US Open: Who will be debutant number 14 in New York?
Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud ? The winner of today's US Open final will become the 14th player since 1968 to celebrate his first Grand Slam title in the Big Apple.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Sep 10, 2022, 10:43 pm
For unsullied tennis professionals, there are usually four opportunities per calendar year to win a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. This rule was basically suspended as long as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic not only competed at the height of their creativity, but also regularly for the Grand Slam titles. In those days, only three players actually managed to snatch the winner's trophy at one or more majors: Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray did so on three occasions, while Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic did so once. Incidentally, Murray (2011), del Potro (2009) and Cilic (2014) celebrated their premieres in Flushing Meadows. Where tonight (from 10 p.m. live on ServusTV in Austria, on Eurosport and in our ticker) Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud add a new name to the list of major champions.
13 men made it ahead of these two, New York City isn't bad ground for new winners. In 2020 Dominic Thiem won a remarkable final against Alexander Zverev, a year ago it was Daniil Medvedev who screwed up Novak Djokovic's dream of a calendar Grand Slam. Thiem and Medvedev have been waiting for number two since then, the Russian came quite close to the goal at the Australian Open at the beginning of the season. But then lost to Rafael Nadal despite a 2-0 set lead.
Safin, Hewitt, Rafter can top it up - Sampras anyway
How did some champions of the past bounce back after their maiden US Open win?
Well: del Potro and Cilic, for example, could not continue to write, even if Cilic in particular had good chances in the final of the Australian Open 2018 against Roger Federer. With Andy Roddick, the winner of 2003, it stayed with this one major title. The American missed the best chance for number two in Wimbledon in 2009, also against Federer.
Lleyton Hewitt also won Wimbledon a year after the US Open 2001, Marat Safin took five years after his final triumph against Pete Sampras in 2000 before he struck again in Australia. Speaking of Sampras: Pistol Pete also celebrated its premiere in the Big Apple. Just like Patrick Rafter, who was even able to defend the title he won in 1997 a year later.
Here is the list of all the players who have won their first major singles title at the US Open since 1968 .
| player | Year | majors overall |
| Daniel Medvedev (RUS) | 2021 | 1 |
| Dominic Thiem (AUT) | 2020 | 1 |
| Marin Cilic (CRO) | 2014 | 1 |
| Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) | 2009 | 1 |
| Andy Roddick (USA) | 2003 | 1 |
| Marat Safin (RUS) | 2000 | 2 |
| Patrick Rafter (AUS) | 1997 | 2 |
| Pete Sampras (USA) | 1990 | 14 |
| John McEnroe (USA) | 1979 | 7 |
| Manuel Orantes (ESP) | 1975 | 1 |
| Ilie Nastase (ROM) | 1972 | 2 |
| Stan Smith (USA) | 1971 | 2 |
| Arthur Ashe (USA) | 1968 | 3 |
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