NEW YORK — It’s not as if Roger Federer, five-time U.S. Open champion, doesn’t command respect when he comes to play at the National Tennis Center.
But now that he’s three weeks on the wrong side of 30 and has ceded the spotlight to younger Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Federer is definitely not thought of as the odds-on favorite he was during his dominating run from 2004-2009. That’s when the only match he lost in six Opens was the 2009 final to Juan Martin del Potro.
Despite being the elder statesman among the seeded players, the third-seeded Federer, who is scheduled to face Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo on Monday night, doesn’t feel much different coming into the tournament than he has in years past.
“I mean, it hasn’t changed anything,” Federer said Saturday. “I’m still as professional. I’m still as hungry. Everything’s still completely normal. You know, it’s just a number that’s changed, you know. So, no, I’m ready to go.”
U.S. Open
A look at the U.S. Open, the year’s last Grand Slam tennis tournament:
Surface: Hard courts.
Site: The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Schedule: The two-week tournament starts Monday. The women’s singles final is Sept. 10; the men’s singles final is Sept. 11.
2010 men’s singles champion: Rafael Nadal of Spain.
2010 women’s singles champion: Kim Clijsters of Belgium.
Prize money: Total is $23.7 million, with a record $1.8 million each to the men’s and women’s singles champions.
TV: ESPN2 (starting Monday), Tennis Channel (starting Monday), CBS (starting Sept. 3).
Online:
