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US Open Tennis TV Schedule 2020: Tournament Viewing Info and Early Predictions
August 28, 2020
For more than a decade, the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments on the men's tour have been dominated by the trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Combined, one of the three has been the victor at the past 13 majors.
However, if that streak is going to continue, it's going to be all up to Djokovic.
The 2020 U.S. Open is set to get underway Monday as the first Grand Slam tournament to take place since the Australian Open ended in early February—Wimbledon was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the French Open has been pushed back to late September.
But some noteworthy players won't be participating, including Nadal (preparing for French Open in September) and Federer (season-ending knee surgery).
Still, Djokovic will have some strong competitors as he looks for his fourth U.S. Open victory.
On the women's side, Karolina Pliskova and Sofia Kenin are the top two seeds, followed by No. 3 Serena Williams and No. 4 Naomi Osaka. And don't count out 16-year-old American Coco Gauff, who continues to have solid showings at Grand Slam tournaments early in her career.
Here's a look at the upcoming schedule for this year's U.S. Open, followed by early predictions for the winners of the tournament.
Upcoming Schedule
Monday, Aug. 31
Noon-6 p.m. ET: First round (ESPN)
6-11 p.m. ET: First round (ESPN2)
Tuesday, Sept. 1
Noon-5 p.m. ET: First round (ESPN)
5-8 p.m. ET: First round (ESPN2)
8-11 p.m. ET: First round (ESPN)
Wednesday, Sept. 2
Noon-6 p.m. ET: Second round (ESPN)
6-11 p.m. ET: Second round (ESPN2)
Thursday, Sept. 3
Noon-11 p.m. ET: Second round (ESPN)
7-9 p.m. ET: Second round (ESPN2)
Complete schedule available at USOpen.org
Early Predictions
Djokovic Rolls to 18th Grand Slam Crown
Sure, Nadal and Federer may not be in the field, but there are some top players who will pose a challenge to Djokovic. No. 2-seeded Dominic Thiem went five sets in a loss to Djokovic in the finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, while No. 3-seeded Daniil Medvedev reached last year's U.S. Open finals before falling to Nadal.
Again, they'll be worthy competitors. They just won't be able to knock off Djokovic and end his run quite yet.
Djokovic has won five of the past seven major tournaments, and he'll add to his impressive list of career accolades with his second U.S. Open title in three years. Without Federer and Nadal in the field, Djokovic won't have to play Thiem or Medvedev until a potential finals matchup, as both are on the other side of the bracket. In the meantime, Djokovic will rack up some lopsided early wins.
Despite his top two challengers not participating, Djokovic has remained humble heading into this year's tournament.
"It would be disrespectful to all the other players to say that I have a better chance without Roger and Rafa," Djokovic said, according to Reuters (h/t Yahoo Sports). "Thiem, [Alexander] Zverev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, Medvedev, these guys are as strong as the three of us. Anyone can win, even more after six months without the tour. We don't really know how we're going to feel on the court."
Djokovic is participating in the Western & Southern Open, which should allow him to knock off any rust he may have. Then, as the 33-year-old Serb has continually shown in the past, he'll arrive in impressive form at the grandest stage to roll to another major victory.
Osaka Emerges from Top Contenders as Three-Time Champ
In 2018, Osaka won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. She then won again in her next major tournament, claiming the crown at the 2019 Australian Open. However, she hasn't won at any of her past four Grand Slam tournaments, not making it past the fourth round in any of them.
That winless streak will come to an end at this year's U.S. Open. The 22-year-old will certainly face some strong competitors along the way, but she'll rise to the occasion and win her third career major title.
Last year, Osaka beat Gauff in the U.S. Open third round. But when the two met again in the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year, it was Gauff who notched the win. It's possible the two will meet again in the third round of this year's U.S. Open, which could be Osaka's first test.
After a layoff because of the pandemic, Osaka has fared well at this week's Western & Southern Open. She's set to take on Elise Mertens in the semifinals of the tournament on Friday, and a trip to the final could give her some momentum heading into next week's U.S. Open.
Osaka is a better player than what she's shown in recent major tournaments, and this will be her chance to prove that. Expect some long matches, especially as she gets into the later rounds, but Osaka will come out on top and continue the strong start to her young career.