US Open Tennis 2015: Key Tournament Info and Championship Predictions

The 2015 U.S. Open kicks off Monday, and the season's final major will feature a rare chance to witness tennis history. Serena Williams looks to complete the calendar Grand Slam after previously winning the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

Although the men's draw doesn't possess a storyline quite on that level, it should be intriguing in its own right with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all showcasing good form. That should create some terrific matchups during the second week.

Let's check out all the important information for this year's event. It's followed by predictions for which players will raise the trophy from each draw.

2015 U.S. Open Details

Where: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City

When: Monday, Aug. 31 - Sunday, Sept. 13

Watch: ESPN, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel (full schedule)

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Championship Predictions

Men's Winner: Novak Djokovic

Top-seeded Djokovic faces no shortage of high-end competition heading into the tournament, as Federer and Murray also have legitimate shots at claiming the crown. And that's not counting a possible surprise run like the one Marin Cilic put together to win one year ago.

That said, Djokovic is the top-ranked player in the world for a reason. A loss to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final is the only reason he's not joining Williams in the Grand Slam quest.

He rebounded nicely from that shocking defeat to capture the Wimbledon crown. Now, he arrives in New York with a lot of confidence in both his game and the environment, as noted by Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian.

"It's probably my best Grand Slam," Djokovic said. "Since I played my first U.S. Open main draw [in 2005], in 2007 I played the first final, and ever since then I've been reaching at least the semifinals. That says something my game and my results there.

"But of course, I didn't manage to make that final step many times—only once, in 2011. I'm going there with that thought in my mind: I like the surface, I like the conditions, I like playing in Arthur Ashe, it's the biggest stadium in the sport. With all the achievements this year so far behind me, I think I'm in a very good position to go far."

Federer is another player with a history of success in the event, having won five straight titles in the U.S. Open starting in 2004. He's advanced to the final just once since that point, but he stands among the tournament greats, via ESPN Stats & Info:

Djokovic and Federer met in the final of the Cincinnati warm-up event. The Swiss sensation came out on top in impressive fashion with a straight-sets triumph. He asserted himself as a serious threat to win in New York, if he wasn't already.

That said, the biggest question when it comes to the 17-time major champion is whether he can survive the two-week grind in a five-set tournament. Having enough left in the tank for the semifinals and finals, when he's facing his toughest foes, is an issue. It's a key reason he has just one Grand Slam title since 2011.

Djokovic is enjoying an outstanding year, and fitness remains a major advantage for him in the latter stages of the Grand Slam season. That's why it's tough to pick against him despite a deep field of contenders.

Women's Winner: Serena Williams

Steffi Graf is the last woman to capture the calendar Grand Slam all the way back in 1988. Nearly three decades later, Williams has a chance to end the drought, and it's hard to consider her anything but an overwhelming favorite to do exactly that.

What makes her so difficult to beat is her incredible combination of physical ability and mental toughness. Her power is enough to win a lot of matches, but even when she's not playing her best, she's able to will herself to victory.

Nine times during the season's first three majors, she got forced to a third set and won. It's a remarkable feat to get pushed to the limit that many times with the added pressure of a major tournament and find a way to survive every time.

Her focus now is trying to avoid some of the spotlight associated with her run at the history books, as pointed out by the WTA Tour.

"I'm trying to stay away from stress," Williams said. "I'm trying to minimize what I do, because I just want to play tennis. I don't necessarily want to hear about, oh, this history and that history, because I just want to do the best I can. I want to be able to win, and I don't want any distractions."

Bill Simmons explains it goes beyond the Grand Slam too:

"

A 2015 US Open title clinches Female Athlete GOAT status for Serena... and she knows it.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) August 24, 2015"

The weight of the situation is the only thing the can prevent her from winning. With all due respect to the likes of Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep and the other contenders on the women's side, they don't stand a chance against Williams at her best with so much on the line.

If the pressure takes its toll and she plays poorly, the door opens for an upset. But it's going to take an extraordinary effort to knock her out given how well she's played with her back against the wall this year.

Every match is going to become a unique spectacle, but look for Williams to complete the journey by adding the calendar Grand Slam to her already stacked resume.