serve and an explosive baseline game that will strike fear into any opponent that faces her on hard courtsWeaknesses The 27yearold can be too reliant on her strength and can lose her cool when facing an opponent that excels in defence and playing the long gameCarlos AlcarazVerdict If Sinner is the favourite the Spanish World No 2 is a close second Alcaraz announced his arrival as tennisrsquos future star by winning his first everGrand Slam here 2022 Since then hersquos gone on to add four more to his tally and looked in great touch in Cincinnati where he clinched the top prize Despite losing the Wimbledon title to the Italian Alcaraz has beaten him in three finals this year including the French Open summit clashStrengths Alcarazrsquos powerful forehand allied to his explosive speed in covering the court should serve him very well against all opponents hereWeaknesses The 22yearold lacks Sinnerrsquos consistency and focus which causes him to take his foot off the pedal during certain occasions especially in the early stagesIga SwiatekVerdict The Polish World No 2 is best positioned to dethrone Sabalenka after striking a rich vein of form in recent times The 24yearold has proved this by winning her maiden Wimbledon title After being known for long time to be clay court specialist Swiatek will be keen to display her hard court prowess to the world hereStrengths Patience and precision are Swiatekrsquos strongest suits which when added to her current form make her a formidable opponent for anyone on tourWeaknesses The Pole lacks the power and aggressive baseline ability that some of her opponents possess which could complicate her title charge on the hard courts hereNovak DjokovicVerdict It seems shocking to suggest that a 24time Grand Slam winner will play the role of an underdog but thatrsquos where Djokovic is at in the twilight of his career The 38yearold hasnrsquot won a Slam for two years but the ultracompetitive Serbian will be motivated by the chance to win a recordbreaking 25th Grand Slam in what could perhaps be his last dance at Flushing MeadowsStrengths The phrase lsquobeen there done thatrsquo fits Djokovic perfectly mdash 14 of his 24 Grand Slam titles have been achieved on hard courts four at the US Open Therersquos no substitute for experience though and this gives him the ability to remain unnerved and seize crucial momentsWeaknesses Father Time appears to have caught up with the Serbian as have injuries His court coverage will surely be tested to the limit hereCoco GauffVerdict Gauff who won the French Open this year is also the home favourite and seems to thrive at Flushing Meadows she won here in 2023 But she has struggled with form lately and made an embarrassing firstround exit at WimbledonStrengths The 21yearold possesses a rapid first serve and a deadly backhand Factor in her speed across the court and itrsquos easy to see why she prefers playing on this particular surfaceWeaknesses Gauff has been struggling with the accuracy of her serves recently Her forehand technique has also been criticised in the past and has let her down in longrallies previously