US Open Tennis 2020: TV Schedule and Monday's Afternoon Draw Predictions

Novak Djokovic's time at the 2020 U.S. Open has come to an end. And it's unlikely anybody saw the nature of his exit coming.

On Sunday, Djokovic, the No. 1 seed in the men's tournament, was playing No. 20-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta in a round-of-16 matchup. Trailing 6-5 in the first set, Djokovic hit a ball in frustration away from the court, but he inadvertently hit a line judge, causing him to be defaulted from the tournament. And just like that, the 17-time Grand Slam champion is done.

That means somebody other than Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer will win a men's major tournament for the first time since the 2016 U.S. Open, as the latter two aren't in New York City for this year's U.S. Open. Two of the top contenders (No. 2-seeded Dominic Thiem and No. 3-seeded Daniil Medvedev) will both be in action during Monday's round-of-16 play.

Djokovic was the heavy favorite for this year's tournament, so with him out, the odds of either Thiem or Medvedev winning their first career Grand Slam title have greatly increased.

Here's a look at the coverage schedule for Monday's play, followed by predictions for the day's action.

Monday Schedule

Round of 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. ET, ESPN

Round of 16, 4-11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Monday Predictions

Thiem, Medvedev Move Another Step Closer to Semis Matchup

With Djokovic defaulted, the potential semifinals matchup between Thiem and Medvedev would now carry even more stakes. That's because Djokovic is guaranteed to no longer be waiting for the winner of that matchup in the final.

Thiem and Medvedev should both reach the semifinals and make that crucial matchup happen, and they'll both win in round-of-16 play on Monday to get a step closer to that. Thiem is taking on No. 15 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, while Medvedev is facing unseeded Frances Tiafoe.

Through the first two rounds, Thiem didn't lose a set. Then, in the third round, he defeated former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, the No. 31 seed, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. And although Thiem has never won a major tournament, he's reached the final in two of his past four (including the Australian Open earlier this year), so he should continue his roll and advance to the quarterfinals.

Medvedev reached the final of last year's U.S. Open, and he's started strong again this year by winning each of his first three matches in three straight sets. He hasn't faced a seeded opponent yet, and he should again cruise to victory before the competition gets tougher in the quarterfinals.

Serena Continues March Back to Final with Win

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

As Serena Williams looks to win her record-tying 24th career Grand Slam title, the competition is only going to keep getting tougher. She'll play her most challenging opponent yet on Monday when she faces No. 15 seed Maria Sakkari in the round of 16.

However, Williams, the No. 3 seed, is playing too well to lose this early. She's had tremendous success at the U.S. Open over the years, winning the tournament six times and reaching the final each of the past two years. So far in this year's tournament, she won her first two matches in two straight sets before beating No. 26-seeded Sloane Stephens 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

That victory proved that Williams is still capable of overcoming a slow start in her quest to match Margaret Court's all-time Grand Slam record.

Sakkari has also played well so far in the tournament, and she's coming off her best showing yet after defeating No. 22-seeded Amanda Anisimova in two straight sets. She's likely going to take Williams to three sets, but again, Williams will rely on her experience and take her game to another level to advance to the quarterfinals.

Kenin Wins, Moves Closer to Semis Matchup Against Serena

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

If Williams is going to make it to the U.S. Open final for the third straight year, she'll likely have to get past No. 2-seeded Sofia Kenin in the semifinals. But first, Kenin will also need to get there. She'll look to move another step closer in Monday's round-of-16 action when she faces No. 16 seed Elise Mertens.

Kenin has yet to lose a set in the tournament, winning each of her first three matches in straight sets. In the third round, she took down No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

Earlier this year, Kenin won her first career Grand Slam title by claiming victory at the Australian Open. And she's now looking to win back-to-back major tournaments, as the U.S. Open is the first one to be held since that event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

No. 1-seeded Karolina Pliskova lost in the second round, so it's possible that a Kenin-Williams semifinals matchup could decide who goes on to win the tournament title. Kenin will get closer to that round by defeating Mertens, likely notching another win in straight sets and continuing her impressive play to open the tournament.