The US Open, the final Major of the season, begins on Monday.  The speculation surrounding who will be the eventual Champions have never been so avid.  Will Novak Djokovic win his third Major of the season?  He has done it before in 2011, the only one he did not win was Roland Garros. Will Serena Williams win her fourth Major of the season, thereby adding a Calendar Grand Slam to an already impressive portfolio?

The pressure is tremendous for both number one ranked players/seeds at the US Open. It is self-imposed as well as externally applied from the public. Every player dreams of winning a Major; however, I cannot imagine anyone wanting to win this tournament more than Serena Williams. The significance in terms of tennis history is astronomical; yet, the personal reasons are probably the ones that matter most. “Pressure is a privilege,” is a well-known adage of the legendary tennis player Billie Jean King. I somehow do not think that Serena Williams is feeling very privileged at this moment.

Their paths to the trophy will be littered with numerous obstacles, that each must overcome to hoist the trophy: a number of talented players; weather conditions; and most dreaded, unexpected injury/illness. However, the obstacle that may trip up both players may be the one they are most familiar with; yet, struggle at times to control, their mind.  Where are they mentally? Will Djokovic and Williams be able to suppress the thoughts/emotions that can potentially derail their plans of becoming the US Open Champions of 2015?