The U.S. Open defending champion curse continues

Novak Djokovic's early ouster from the 2024 US Open means the 16-year defending champion's curse persists. Since Roger Federer in 2008, no male has gone back-to-back at Flushing Meadows.

Federer amazingly won five consecutive US Open titles between 2004 and 2008 before Juan Martín del Potro ended his streak in the epic 2009 final.

During the same timeframe, between 2008 and 2024, Wimbledon produced four back-to-back champions (2014-15, 2018-19, 2021-22 and 2023-24), the Australian Open saw Djokovic hat-trick twice, and the French Open saw Nadal six-peat and four-peat a few years apart.

There's something about the hard courts of Arthur Ashe, not to mention the night sessions and electric crowds that seem to produce a lot of upsets. Even the famed trio of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic — who captured at least one major every year between 2003 and 2023 — has the lowest win rate at US Open compared to other slams. One of the three won 13/22 slams between 2003 and 2024, as opposed to 18/22 in Melbourne, 18/22 at Roland Garros and 17/21 at Wimbledon.

It's been a similar story with the women. Since Serena Williams three-peated between 2012 and 2014, the US Open has produced nine different champions in as many years, with only Naomi Oasaka winning twice in three years. Will this year's defending champion, Coco Gauff, buck the trend?

Gauff will play fellow American Emma Navarro in the fourth-round tie on Sunday. The 20-year-old sensation is in the same draw as World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she beat to win last year's title. They could meet again in this year's semifinal.