NEW YORK –The 2021 US Open begins on Monday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The final major of the year is open to fans at full capacity – the first major to open its doors 100% to fans since the global pandemic began.
Former Champs
Defending champion Naomi Osaka (JPN) is seeded third at this year’s US Open. Osaka has won four of the past six hard court Grand Slams.
2016 champion Angelique Kerber (GER) is coming off back-to-back semifinal appearances – one at Wimbledon and the other at the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati last week. The former World No. 1 is back into the top-20 for the first time in over a year.
Flex Your Control
The new VCORE PRO racquet (3rd Gen.) launched early in the United States to gear up for the US Open (Global Launch: September 14, 2021). Local tennis fans were some of the first players to try the racquet at the Yonex String Tour in New York City.
Wimbledon semifinalist Hubert Hurkacz (POL), American Frances Tiafoe, Dayana Yastremksa (UKR), and teenager Clara Tauson (DEN) have been using the new green and purple racquet during warmup tournaments leading up to the Open.
For more information about the VCORE PRO, visit yonex.com/vcorepro.
Who’s Next?
Olympic Gold Medalist Belinda Bencic (SUI) is one of the most dangerous players in the draw, seeded 11. Bencic skipped last year’s US Open in the bubble but reached the semifinals – her best major result – in 2019.
Jessica Pegula (USA) has cemented herself as one of the top-ranked American players on the women’s side in the past year. The New York-native is at her career-high ranking of 25.
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) and Casper Ruud (NOR) are the youngest players in the top-15. The 22-year-olds will both be a top-8 seed for the first time in their careers.
Team Yonex
Men
Jaume Munar (ESP) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
[10] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) | VCORE PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Denis Kudla (USA) |VCORE / POLYTOUR PRO
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR SPIN / 75th Anniversary Collection / FUSIONREV 4
[31] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Steve Johnson (USA) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Lloyd Harris (RSA) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
[7] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
Frances Tiafoe (USA) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR PRO
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
[Q] Kamil Majchrzak (POL) | VCORE / POLYTOUR PRO
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR PRO / REXIS
[8] Casper Ruud (NOR) | EZONE / POLYTOUR SPIN / POLYTOUR PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR STRIKE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Sam Riffice (USA) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR PRO
Radu Albot (MDA) | VCORE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Marcos Giron (USA) | VCORE
Women
Clara Tauson (DEN) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR STRIKE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) | EZONE
[11] Belinda Bencic | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) | EZONE
Storm Sanders (AUS) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
[23] Jessica Pegula (USA) | EZONE
[Q] Cristina Bucsa (ESP) | EZONE
Fiona Ferro (FRA) | VCORE
Nao Hibino (JPN) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE / ECLIPSION 3
Katie Volynets (USA) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR STRIKE
Varvara Gracheva (RUS) | VCORE / POLYTOUR PRO
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Viktorija Golubic (SUI) | VCORE Si
[Q] Rebecca Marino | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
Ana Bogdan (ROU) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) | EZONE / POLYTOUR AIR
[Q] Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) | VCORE
[19] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) | VCORE / POLYTOUR FIRE
Caroline Garcia (FRA) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
[Q] Harriet Dart (GBR) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO
Camila Giorgi (ITA) | VCORE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
[16] Angelique Kerber (GER) | VCORE / POLYTOUR FIRE
Dayana Yastremska (UKR) | VCORE PRO / POLYTOUR STRIKE / POLYTOUR DRIVE / 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) | VCORE / POLYTOUR FIRE
[Q] Olga Danilovic (SRB) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO / POLYTOUR SPIN
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) | VCORE / POLYTOUR PRO
[3] Naomi Osaka (JPN) | EZONE / POLYTOUR STRIKE
Emma Navarro (USA) | VCORE / POLYTOUR SPIN
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) | VCORE
Donna Vekic (CRO) | VCORE / POLYTOUR REV
Ivana Jorovic (SRB) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO/ 75th Anniversary Collection / ECLIPSION 3
Kaja Juvan (SLO) | EZONE / POLYTOUR PRO / POLYTOUR SPIN
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) | VCORE / POLYTOUR REV