Top 5 men's contenders for the 2018 US Open

The final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar is just a month away. With the US Open commencing from the 27th August at ‎the USTA Billie Jean King National tennis Center, there is everything to play for.

The 'Big 3' of men's tennis - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - have split the first three Majors of 2018 between them. Who will win the 4th, and in the process establish his dominance over the other two? Or will it be a different player altogether who takes home the silverware in New York?

Here is a look at the top 5 contenders for the men's title at the US Open:

1. Roger Federer

The year 2017 witnessed Federer winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The year 2018 also started on a high note for Federer as he claimed his 6th Australian Open (and 20th career Grand Slam overall) by beating the upbeat Marin Cilic in a tightly contested five- set final. He then won the Rotterdam Open and reached the Indian Wells final, before skipping the entire claycourt season.

Federer started the grasscourt season by winning the Stuttgart Open. But at Halle, he faced Borna Coric in the final and lost in three sets despite having a set point in the first. This loss also meant that Federer dropped to World No. 2, after just one week on top of the rankings.

Federer moved on to play the Wimbledon Championship, looking to defend his 2017 title. He was seeded first at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2012 US Open. Surprisingly though, he was defeated by the 8th seed lanky South African Kevin Anderson in a marathon five setter.

With the US Open a month away, Federer would be looking to put up a strong show at the Cincinnati Masters and subsequently notch up his 21st Slam in New York. France won the football World Cup after 20 years and Federer's fans would be hoping he bags his 6th US Open title after a 10-year gap, his last victory having come in 2008.

My bet would be on Federer reaching the final of the 2018 US Open.

2. Rafael Nadal

The King of Clay Rafael Nadal is the defending US Open champion

The defending US Open champion, the current French Open champion and semi-finalist at this year's Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal is back to where he belongs - the top of men's tennis. A supreme warrior on the court, the World No. 1 would be looking to grab his 4th US Open title and his 18th Grand Slam overall.

Nadal has only participated in one hardcourt tournament this year, the Australian Open, where he was upset by Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals. With the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Masters due to take place before the US Open, the Spaniard would be looking to bag one more title before the final Grand Slam begins.

Federer has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup, but Nadal might still have to beat the likes of Novak Djokovic, Milos Raonic, Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem for the title, which would not be easy considering the hardcourt season he has had so far this year.

Having said that, Nadal would be one of the favorites going into this year's US Open Championship.

3. Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic with his only Grand Slam trophy - the 2014 US Open

Cilic would not be the fan favorite for the US Open title but the lanky Croat can give the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic a run for their money.

The 2014 US Open Champion has had a decent 2018 thus far. Apart from the unexpected Wimbledon defeat in the second round to Guido Pella, Cilic has reached the final of the Australian Open, the quarterfinal of Roland Garros, and won the title at Queens.

The big serving Croat has always been a formidable opponent at Flushing Meadows, having won the title here in 2014. However, his performances in the Rogers Cup and the Cincinnati Masters would be crucial in determining his chances at the year's final Grand Slam.

Expect him to register a big win or two at this year's US Open even if he does not claim the title.

4. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic's previous US Open titles came in 2011 and 2015

After an elbow injury kept Novak Djokovic sidelined for the most part of 2017, his resurgence in 2018 has been phenomenal. Djokovic's coach Marian Vajda and fitness expert Gebhard Gritsch deserve a lot of credit too for his 4th Wimbledon title.

The Serb has had a good run-up to the the US Open this year. He has been silently pushing himself up the ATP rankings, having reached the quarterfinal of the French Open, the final of Queen's club and then winning the Championships at Wimbledon.

Having already claimed the crown at Flushing Meadows in 2011 and 2015, the Serb would definitely be one of the favorites going into the year's final Grand Slam. We shouldn't be surprised if we see Djokovic playing in front of the Flushing Meadows crowd on 9th September, fighting for the title.

5. The other contenders

Juan Martin del Potro holding aloft the 2009 US Open trophy

Apart from the top 4, there are a few other players who could have a shot at winning the US Open. Here they are, in no particular order:

Juan Martin Del Potro - The big-serving Argentine has also had a decent 2018. He reached the quarter-final at Wimbledon, the semi-final at Roland Garros, and won his maiden Masters title at Indian Wells. Del Potro can push the Big 3 to perform at their very best if they want to get past him.

Dominic Thiem - The next big thing in tennis, this Austrian youngster has come a long way and has been a consistent top 10 player for a couple of years. Having lost in the final of the French Open to the King of Clay, Thiem has a lot to prove when the hardcourt preparations kick off next week in the build-up to the US Open.

Kevin Anderson - Anderson is a clear underdog, but is a force to reckon with going into the year's final Slam. Having defeated Federer on his way to the final of Wimbledon this year, the big-serving South African is ready to create a few more upsets at Flushing Meadows as well. He was the finalist last year at the US Open, losing to Nadal, and would again be looking to give all the fan favorites a tough time with his big serves and swashbuckling forehands.

Andy Murray - A former US Open champion (in the year 2012), Murray is still recovering from his hip surgery and is not at his best yet. But if he regains his form in the next two Masters events, expect him to make a bit of noise in New York.

Alexander Zverev - Zverev reached his first Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros, but suffered a let-down in the following Major as he bowed out of the 3rd round at Wimbledon. He still resides in the top 5 of the ATP rankings, and would want to do justice to his potential by finally reaching a Slam semifinal.