BARBARA SCHETT PREVIEWS THE 2021 US OPEN

What will make this US Open different from other years?
It will be different as we have spectators compared to last year. That will be really important as we are heading out there with a full stadium which is unbelievable. We missed that last year, that whole vibe of the New York crowd. That makes it very different to last year. Other than that, in regard to the players, on the women’s side, there has always been this focus on Serena Williams. This year she is going in as the underdog which hasn’t been the case in the last few years. It’s a new Grand Slam, the last of the year and a lot is at stake. We’re all excited about it but it’s just a shame we’re not there!

How do you see the Naomi Osaka situation at the moment?
It’s very sad to see, like in that first press conference when she came back, she was struggling once again. It’s very difficult for us to look into her head and see what’s going on there. The only thing I know is she has to find a way to overcome these fears or moments such as press conferences where she feels uncomfortable and if that means taking time away from tennis, working with psychologists then she needs to do that.

Those press conferences are essential, they are important. I don’t think they are too bad for the players. At the end of the day, you’re talking about your game. If certain questions come up, you don’t necessarily have to answer them and you don’t take certain questions too seriously as well. It’s part of the game. We’ve seen Naomi struggle with that but then on the other side she has been very outgoing with other things - on social media, with sponsors, documentaries… I think she needs to find the right balance.  I think that’s the key and the most important thing is that she still enjoys the game of tennis and all that comes with it.

Can Naomi Osaka win the US Open this year?
I think she hasn’t played enough tennis this year to do some damage or win another US Open title. That’s what I think but we know if she’s on top of her game, she can beat anybody. It’s not just tennis wise physically, it’s the mental part as well. I think she worries now that everybody talks about this which put additional pressure on her. She probably feels pressure enough though the media are really respecting her problems. We’ll see at the beginning of the tournament how she will handle the occasion, where she’s at and then we’ll go from there. I don’t think she’s played enough tennis this year to win another Grand Slam title.

Who will win the women’s title?
I think Ash Barty because she has played the most tennis this year and has had the most success. She is the most consistent player. She won Wimbledon and the recent one at Cincinnati and she’s in the right headspace. She is feeling good. I actually text her the other day to congratulate her and she said ‘it was a pretty solid week, I have to say’. I said ‘it’s more than solid, it’s actually amazing’. I think she has also found the right balance. She has a good time on the court but she also knows exactly what to do. She has that variety and her tennis really flows. It’s always a bit uncomfortable at home for all the others who have more of a one-dimensional tennis. When Ash comes up with the slices, big serve, forehand, coming to the net…

What are your thoughts on Novak Djokovic and his bid to win the calendar Grand Slam?
It think he will go down in the history books as the greatest ever. If you like him or don’t like him it doesn’t matter. If he wins this US Open, then he will have won the most Grand Slam titles. I don’t think Roger Federer will win another one. We will be happy to see him play again at another stage. With Rafa, things are not getting easier too.

To be honest, to think Medvedev or Tsitsipas will win 21 Grand Slam titles? I don’t think that will happen. When we will look at Novak physically, he looks 27, 28. He seems to be so fit and seems to be handling his body really well which I think is key. If he wins this title or not, I think he will win plenty more Grand Slam titles. I think he knows he needs to utilise these next few years as well. He is really amazing at channelling his energy and goals. I think mentally he is the best or one of the best out there for sure.

Do you think Novak Djokovic can continue to hold off Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex Zverev and will be favourite for the US Open?
You have to put Novak Djokovic as the favourite then followed by Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Zverev and Berrettini. Rublev is playing well. I think it will be very exciting. I still think the experience is on Novak’s side. We have seen during the last Grand Slams this year he has been challenged by the young guys. Tsitsipas probably got the closest at the French. But he is the one who usually plays better tennis over the two weeks and he handles the pressure better, I think he will feel the pressure at some point in New York, he’s not human if he doesn’t. But he wants to go down in the history books and he wants to be the one to win four Grand Slam titles in the same year. You have to feel pressure. If you do have feelings, if you do care, you will feel the pressure. It’s a matter of how he will deal with it. That will be interesting and I will watch him very closely.

What are your thoughts on Daniil Medvedev and Sascha Zverev?
Daniil is knocking on the door and I think he will win a Grand Slam title eventually. If it’s this year, who knows, it will be hard. But I think down the track he will. He has pretty much beaten everyone out there. He is developing as a player every year, every month and I think he will get there eventually.

Zverev will get there eventually too. I’m not worried about men’s tennis once Roger, Rafa and Novak retire because there is such an exciting generation of men’s players following. They have different game styles but have great characters and personalities. It’s a very exciting time as you have the mixture of the older guys and the younger generation and everybody is obviously waiting to see who can be the first young guy from that next generation to capture a Grand Slam title. It’s an exciting time for men’s tennis.

How much of a boost will winning the Olympic gold medal be for Alexander Zverev?
Amazing. You should have seen what was going on in Germany, it was crazy. And I was very happy for him to win this gold medal because when I spoke to him before going to Tokyo he said, I’m not thinking about the US Open yet. I’m going to Tokyo and I want to get this gold medal. It was a real goal for him to win this gold medal even though for tennis player it’s not the ultimate thing. You’re not winning it for yourself, you’re winning it for your country.

As a tennis player you don’t often get to represent your country outside the Davis Cup or Olympic Games. You could see he had won a title recently and you could see how much confidence he got from winning that gold medal in Tokyo. The way he played as well. He was so aggressive. We’ve been talking so many times about his problem, he tends to be too passive and holds back. I love the way he was going for his shots. He’s got that huge serve as well and those big ground strokes and if he goes for it there aren’t a lot of players who can beat him. I think Sascha will definitely win a Grand Slam title.

A lot of people may not like him but I think he’s great for tennis. I love the way he plays and polarises people. It’s always hard when you say will he step into Novak’s shoes? I don’t see anyone stepping into Novak, Rafa or Roger’s shoes because to win 20 Grand Slam titles is insane and seems crazy. I don’t think we will see that every again. Sascha Zverev will certainly win a Grand Slam title and will be number one in the world as well.

Barbara Schett will providing expert analysis for Eurosport and discovery+ (selected markets) during the US Open across Europe except UK & Ireland, which starts on Monday 30 August.