NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Seeded: 1 Age: 26
Country: Serbia
2013 Match Record: 44-8
2013 Singles Titles: 3
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-F, ‘11-W, ‘10-F, ‘09-SF, ‘08-SF
Topspin: No worse than a semifinalist six years in a row at Flushing Meadows, including four finals appearances in that span — but only one title. ... Played Andy Murray in three of the past four Grand Slam finals, going 1-2; one of those losses came at the U.S. Open a year ago. ... His 28 career hard-court titles are second among active men to Roger Federer’s 52.
RAFAEl NADAl
Seeded: 2 Age: 27
Country: Spain
2013 Match Record: 53-3
2013 Singles Titles: 9
Career Singles Titles: 59
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-DNP, ‘11-F, ‘10-W, ‘09-SF, ‘08-SF
Topspin: Returns after missing last year’s U.S. Open during a seven-month absence from the tour because of knee issues. ... Not only does he lead the tour this season with nine titles — no one else has more than four. ... 15-0 on hard courts in 2013, giving him three titles on the surface in a single season for the first time. ... 14-1 against opponents ranked in the top 10 this year. ... Could meet Federer in the quarterfinals.
ANDY MURRAY
Seeded: 3 Age: 26
Country: Britain
2013 Match Record: 37-7
2013 Singles Titles: 4
Career Singles Titles: 28
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-W, ‘11-SF, ‘10-3rd, ‘09-4th, ‘08-F
Topspin: Reached at least the semifinals at nine of the last 10 Grand Slam tournaments he’s entered, and the final at the last four in a row. ... Victory at Wimbledon in July made him the first British man to earn that title since Fred Perry in 1936, sparking talk of knighthood. ... Career-redefining stretch over past 13 months includes two Wimbledon finals, Olympic gold medal and U.S. Open title. Now gets first chance to try to defend Grand Slam title. ... Says his movement is a key to success these two weeks.
TOMAS BERDYCH
Seeded: 5 Age: 27
Country: Czech Republic
2013 Match Record: 40-16
2013 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 8
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-SF, ‘11-3rd, ‘10-1st, ‘09-3rd, ‘08-1st
Topspin: Tied with Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro for most hard-court match wins this season, with 25, but is also the only one of the trio without a title on the surface in 2013. ... Runs as hot-and-cold as anyone on tour, capable of upsetting Federer on the way to the semifinals (which he did at the US Open last year) or of losing in the first round (which he did at the US Open twice in the past five years). ... Ranked in top five for first time in career.
SERENA WIllIAMS
Seeded: 1 Age: 31
Country: United States
2013 Match Record: 60-4
2013 Singles Titles: 8
Career Singles Titles: 54
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-W, ‘11-F, ‘10-DNP, ‘09-SF, ‘08-W
Topspin: Trying to win two US Opens in a row for first time. ... As winner of the US Open Series — based on hard-court results during the North American summer hard-court circuit — eligible for $1 million bonus for a title at Flushing Meadows, giving her chance to take home $3.6 million. ... Her 34-match winning streak that ended with fourth-round loss at Wimbledon was the longest run in women’s tennis since older sister Venus won 35 in a row in 2000. ... Only Steffi Graf (22), Chris Evert (18) and Martina Navratilova (18) have won more Grand Slam titles in the Open era, which began in 1968.
VICTORIA AZARENKA
Seeded: 2 Age: 24
Country: Belarus
2013 Match Record: 36-4
2013 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 17
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-F, ‘11-3rd, ‘10-2nd, ‘09-3rd, ‘08-3rd
Topspin: Reached the final at the past three hard-court Grand Slam tournaments, winning two titles at the Australian Open and losing in three sets to Williams at last year’s US Open. ... Career record against Williams is only 3-12, but two of the victories came this season, making Azarenka only woman to beat the American twice in 2013. ... 16 career hard-court titles put her fourth among active women, behind only the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova, who withdrew from the US Open with a right shoulder injury.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
Seeded: 3 Age: 24
Country: Poland
2013 Match Record: 28-9
2013 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 12
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-4th, ‘11-2nd, ‘10-2nd, ‘09-2nd, ‘08-4th
Topspin: Master of using spin, changing speeds and angles, to fluster opponents. ... Finally had Grand Slam breakthrough at Wimbledon a year ago, reaching her first major final. ... Her 27-2 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments — 7-0 at the US Open — gives her the second-best winning percentage among active women, trailing Williams, who is 51-1. ... Moved up to No 3 seeding when Sharapova withdrew.
lI NA
Seeded: 5 Age: 31
Country: China
2013 Match Record: 32-11
2013 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 7
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-3rd, ‘11-1st, ‘10-1st, ‘09-QF, ‘08-4th
Topspin: 22-5 on hard courts this season, including a run to her second career Australian Open final plus two recent semifinal appearances at Toronto and Cincinnati. ... Straight-set victories over Sharapova and Radwanska put her in the title match at Melbourne in January, but lost to Azarenka in three sets.
CAROlINE WOZNIACKI
Seeded: 6 Age: 23 Country: Denmark
2013 Match Record: 27-18
2013 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 20
last 5 US Opens: ‘12-1st, ‘11-SF, ‘10-SF, ‘09-F, ‘08-4th
Topspin: Had won 20 first-round matches in a row at Grand Slam tournaments into back-to-back losses at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2012. ... Otherwise, though, has had plenty of success at Flushing Meadows, reaching at least the semifinals the three previous years, including her only major final in 2009. AP