The US Open, of all the four slams, is notoriously the hardest to predict the winners of as it falls at a time of year when eight months into the season the players are more likely than not nursing aches and pains with their bodies battered from the grind of the tour. It's also played on a surface where more players fancy their chances; many have love-hate relationships with clay and grass but hard courts are their bread and butter. The US Open is now a three-week event, week one is fan week, which this year saw five-time champion Roger Federer return for an exhibition.

The main draw starts on Sunday and contains nine Brits, with a record five coming through qualifying. The men's competition is headed up by Sascha Zverev in the absence of Jannik Sinner [knee injury] and the women's by world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. In terms of questions to be asked, there are five main ones: How will the wrist of returning champion Carlos Alcaraz hold up under the pressure of best-of-five-set Grand Slam play? Will 39-year-old Novak Djokovic finally get his hands on Grand Slam title No 25? Can an American finally win the men's title in New York? The last to do it was Andy Roddick in 2003.

Can Aryna Sabalenka make history and win the US Open title for a third consecutive year? It's something that hasn't been done since Serena Williams in 2012-14. And maybe more importantly... who will end the tournament as world No 1, with four players in the running?.