(Photo credit: Malcom Murdoch)
With the grass court season now finished until 2019, and the clay court season heading in the same direction, attention in the tennis world now turns to the North American hard court swing, where the best of the best will compete in the US Open Series. Many will be hoping to claim the title under the lights on Arthur Ashe, and there are six former US Open champions in the pack, including the three titans of this era, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
But there is plenty of tennis to be played before anyone then, and no doubt a fair share of shocking upsets, late-night thrillers and legacy defining moments. So with the first rumblings already underway in Atlanta, RealSport look at five potential storylines to follow throughout the US Open series.