US Open Tennis 2013: Under-the-Radar Men's Contenders to Watch in New York

Men’s major tennis tournaments aren’t usually won by anyone other than the biggest stars in the game.

Of the last 34 majors dating back to 2005, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic have captured 33. The 2013 U.S. Open will likely go down in similar fashion.

But what if it doesn’t?

With Federer seemingly declining on the court, an opening at the top for others is beginning to widen. But does Federer have enough for one last epic performance at this year’s Open?

We’ll examine his chances and some other contenders who are flying under the radar as the event kicks off this week in New York.

John Isner, United States

John Isner is playing great tennis and represents the best chance for an American Grand Slam win we’ve seen in quite some time. The only thing he needs is the confidence to carry him against the world’s best.

How’s this for a confidence boost: the American rocked the world with a huge upset over No. 1-ranked Djokovic to advance to the semis of the recent Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Oh.

While he went on to lose to Nadal in the championship match, Isner battled to the end. He forced two tiebreakers but ended up losing both sets to the surging Spaniard.

With his confidence high, the attention shifts to his monster serve. Finding a way to put his shot in play on first serves will be a difference maker for Isner in New York.

But, as we saw against Nadal last week, that might not be enough if he struggles returning the serves of the other heavy hitters in the tournament.

Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina

You already know The Big Four have won 33 of the last 34 Grand Slams. Did you know Juan Martin del Potro is the lone blemish on their otherwise dominant stranglehold over the game?

He won the 2009 U.S. Open in an instant classic over Federer—the Swiss’ last appearance in the tournament’s final match—at just 20 years of age.

Now, at 24 years old, del Potro is slowly emerging as one of the best young players in the game. If anyone is in a good position to fill the void left by the sliding Federer and break-up that dominance, it’s del Potro.

While he has been playing great tennis and has solidified himself as an emerging star, del Potro has received a tough draw in New York. Barring an upset, he would face Djokovic in the quarterfinals, Murray in the semifinals and then Nadal in the final.

The gauntlet has been thrown at his feet. Will he be able to continue his excellent play to win his second Grand Slam?

Roger Federer, Switzerland

Could Fed-Ex have been saving himself for one last hurrah at the U.S. Open?

Like Pete Sampras, Federer is on an eerily similar decline heading into a late-career U.S. Open appearance. He’s won just one title in 2013, no major’s and recently slipped to No. 7 in the latest ATP rankings.

Sampras said he thinks he can do it, according to ESPN’s Kamakshi Tandon:

"

So he needs to just find a way to remember who he is. It's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to walk into every press conference and everyone says: “What's wrong, Roger? When are you going to retire?” And then you start thinking about it and believing it.

"

With top contenders like the trio of Murray, Djokovic and Nadal standing in his way, Federer will need a lot to go right in the men’s draw in order to defy the odds by winning another Grand Slam.

If the draw unfolds without any upsets, he would meet Nadal in the quarterfinals—the first ever meeting between the two at a U.S. Open.

With how great Nadal is playing at the moment, that could be the end of Federer’s hopes—if he’s still around. If Nadal loses early or Federer finds a way to get past him, look out. A potential semifinals matchup against Richard Gasquet or David Ferrer would await him.

If he can build confidence like Sampras suggests and return to the top of his game, there’s no telling what the end result may be in New York for the Swiss legend.