One of the four major tennis competitions of the year, The US Open is held annually at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City and is played on hard courts.

The world's premier tennis event, the 2023 US Open Championship, has ignited the courts with an electric atmosphere of competition and sportsmanship. As the Arthur Ashe Stadium gates swing open, a wave of anticipation washes over fans, players, and pundits alike. Set against the backdrop of the iconic New York City skyline, this year's tournament promises to be an unforgettable chapter in the annals of tennis history. 

It normally takes place over two weeks from late August to early September. This year, the 2023 US Open begins on August 28^th and the grand final is set to take place on the 10^th of September.

The men's singles competition is something that we from Spooky Express will cover in the next fortnight so let us review who are the main favorites and what are the best betting odds on the 2023 US Open.

Winning a Grand Slam tournament is considered one of the highest achievements in tennis. These tournaments carry a significant amount of prestige, history, and prize money. Players compete not only for the title but also for the valuable ranking points that come with a Grand Slam triumph.

The Unpredictability:

Tennis is renowned for its unpredictability, and the US Open is no exception. Every serve, volley, and forehand has the potential to rewrite destiny. As the battles unfold under the blazing New York sun (the weather forecast seems to be fine) tennis lovers all over the globe can expect heart-stopping tiebreakers, awe-inspiring rallies, and unexpected upsets that will keep them on the edge. 

Off the Court: 

Beyond the lines, the US Open showcases a dynamic blend of entertainment and culture. From celebrity-packed VIP boxes to vibrant food courts offering a culinary journey, the event captures the essence of the city that never sleeps. A fusion of athleticism, fashion, and artistry converges to create an experience unlike any other in the tennis world.

The North-American hard-court swing is reaching its climax in New York City as 128 men are in race for the US Open Championship but only one of them would ultimately win the title at Flushing Meadows.

Considering the amazing diversity of champions at the US Open Championship over the past 15 years, unlike all other Majors, we should probably expect a new champion here? With Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz all winning their maiden Grand Slam titles at the US Open in three consecutive years.

Carlos Alcaraz produced one of the most remarkable Wimbledon final appearances when the young Spaniard ended Novak Djokovic's hegemony at SW19 last month.

Alcaraz is now aiming to defend his US Open crown (+190 at BetOnline) but the Spanish sensation must brace himself for a very challenging route to the final. 

No player has successfully defended his US Open title since Roger Federer won a fifth straight Championship in 2008. Incredible. Not the stat that Carlos Alcaraz will necessarily like, but the top-seed arrived in New York City on the back of a historic Wimbledon victory and some decent performances during the North American hard-court swing this summer, though he failed to win any of them. 

Remarkably, the likes of Jannik Sinner, who won the Canadian Open title earlier this month, as well as Sascha Zverev, Cameron Norrie, Grigor Dimitrov, Dan Evans (who won the Washington Open a few weeks ago), Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are all in Carlos Alcaraz's quarter. Not inside his half, in his quarter! Meaning that Alcaraz might have an extremely difficult journey to a potential semi-final tie with two-time finalist and 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev of Russia. 

The Serb will make an anticipated comeback at the US Open after missing out on last year's competition after being denied entry into the country. The Serb enters the 2023 U.S. Open men's singles tournament as a +125 favorite (risk $100 to win $125) from the latest 2023 US Open betting odds.

Looking to claim his first US Open title since 2018, Novak Djokovic lost the final in 2021 and wasn't allowed to compete last year. With three US Open titles to his name (2011, 2015, 2018), Djokovic is back in the United States as the Djoker has just clinched his 39^th ATP Masters 1000 title with a sensational comeback win over Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati.

The 36-years-old Serb's stoicism and endurance are what makes him so hard to beat and his latest performance at the Cincinnati Masters, and the way he celebrated, proves how motivated he is to build on his own record by winning his 24^th Grand Slam title at the US Open. 

Unlike the previous campaign, when Medvedev won titles during the North American hard-court swing, the Russian failed to impress this season. Of course, he can still wrap up an unforgettable year if he somehow performs to the same level that saw him winning the crown two years ago.

2022 wasn't his year either but Medvedev reached the semi-finals at Cincy and also won an ATP 250 title in Los Cabos, while he only reached the quarter-finals at the Canadian Open earlier this month. However, Medvedev won the Miami Open earlier this season which was his biggest success since the US Open triumph in 2021 and also his first Masters 1000 title since Toronto in 2021.

Medevedev was the one to stop Djokovic from completing a Grand Slam two years ago. Now, the third-seed should be able to win his quarter if the Russian doesn't crumble against the likes of Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Alex De Minaur, Matteo Berrettini or Karen Kachanov, or against one of the underdogs in his section.

Sixth-seed Jannik Sinner shouldn't be overlooked. The Italian, who celebrated his 22^nd birthday earlier this month, recently claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Toronto and will be keen to build on his last year's performance, when he lost a spectacular quarter-final tie with Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. 

Sinner suffered a disappointing 6-4, 7-6 defeat to Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in his first match (second round) at the Cincinnati Masters on his birthday but we saw his real face in Toronto. He also did well to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals last month (his first Grand Slam final four entry) and the Italian might do even better on his favorite surface at this year's US Open.  

Having reached his maiden (and to date last) Major final at the US Open three years ago, Alexander Zverev will hope to take another big step in 2023. However, the German was somehow unfortunate to find himself in the same half of the draw along with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, plus several other experienced players. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas (+5000 at BetOnline)

Having already reached his first hard-court Grand Slam final at the Australian Open earlier this year, Stefanos Tsitsipas will be aiming to improve his own US Open record in the first place. The Greek's best-ever achievement is reaching the third rounds in 2020 and 2021, and the US Open remains his weakest Major so far. 

Fourth-seed Holger Rune of Denmark had lost five matches in a row since he beat Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon last-16 last month. The 20-years-old Dane was forced to retire in the second set of his clash against Mackenzie McDonald in Cincy and we're not quite sure about his current shape. He might struggle even though his quarter looks favorable, compared with the rest.

Hubert Hurkacz has been one of the players who have enjoyed a decent hard-court campaign in North America this summer. The Polish player reached the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters and despite winning the opening set against Carlos Alcaraz, he suffered yet another defeat to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz also defeated Hurkacz in the same manner one week earlier in Toronto but Hurkacz's ability to play competitive tennis against the top players makes him one of the dark horses at the US Open. Hurkacz, however, is yet to surpass the second round at the US Open but it looks like he might have a good opportunity to turn things around this time. 

Having collapsed at the Wimbledon for another year, fifth-seed Casper Ruud is clearly out of shape since he arrived in North America this month. The Norwegian did well on two of the European clay-court summer competitions (reaching a final in Bastad, Sweden), but last year's US Open finalist will have to do much better if he is to enjoy another strong Grand Slam run.

His draw looks somehow favorable, to be honest, but we doubt that Ruud has the ability and momentum to make a deep run this year. 

Can the new generation of US players produce the first American male finalist since Andy Roddick in 2006? This seems to be a tough call, especially given the fact that all seeded domestic players are placed in the same half of the draw as Novak Djokovic.

Frances Tiafoe reached the semi-finals last year and was involved in a thrilling five-setter against eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz. He has been far from impressive since winning the Stuttgart Open in June (reaching a career-high No 10 in the ATP Rankings), but Tiafoe will be looking to reignite his fine form at Flushing Meadows. 

Andy Roddick remains the last American man to win the US Open crown and that happened twenty years ago, in 2003 (his only Grand Slam final though), when he defeated Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, who's the current coach of Carlos Alcaraz.