The US Open begins Sunday, and with it come many intriguing storylines. Carlos Alcaraz missed the last two majors due to a wrist injury but will return in New York -- and is the defending champion. With biggest rival Jannik Sinner out, will Alcaraz be the one to beat?
On the women's side, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has had a rough hard-court season and will lose her No. 1 ranking unless she wins a third US Open title. Can she do it?
Who will surprise in the next two weeks? Whom should we watch?
Our experts weigh in on these pressing questions and more.
What do you expect from Alcaraz this tournament?
D'Arcy Maine: It's tough to say. Having played zero singles matches since April and no best-of-five-sets matches since January, it feels like a tall order for him to return at the US Open completely untested and defend his title. He opted to skip any of the lead-in events out of an abundance of caution, but that decision leaves so many questions. How will his health fare if he plays seven matches in two weeks? Is he mentally and physically ready to play five-setters after such a long layoff? We just don't know.
He did play alongside Serena Williams in the mixed doubles event this week, and the pair advanced to the quarterfinals, but it's hard to read too much into that. If anyone can overcome such a long absence and win the title it's Alcaraz, but it hardly feels like a guarantee at the moment.