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The final tennis major of the year begins on Monday, when the world's best players will be aiming for glory at the 2019 U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic will be out to retain his title and claim the 17th Grand Slam of a glittering career.

He will face competition from former champions Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, while Russia's Daniil Medvedev is one to watch after beating Djokovic at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

The women's draw looks wide-open and is packed full of serious contenders. Six-time winner Serena Williams is the favourite just ahead of 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep.

French Open winner Ashleigh Barty, defending champion Naomi Osaka and 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys are also fancied by the oddsmakers.

Odds for Top Players

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Men's Draw

Novak Djokovic +110 (bet $100 to win $110)

Rafael Nadal +275

Roger Federer +600

Daniil Medvedev +1,100

Alexander Zverev +2,000

Dominic Thiem +2,000

Stefanos Tsitsipas +2,000

Women's Draw

Serena Williams +400

Simona Halep +700

Ashleigh Barty +900

Naomi Osaka +900

Bianca Andreescu +1,200

Karolina Pliskova +1,200

Madison Keys +1,200

Odds via Caesars.

Prize-Money Info

There is a grand total of $57,238,700 available in prize money at the 2019 U.S. Open, per the tournament's official website.

The winners of the men's and women's singles titles will take home $3.85 million each, while the runners-up are set to pocket $1.9 million.

Winner: $3.85 million

Runner-up: $1.9 million

Semi-finalists: $960,000

Quarter-finalists: $500,000

Round of 16: $280,000

Round of 32: $163,000

Round of 64: $100,000

Round of 128: $58,000

U.S. Open Bracket Predictions

Djokovic has won four of the past five Grand Slams and is the man to beat at the U.S. Open. The Serb's most recent major win came at Wimbledon in June when he beat Federer in the longest singles final ever:

The defeat will have been a painful one for Federer. He had two championship points during the match but could not see off the top seed, and his wait for a 21st Grand Slam continues.

However, the Swiss star said "this is probably the best I've felt in years" heading into the tournament after a caravan holiday with his family, according to Jonathan Jurejko at BBC Sport.

There is no doubting Federer's quality, but his loss at Wimbledon may have left the 38-year-old doubting whether he still has the capacity to beat Djokovic over five sets.

One player in the draw who has recent experience of beating Djokovic is Medvedev. The Russian overcame the Serb in Cincinnati on his way to claiming the title:

The 23-year-old has been in superb form ahead of the tournament and looks in good shape to make an impact in New York.

Meanwhile, Nadal can not be discounted despite his most recent win at this tournament coming all the way back in 2010.

The Spaniard won his 18th Grand Slam at the French Open in June, and a triumph in New York would put him just one behind Federer's record of 20.

Nadal has also impressed in the run-up to the U.S Open, thrashing Medvedev in straight sets to win the Canadian Open title.

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The women's draw is difficult to predict given the depth of competition. There have been three major champions in 2019, and it would be little surprise to see that trend continue.

Williams may be the favourite but faces a tough first round match after being drawn against 2006 champion Maria Sharapova:

The pair have a long and intense rivalry and will meet for the first time since 2016 in what promises to be a blockbuster start to the tournament.

Bianca Andreescu is one player who heads into the tournament in fine form. The 19-year-old won her first title at Indian Wells in March and backed that up with victory at the Canadian Open.

Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa highlighted her meteoric rise:

Andreescu has enjoyed wins over Karolina Pliskova, Kiki Bertens, Angelique Kerber and Elina Svitolina in 2019 and looks set to make an impact as she searches for her first Grand Slam.