What to watch for at the US Open, from Serena's final match to the unfair tagging of players.

The US Open is the year's final grand slam, with Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu competing to defend their singles titles.

That could take some time for both. In recent years, the US Open has become a difficult title to defend, with Flushing Meadows frequently ignoring the formbook and throwing up surprises from the start.

There is every reason to believe that this year's edition will be just as unpredictable, though the initial focus will be on a legend who appears to be saying her final farewell - 23 years after her first US Open triumph.

Here's what to look out for at the US Open, which takes place from August 29 to September 11.

Serena, farewell...

Serena Williams, who recently redefined the term "retirement," is set to compete in one more US Open before "evolving away" from tennis.

Williams is a six-time winner at Flushing Meadows, with 23 grand slam singles titles overall, and the 40-year-old American will be the focus of attention in the early stages of the tournament.

That is because any match could be her last, and at her home slam, organisers will undoubtedly have a grand farewell planned for one of the greatest athletes of all time - they just won't know when those plans will be put into action.

Early exits in Toronto (second round to Belinda Bencic) and Cincinnati (first round to Emma Raducanu) indicate that Williams may struggle to advance to the second week of the US Open, but the draw will be either her friend or foe in this regard.

In any case, her champion spirit will propel her forward, and with primetime slots on Arthur Ashe Stadium a near-certainty, she will have the atmosphere of one of tennis' greatest arenas cheering her on until the bitter end.

Are the favorites still favorites?

The US Open has become a breeding ground for first-time winners in recent years, so Daniil Medvedev and Iga Swiatek may prefer not to be considered favorites this year.

Both would argue that there is a strong case to be made against them carrying that label.

The ATP's North American swing has seen Nick Kyrgios, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Borna Coric win three major warm-up titles, indicating an open field for the US Open, and while Medvedev may have won the Los Cabos Open in Mexico earlier this month, He then lost in three sets to Kyrgios in Montreal before losing in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Medvedev, the defending US Open champion and world No. 1, is still the man to beat. However, his closest rivals will not be as afraid of him as they would of the Big Three, with only Rafael Nadal set to compete among the three greats given Roger Federer's absence and Novak Djokovic's likely absence due to US travel restrictions.

Amazon Prime has the broadcasting rights to the US Open in the UK, and the streaming service, which is available on Smart TVs, laptops, mobile devices, and gaming consoles, allows viewers to choose the match of their choice.

Prime members pay no additional fees to watch, while non-Prime members can start a 30-day free trial (£7). 99 per month or £79 per year) or sign up for a Prime Video subscription (£5 per month). 99/month)

The US Open's YouTube channel will also feature extended highlights of matches.

The full schedule is available below, and viewers should keep in mind that the evening sessions of the US Open begin at midnight in the UK.

All times are BST (five hours ahead of New York ET).

• 29 August - Men's and women's first rounds begin at 4 p.m.
• Men's and women's first rounds begin at 4 p.m. on August 30.
• Men's and women's second rounds begin at 4 p.m. on August 31.
• Men's and women's second rounds begin at 4 p.m. on September 1.
• Men's and women's third rounds begin at 4 p.m. on September 2.
• 3 September - Men's and women's third round begins at 4 p.m.
• Men's and women's round of 16 begin at 4 p.m. on September 4th.
• Men's and women's round of 16 begin at 4 p.m. on September 5th.
• Men's and women's quarter-finals begin at 5 p.m. on September 6.
• Men's and women's quarter-finals begin at 5 p.m. on September 7.
• Women's semi-finals begin at midnight (7 p.m. local time) on September 8.
• Men's semi-finals begin at 8pm on September 9th.
• The women's final will begin at 9 p.m. on September 10.
• The men's final begins at 9 p.m. on September 11.

Meanwhile, Swiatek's early-season aura has faded somewhat since her 37-match winning streak ended at Wimbledon.

That incredible streak, the best this century, included hard-court victories in Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami, but her preparations for the US Open have not gone as smoothly, with the Polish world No. 1 losing in the round of 16 in both Toronto and Cincinnati.

A few of her closest rivals are all dealing with injuries - Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Canadian Open winner Simona Halep - but don't be surprised if Swiatek misses the US Open on this occasion, owing to how unpredictable this tournament has become. After all, the women's world No. 150 won the title the previous year. Speaking of which...

Raducanu will lead the British charge.

Emma Raducanu will have a very different US Open experience this time around, having gone from an unseeded 18-year-old shocking the field in 2021 to a world No 11 whose cards are marked in 2022.

Who knows how long it will last, but she is determined to break free after a difficult season for as long as her title defense lasts.

Recent victories over Williams and Victoria Azarenka have given Raducanu new hope, but after exiting the first three Grand Slams in the second round, it would be surprising to see her go the distance again.

Of course, it was a surprise a year ago, so don't rule anything out, but the wise money would be to keep it in your bank account given that seven different women's winners have won the US Open in the last eight years.

No male player has successfully defended their US Open title since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2004 to 2008, and Serena Williams last did so in the women's singles when she won three in a row from 2012 to 2014.

Winners of the US Open since 2015

• Novak Djokovic and Flavia Pennetta in 2015.
• Stan Wawrinka and Angelique Kerber in 2016
• Rafael Nadal and Sloane Stephens in 2017
• Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka in 2018
• Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu in 2019
• Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka in 2020
• Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu in 2021

Still, she will be the focus of British interest, along with fellow No. 1 Cameron Norrie, who hopes his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals is just the beginning of his foray into deep grand slams.

Dan Evans will also be hoping to better his fourth-round performance at the US Open last year, and wins over Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz in Montreal show the world No 22 is more than capable of challenging those in the top ten.

And then there's Andy Murray. The Briton is as determined as ever, having climbed back into the top 50 this year, but he has rarely been given a favorable draw since dropping out of the seeds.

Expect at least one marathon match, but the draw is likely to throw up a very difficult third-round opponent, making the second week a pipedream.