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Russian 26-year-old Daniil Medvedev is heading into the U.S. Open this week as the No. 1 seed in men’s singles hoping to defend his 2021 title after defeating 21-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic in straight sets last year, ending Djokovic’s bid for a calendar year Grand Slam.
Last year’s U.S. Open win was Medvedev’s first career win in a grand slam tournament, and the young player rests at No. 1 in the ATP world rankings right now. His finals opponent from last year will not be entering the tournament due to federal vaccine restrictions, but he’ll face stiff competition as he goes for a repeat title at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
DraftKings Odds
He’ll face the unseeded Stefan Kozlov in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday at noon ET. Medvedev, who is not allowed to play under the Russian flag, was the runner-up at the 2022 Australian Open, where he lost to U.S. Open No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal in the final.
The moneyline is at -6000 for Medvedev’s first round matchup. He’s currently the favorite to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook, coming in at +225 and followed by Nadal at +400.