>>> THE FINAL GRAND SLAM OF THE YEAR KICKS OFF IN NEW YORK CITY TODAY WITH THE FIRST ROUND OF THE U.S. OPEN. DJOKOVIC IS AIMING TO REPEAT AND CAPTURE HIS FIFTH TITLE AT THE EVENT. HE WILL AVOID STAR PLAYERS ALCARAZ AND ON HIS SIDE OF THE BRACKET. COCO GAUFF IS LOOKING TO DEFEND HER TITLE, ONLY GRAND SLAM SHE'S WON AND RIGHT NOW SHE'S RANKED THIRD ON THE TOUR. FOR MORE ON THE TOURNAMENT, LUCAS IS WITH US IN STUDIO 57, STAFF EDITOR OF NEWS AT THE ATHLETIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THIS IS A HOT TICKET ITEM IN NEW YORK FOR SURE. AMERICANS PLAYED REALLY WELL LAST YEAR. IS THERE A CHANCE WE CAN SEE A REPEAT OF THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE? >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. IT'S GOING TO BE FASCINATING BECAUSE I FEEL THIS TOURNAMENT IS SO OPEN, FROM THE OLYMPICS, TRANSITIONING TO THE CLAY COURTS. IT WILL BE TOUGHER FOR THE PLAYERS. I THINK YOU WILL SEE A WIDE OPEN DRAW BUT FOR THE AMERICANS, I DO THINK THERE IS A CHANCE TO SEE A DEEP RUN. I REALLY DO THINK THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR MAGIC, ANNE-MARIE IN NEW YORK. >> THIS IS GOOD. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT TENNIS IS YOU KIND OF NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SOMEBODY YOU NEVER HEARD OF CAN COME FROM BEHIND AND TAKE ON A GIANT. WHO SHOULD WE WATCH? >> BEN MADE IT LAST YEAR, HAD THE FAMOUS PHONE CELEBRATION. I THINK HE IS IN FOR A POTENTIAL RUN TO DO IT AGAIN. OF COURSE ON THE WOMEN'S YOU HAVE ONE OF THE FAVORITES, THE WORLD NUMBER ONE WHO WON BROWSE. CHINA WON GOLD, SOMEONE I THINK CAN MAKE A RUN HERE. >> HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE U.S. OPEN? ARE YOU A VETERAN? >> I HAVE BEEN AS A FAN MANY YEARS AGO. IT'S NICE TO BE BACK TO SEE ALL THE ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM FROM THE CROWD. >> THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO GIVE PEOPLE. WHAT IS IT ABOUT U.S. OPEN IN PARTICULAR THAT SEEMS TO IGNITE PEOPLE? PEOPLE NORMALLY NOT INTO TENNIS GET INTO THIS. >> IT'S SO NEW YORK. YOU HAVE ENERGY, THE MUSIC PLAYING, PEOPLE WALKING AROUND. IT USED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS QUALIFYING WEEKEND THAT YOU SEE THEM UP CLOSE. BUT NOW BECAUSE IT'S FREE, THEY LOVE SEEING THE TOP PLAYERS PRACTICE IN PERSON MORE THAN THE ACTUAL COMPETITION. WHEN I WAS WALKING THE GROUNDS YOU WERE BUMPING INTO PEOPLE SEEING PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND. THERE IS SO MUCH ENERGY, TOURIST EXCITEMENT. UNDER THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT, YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT WHERE YOU SEE SOME OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS OF THE YEAR. >> I HAVE NEVER BEEN. I AM HAVING FOMO AND