Novak Djokovic is back in New York to both defend his US Open title and bid for a historic 25th Grand Slam.
With cordial handshakes, high-fives, and hugs at the net, the ATP tour is not suffering from any lack of love between its stars.
However, recently on account of a few dodgy decisions early in the hard-court season, players have quite freely expressed their grievances.
Taylor Fritz‘s controversial run-in with an umpire in Cincinnati was the third major issue of four in the first three weeks of the season.
Denis Shapovalov’s continued dialogue with ATP is still as frosty as ever with the Canadian comparing life on the tour to a circus after the controversial ending to his Washington semi-final against Ben Shelton.
Despite all this, the camaraderie between players doesn’t seem to have dwindled, in fact rather the opposite.
Rennae Stubbs reveals the two most popular ATP players
With the US Open nearly underway, the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati is said to be somewhat of a dress rehearsal for New York.
Despite fraying tensions, the ATP’s most prestigious stars have had their say on who the most likeable characters are on the tour.
In Rennae Stubbs’ Tennis podcast, she said: “I did a Q&A with all the players at Cincinnati and the question I asked every single guy was ‘Who’s the happiest and most well liked guy in the locker room?’ and every single one of them said Frances Tiafoe or Carlos Alcaraz.”
With those two having had mixed fortunes on the hard-core, the script has almost been switched with Tiafoe forging a run to the finals while Alcaraz succumbed much earlier.
Alcaraz smashed his racket in his defeat to Gael Monfils in a rare moment of on-court fury from the 21-year-old, as his form coming into New York remains slightly unclear.
Can Frances Tiafoe challenge at the US Open?
They say you play your best tennis when you’re enjoying it. If charisma and a contagious smile are the way to a Grand Slam title, Tiafoe might have to consider vastly sizing up his current trophy cabinet.
Indeed, the dynamic American has seen his ranking so back into the top 20 after reaching the final in Cincinnati.
Despite defeat to Jannik Sinner, the American is visibly enjoying his Tennis again after a slightly long period of underachievement.
With American hopes high and the lack of form from players like Fritz and Tommy Paul, Tiafoe will be keen to prove that his run to the last eight a year ago was no fluke.
With the top three contenders either not playing their best, dealing with some distracting off court business, and having not played a hard-core match since March, perhaps this is as good as time as any for someone new to seize the moment.
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