US Open Tennis 2017: TV Schedule and Predictions for Event's Biggest Stars

The start of the U.S. Open is one week away, and when the final Grand Slam tournament of the year gets underway in New York August 28, it will have a different look on the men's side than fans are used to seeing.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have been the dominant players in the sport for more than a decade. The expectation has been that when these men step on the court in an important tournament, one of them will find a way to win, with few exceptions.

While Stan Wawrinka has found a way to break through on occasion, that fantastic foursome has dominated. One of those four players have won 45 of the last 50 majors.

That could change at the U.S. Open, because age and injury appears to be catching up to that group. This could be the tournament where Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev steps up.

Djokovic will not travel to New York to compete in the U.S. Open as he withdrew from all events as a result of physical and mental fatigue. Murray has been suffering from a hip problem, and he has not been anything close to his best.

Federer returned to top form when he dominated at Wimbledon earlier this summer, and he will almost certainly be one of the top seeds at the U.S. Open. However, he was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by the 20-year-old Zverev in Montreal's Rogers Cup earlier this month.

"After vacation and practice, it's always a bit of a shock for the body," Federer said following his loss to Zverev, per the BBC. "I felt all right all week. Had a bit of muscle pain, aches and pains here and there, just because it's back on the match courts, on the hard courts."

Federer did not play in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last week as a result of back problems.

Federer and Nadal have both had wonderful years, and they will try to cap the season with memorable performances at the U.S. Open. Federer, who also won the Australian Open in addition to Wimbledon this year, should make it quite deep into the tournament despite his back issues. However, his performance against Zverev indicates that he could be vulnerable in the semifinals or the championship match if he gets that far.

Nadal should be in good shape as well, but the grind of playing could catch up with him in the second week of the tournament as well.

Look for Murray to struggle with his hip injury if he decides to play, and it would be a surprise if he survives the first week of the tournament. It doesn't appear likely that he will make a serious run in New York.

On the women's side, the tournament won't have its usual luster, as the pregnant Serena Williams will be in New York to root on sister Venus Williams but won't play. Garbine Muguruza, who defeated Venus in the Wimbledon final, and Simona Halep should both be in a position to make championship runs at the U.S. Open.

Muguruza overwhelmed Halep 6-0, 6-1 in the Western & Southern Open championship match Sunday, and she has won three of four head-to-head matches between the two rivals.

John Minchillo/Associated Press/Associated Press

Predictions

Look for Federer to find a way to survive on talent and guile and get to the championship round against Zverev. While Federer was beaten in straight sets in Montreal by the German, he should prevail in five grueling sets.

Muguruza appears to be at the top of her game, and a rematch with Halep is quite likely. While Halep could get closer than she did in Cincinnati, Muguruza will prevail again.

Television schedule

The U.S. Open will be televised by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3 throughout its two-week run, with live match coverage scheduled from 11 a.m. ET to 11 p.m. through September 4. 

Here is the official television schedule, per USOpen.org.

Once the tournament reaches the quarterfinals, the coverage windows won't be as long because fewer competitors will remain in the tournament, but all matches will continue to be televised. The women's final match is scheduled for September 9, while the men's final is scheduled for Sept. 10.