US Open Tennis 2015 Draw: Breaking Down Top Players in Men's, Women's Fields

This year, the U.S. Open does not have to be the runner-up to Wimbledon.

While the tournament at the All England Club is the crown jewel of international tennis, this year's U.S. Open gives the sport a chance to crown a Grand Slam champion.

Serena Williams has had a brilliant year, winning the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. If she can continue that trend and win at the U.S. Open, she will command all four Grand Slam titles in the same year.

While Williams won four Grand Slam titles in a row over a two-year span between 2002 and 2003 and again from 2014 to 2015 (she also won last year's U.S. Open), she has never won all four in the same year before.

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Serena Williams has been the No. 1 seed 3 times at US Open and won each time She's lost one set total in those wins pic.twitter.com/hiT6vZ0bwU

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 27, 2015"

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The only player to do it previously is Steffi Graf (1988), and Williams would like to join her in that exclusive club.

While there are many fine women players in the U.S. Open, including second-seeded Simona Halep, Belinda Bencic, Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova, it would be a surprise to see Serena lose. She has an incredible 48-2 record this year, and it seems she knows how to turn it on whenever an opponent gets close.

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It's official, @serenawilliams is No. 1 seed for the #usopen, could meet No. 2 seed @Simona_Halep in the final. pic.twitter.com/y3xNvGoduS

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2015"

Halep pushed Serena hard in Cincinnati last Sunday in the Western & Southern Open, and she appears to be playing well. Sharapova had to drop out of that tournament with a leg injury. Bencic earned respect when she beat Serena two weeks ago in Toronto. Wozniacki has been sharp, but she is too much of a defensive player to truly threaten Williams

Williams has won just under $10 million this year, and she has earned more than $73 million in prize money throughout her career.

She has made it clear that she wants to win all four major championships in the same year.

"It's always something I've thought about, a goal way out there," Williams said to Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated. "It would be pretty cool, wouldn't it?"

Williams has the best serve in the game and is also its best returner. Her fundamental edges over the rest of the field are obvious, and that means her rivals would need to have a superior performance while Serena turned in a subpar performance to upset her.

That seems quite unlikely.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

There is a different kind of dominance on the men's side. The threesome of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray are head and shoulders above the rest of the field.

Djokovic is the top seed and the No. 1 player in the world, but he was beaten by Roger Federer in Cincinnati last Sunday one week after Murray beat him in Montreal.

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World No. 1 @DjokerNole, the 2011 @usopen champion, to play Joao Souza in 1R. http://t.co/Cn3RAn7X1d #atp #tennis pic.twitter.com/7kKbpvLasF

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) August 27, 2015"

Both of Djokovic's top challengers should feel a high degree of confidence. Federer, in particular, has to feel good about his chances, even though Djokovic beat him at Wimbledon. Federer won in straight sets at the Western & Southern Open in the finals over Djokovic, and he did not lose a service game throughout that tournament.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Little is expected from Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open. Nadal has won just three titles this year—Hamburg, Stuttgart and Buenos Aires—but he has not done anything in the Grand Slam tournaments. He has just not been good enough to rise to the occasion.

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Can the aggressive—and perhaps reckless—Roger Federer replicate his Cincinnati exploits in NY? http://t.co/tJk9fhbMTr pic.twitter.com/xqdh6MOEIU

— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) August 25, 2015"

The two players outside the big three with the best chances to come away with the championship are Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori. Wawrinka, the fifth seed, has had an up-and-down year that has seen him win the French Open (Roland Garros), but he has disappointed at other times.

Nishikori was a finalist last year and is the No. 4 seed. While he has not had a breakthrough win in any of the majors, he has the athleticism and complete game to make a long run in the tournament.

This is a heavyweight's championship to win. It would be a surprise if anyone outside of Djokovic, Federer or Murray came away with the men's title, and it would be a shocker if anyone other than Serena won the fourth Grand Slam title of the year on the women's side.

She should win the title and earn her special place in tennis history.