Although 2017 has been a retro year for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, a few rising young players are looking to break through by winning the US Open. Each of them brings special talents that could beat any opponent, given the chance and having the drive.

The 26-year-old Bulgarian returned to the top 10 after winning his first career Masters 1000 tournament at Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Open last weekend.

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Dimitrov will be favored in his possible first four matches against the likes of Aljaz Bedene, David Goffin or Gael Monfils. He could be a giant test for No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals as he was in their five-set Australian Open classic early in the year.

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His big weapons will be a dominating serve, steadier backhand, and control of his shots. Will he stay patient in the early rounds and not look ahead to a possible fourth round blockbuster against Roger Federer?

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While it’s extremely unlikely Thiem and Alexander Zverev will be the next Federer-Nadal, they are legitimate top-10 players drawing new attention on and off the court.

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It’s never easy to win seven best-of-five matches on the pressures of a major stage like the US Open, but Zverev has been brought up in a tennis family who has guided him through all anticipated scenarios. Now he just needs opportunities and experiences to embrace his major-winning ambitions.