Top seed Alexander Zverev plays down favorite status at U.S. Open

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev, the favorite to win the US Open, downplayed his own status as the odds-on favorite. The German explained that he saw himself as just one of 128 players who were favored to win the tournament. Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open and finished as runner-up at Wimbledon this year, said that the absence of Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, and the uncertainty surrounding Carlos Alcaraz, who is recovering from an injury, did little to enhance Zverev's position as the top seed.

Zverev believes that Alcaraz may be a bit rusty after four months away from competitive play. He also mentioned other players who could challenge him, including four-time champion Novak Djokovic and rising stars like Arthur Fils and Jessica Pegula. The women's draw features multiple top seeds, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, who have both won recent hard-court titles.

Despite the challenges, Pegula remains optimistic about her chances, noting that there is no one player who is so dominant that her victories are a foregone conclusion.