Henman Picks Nadal To Win Men’s US Open Crown

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 28th August 2013

Henman Picks Nadal To Win Men’s US Open Crown

epa03838591 Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts as he plays Ryan Harrison of the US on the first day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 26 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Former top Briton Tim Henman may have abandoned the Andy Murray bandwagon little more than a month after his one-time protégé won an historic Wimbledon title, with the now-retired Gentleman Tim tipping Rafael Nadal as a favorite for the US Open title.

Nadal, seeded second to the third of New York holder Murray, ripped through his opening round in straight sets to advance comfortably. Due to the oddball scheduling of the Open, Murray was not playing his first match until 48 hours after that of Nadal.

Henman puts in time behind the mic as a BBC pundit during Wimbledon and also serves as a brand ambassador for global banking giant HSBC. He has ventured his expert opinion on Murray’s chances in New York. But instead of picking his countryman as might be expected, Henman has gone with his brain instead of his gut.

“Andy has had a little bit of a slow start on the hard courts but he is there as defending champion and has got a great chance of adding another Slam to his CV,” he told British media. “Now he has got two Slams I definitely see him going on and adding more because he is that good – I think this is his time. Djokovic, Murray and Nadal I definitely see dominating the majors in years to come.

“But I would probably say Nadal is the favorite for the US Open right now. He is not No. 1 in the world but he is the best player in the world this year – it is phenomenal he has only lost three matches. I would probably give him the edge, but Djokovic and Murray will not be far behind.”

Topics: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Tim Henman, US Open, Wimbledon