Does Federer Or Nadal Have A Better Shot At Winning US Open 2018 Over Favorite Djokovic?

Novak Djokovic ended an injury-plagued Grand Slam drought in July, capturing his fourth Wimbledon title after failing to win a major title since the 2016 French Open.

The U.S. Open is nearly a month away and the Serbian legend will enter as the favorite at 11/4 odds, according to Bet365. However, the two-time U.S. Open can expect some fierce competition in New York from two familiar nemeses.

Five-time U.S. Open Roger Federer is expected to be Djokovic's biggest obstacle and has been given 7/2 odds to win another title at Flushing Meadows. The 36-year-old lost in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon but has won three of the last five Grand Slams that he's entered. However, Federer, who is chasing his 21st Grand Slam, has not won a U.S. Open since 2008 after winning five in a row.

It's been an extremely tight rivalry between Federer and Djokovic, as the two stars have 45 head-to-head meetings with Djokovic leading 23–22, and a 9-6 record in Grand Slams. On hardcourt, the record is 17-17 and at the U.S. Open it's 3-3.

The last time Djokovic and Federer faced off at a Grand Slam was the 2016 Australian Open, with Djokovic prevailing in four sets. Djokovic also defeated Federer in their last matchup at the U.S. Open — a four-set win in the 2015 final.

While oddsmakers like Federer's chances in the final Grand Slam of the year, defending champion Rafael Nadal might be a more serious challenger than some might assume. The world No. 1, who won his 16th Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows in 2017 by defeating Kevin Anderson, has the third-best odds at 9/2. Despite his dominance on clay, Nadal has an impressive three U.S. Open titles on his resume.

Djokovic has had an almost equally tight rivalry with Nadal, owning a 27–25 lead over the Spaniard. At the U.S. Open, Nadal owns a 2-1 lead on Djokovic.

But Djokovic has been clearly superior over Nadal in hardcourt matches (18-7) and might have the psychological edge on Nadal after defeating him in the Wimbledon semifinals.

The other rivalry has drawn more attention: Nadal has the clear edge on Federer in head-to-head matchups, 23–15. However, Federer has a 11-9 lead on Nadal on hardcourt and has not lost to Nadal on hardcourt in his last five matches. The two superstars have never faced off at Flushing Meadows.

Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles are still ahead of Nadal's 17.

Oddsmakers have listed both Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev at 8/1 odds to win the U.S. Open. Juan Martin Del Potro has 12/1 odds, while Marin Cilic is listed at 20/1.

The 2018 U.S. Open will take place between Aug. 29 and Sept. 11.