India, Sept. 13 -- Over a month back, neither of the US Open men's singles finalists was anywhere in the reckoning. The conversation swung between whether Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner would even be fit to play, and Novak Djokovic's chances, in the twilight of his career, of a 25th major. By the end of the fortnight in New York, none of those three are around. An injured Sinner never played. Djokovic was out in the first round. Alcaraz, testing the waters after injury, made it as far as the quarterfinals.

The two men left standing came out of nowhere by comparison. Alexander Zverev had been an afterthought all summer, despite winning the French Open and reaching the Wimbledon final. The bigger surprise is Ben Shelton, now one win from ...