Photo: Martin Sidorjak
Two polar opposites win in Granby.
The US Open main draw kicks off with the word’s best set to take part in the final Grand Slam of the year.
Serena and Venus Williams team up for the first time in four years.
Here’s what you need to know.
Incase you missed it: Diallo and Kasatkina reign in Granby
The Granby National Bank Championships are all wrapped up and Gabriel Diallo and Daria Kasatkina are the two left standing.
Their stories aren’t quite the same, however, as while they both raised similar trophies there paths to the title were very different.
On the women’s side, Kasatkina claimed the title as the tournament’s top seed. She was near perfect throughout the event, but we’ll detail that in just a little bit.
On the men’s side, Diallo defied the odds as the 20-year-old wildcard completed upset after upset on the way to his first ATP Challenger title.
The Montrealer defeated sixth seeded Juncheng Shang 7-5, 7-6(5) in the final.
The rise of Diallo was teased briefly during the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. He won his first qualifying matchup before retiring due to injury in the second round.
In Granby, the Canadian’s talents were on full display. He defeated his fellow countryman Dan Martin in the round of 32 before winning a tough three-setter against seventh seeded Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
When adversity hit in the quarterfinals, Diallo responded by defeating Aziz Dougaz in a third set tiebreak after dropping the first.
In the semifinals, it was another top ten seed falling to the Canadian as he cruised past Hiroki Moriya in straight sets.
Although the score of the finals may suggest otherwise, the match was not as close as it seemed. Diallo was better across the board statistically and it was just a matter of time before he raised the trophy.
Now for the top seeded Kasatkina.
The 25-year-old prevailed 6-4, 6-4 on the fifth championship point against Australian Daria Saville for her second WTA title of the year.
On her run to the title, Kasatkina showed exactly why she’s one of the world’s best. The only set she lost in the tournament was the first one she played. The top seed immediately followed that up by winning ten consecutive sets off the likes of Greet Minnen, Magdalena Frech, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Diane Parry, and Saville in the final.
The world No. 10 became just the eighth player to win multiple singles titles in 2022. She’s in elite company, joining Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia, Simona Halep, Ons Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Bernarda Pera, and Liudmila Samsonova.
What to watch: US Open main draw action
There’s nothing quite like a Grand Slam.
The world’s best have taken their talents to New York to compete for the coveted US Open title, in what will be the final Grand Slam on the tournament’s calendar
Over the hard court season, we’ve seen our fare share of movie-like storylines. Most recently with Pablo Carreno Busta winning his first Masters 1000 title in Montreal, and in Cincinnati where Borna Coric and Caroline Garcia went on their improbable runs to glory.
There’s just nothing like being able to say you won a slam, so rest assured that everyone from the top seeds to the qualifiers will be bringing their best.
On Monday, Serena Williams will take the court in what will be the start of her farewell tour. You’ll also get to see world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, and top Canadians Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez.
Tuesday will feature fan-favourite and world No. 3 Rafael Nadal, who will come in fresh after missing Montreal, and dropping his opening match in Cincinnati.
Asides from the Spaniard, you’ll find WTA No. 1 Swiatek, Canadian Denis Shapovalov, Hubert Hurkacz, and Venus Williams in action as well.
Get your popcorn ready, sit back, and enjoy.
Under the radar: Williams sisters to pair up for US Open doubles
What more could you ask for?
Serena and Venus Williams will compete together for the first time since 2018, as they have accepted a wildcard to the US Open doubles main draw.
The sisters have won an astonishing 14 Grand Slam titles while playing alongside each other. Two of which were at the US Open.
The pair won the tournament for the fist time in 1999, in the same year that Serena won the first of her 23 major titles.
Every moment of the Williams sisters on court is can’t miss action as we don’t know when it will be their last. 40-year-old Serena has indicated that she plans to retire following the tournament, and while 42-year-old Venus has only played sparingly in recent years its hard to believe that we’ll get much longer to witness their greatness.
There’s no question the sisters are two of the most iconic and influential athletes in recent memory. With them pairing up one final time, tennis fans should be tuning into every second of them on the court together.
The doubles draw begins on Wednesday.
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