2011 US OPEN – Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Roddick Are In

Written by: Staff on 21st July 2011

Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round

2011 US OPEN - Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Roddick Are In

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to Frederico Gil and Leonardo Tavares of Portugal during the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I second round match in the Postfinance Arena in Bern, Switzerland, 09 July 2011. EPA/SAMUEL TRUEMPY |

The USTA announced today that world No. 1 and reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, reigning US Open and French Open champion Rafael Nadal, and five-time US Open champion Roger Federer leadthe men’s singles field for the 2011 US Open Tennis Championships. The player field also features former US Open champions Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro. Each of the world’s top 101 men received direct entry into the US Open, representing 40 countries.

The 2011 US Open will be played August 29 – September 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Both the men’s and women’s US Open singles champions will earn $1.8 million with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money (for a total $2.8 million potential payout) based on their performances in the Olympus US Open Series. The US Open Men’s Singles Championship is presented by Mercedes-Benz USA.

Leading the entry list is world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who will be seeking his first US Open title after reaching the final in 2010. Djokovic won the 2011 Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, and following his win at Wimbledon became the first player other than Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to be ranked No. 1 on the ATP World Tour since Andy Roddick in 2003.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal enters as the defending US Open champion and is seeking his 11^th career Grand Slam singles title after winning the 2011 French Open.

World No. 3 Roger Federer is seeking his sixth US Open title which would surpass Pete

Sampras and Jimmy Connors for most U.S. Open men’s singles titles in the Open Era. In 2007, Federer became the only man to win the Olympus US Open Series and US Open titles in the same year.

Following Nadal, Djokovic and Federer on the entry list are No. 4 Andy Murray of Great Britain, the 2008 US Open runner-up; No. 5 Robin Soderling of Sweden, the French Open runner-up in 2009 and 2010; No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain, a 2007 US Open semifinalist; No. 7 Gael Monfils of France; No. 8 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, the 2010 Wimbledon runnerup; No. 9 Mardy Fish of Tampa, Fla.; and No. 10 Andy Roddick of Austin, Texas, the 2003 US Open Champion.

In all, there are six entrants who have won Grand Slam singles titles in their careers, including 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

Other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include: No. 35 John Isner of Tampa, Fla.; No. 50 Sam Querrey of Las Vegas; No. 63 Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Miami; No. 66 Ryan Sweeting of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and No. 91 James Blake of Tampa, Fla.

Marc Gicquel of France, ranked No. 101, is the last player accepted directly into the men’s field of 128. Additionally, three players used protected rankings to gain direct entry: Fernando Gonzalez of Chile; Tommy Haas of Germany; and Ivo Karlovic of Croatia. Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, August 23-26, while the remaining eight spots are wild cards awarded by the USTA.

Among the players competing in the US Open Qualifying Tournament will be the winner of the second annual US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Championship, held during the Olympus US Open Series event in New Haven, Conn., prior to the US Open Qualifying Tournament. The USTA created the US Open National Playoffs in 2010 to allow players 14-and-older, regardless of playing ability or nationality, to vie for a spot in the US Open Qualifying Tournament via one of 16 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments.

The July 18 edition of the ATP World Tour rankings was used to determine the US Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.

The 2011 US Open will mark the culmination of the Olympus US Open Series, the North

American summer season of 10 ATP World Tour and WTA events that began July 18. The US Open is the highest attended annual sporting event in the world. More than 80 million viewers watched the 2010 US Open on CBS Sports, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel, and international broadcasts reached 185 countries. In 2010, Rafael Nadal completed the career Grand Slam by defeating Novak Djokovic to win his first US Open title. In the women’s singles final, Kim Clijsters captured the title for the second consecutive year, defeating Vera Zvonareva to win her third career US Open title.

The 2011 US Open will be held Monday, August 29 through Sunday, September 11. Tickets for the 2011 US Open can be purchased four ways: 1) at USOpen.org; 2) by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; 3) at all Ticketmaster outlets; or 4) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office. American Express is the Official Card of the US Open.