US Open: The stories to keep an eye on

There’s a buzz in the air around Flushing Meadows, and it’s not the murmur of engineers praying that their brand new roof works. Rather, it’s the expectation surrounding the 2016 US Open. But what are the biggest stories going into the final Major of the year? Here are five to keep an eye on.

1. Serena’s early test
Serena Williams is used to the weight of expectation at Flushing Meadows, but this year there are more questions than normal hanging over the World No.1. The first is her shoulder, which she openly admits could cause her problems. The next is the possible loss of her place at world No.1. And then there’s Ekaterina Makarova. Of all the players Serena could have drawn, Makarova is arguably the hardest. Admittedly, the Russian has been misfiring this year and Serena holds a 4-1 record over her (including two wins at Flushing Meadows), but if Serena does not start fast and Makarova is on form, the American could be in a lot of trouble.

2. Djokovic’s dodgy wrist
That Novak Djokovic is having wrist problems is surprising – the World No.1 has, for so long, seemed to be bulletproof. But the Serb has openly admitted that he’s facing a battle to be 100% fit for the Open, and the draw has not been kind to him. Admittedly, it’s been a long time since Jerzy Janowicz posed any sort of threat to the big guns, but it wasn’t that long ago that Jiri Vesely (his presumptive second round opponent) got the better of the World No.1 in Monte Carlo. If Djokovic is genuinely struggling – and there’s no reason to believe that he isn’t – then he’s in for a tough couple of weeks as he bids to defend his title.

3. How will the Olympic stars fare?
Two weeks ago Monica Puig and Juan Martin Del Potro were enrapturing the world at the Olympics. How will the pair fare in the opening rounds of the Open? There are huge question marks over the pair. Both have been handed relatively favourable draws (Puig faces Zheng Saisai, while Delpo drew Diego Schwartzmann), but sometimes a low key match can be a dangerous match. It will be intriguing to see whether Rio was an outstanding moment for both players, or the start of something truly momentous.

4. Is this Murray’s Slam?
Andy Murray is a man in form. Yes, he suffered a ‘blip’ against Marin Cilic after going 24 matches unbeaten, but he can be forgiven for that after playing back to back weeks across two continents. After a week off, is Murray the man to beat in NYC? If he can negotiate a potentially tricky opener against Rosol, the draw opens up nicely for the Olympic champ all the way through to the semifinals. What’s more, with Djokovic going through a bumpy patch, Stan yet to fire this year, and Rafa looking vulnerable, he’s looking like a very strong contender to nab a second US title.

5. Will the roof work?
It’s big, it’s bold, but will it work? Of course, murphy’s law dictates that the US Open is in for two weeks of beautiful weather. But the organisers will want to show off their new roof, and with Phil Collins opening things on Monday night it’s the perfect time to do so. But will it work? Some technical problems last week meant that it didn’t. Organisers will be keeping their fingers crossed that it does. The rest of the world, however, will be hoping that it isn’t needed.