THEY are getting the band back together in New York this fortnight. Having rehabilitated their creaking bodies from the excess of competing at the sharp end of world tennis, for the first time since early 2017 at least all of the big hitters of men’s tennis will be part of the ensemble cast for a Grand Slam. The last major title of the season, a venue where they adore this sense of spectacle, will go to whoever is able to hit the right notes.

After a couple of wilderness years, the fearsome Novak Djokovic is back at the peak of his powers, having added the Cincinnati Masters title to his big comeback at this year’s Wimbledon. This has come as something of a shock to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, the two all-time greats who were quietly carving up this sport while the Serb was laid low with an elbow problem. And now, finally, we also have Andy Murray at a point where he feels comfortable testing his post-operation body out over the best of five sets.

The big four are back – even if Murray as usual has some catching up to do on the rest. But it isn’t just them: Three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, a shadow of his former self at this year’s grass court season, is showing signs of life. And Juan Martin del Potro, a former winner of this title, comes in at No 3 seed and is playing his most convincing tennis for years. For all the flashy promise of young guns like Alex Zverev – who now has Ivan Lendl in tow – and Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas, tennis now seems to be a game for the mature sportsman. Should Del Potro or Marin Cilic fail to win the title, 2019 will begin with no holder of a major title being under 30. That idea is only strengthened by a plausible narrative on the women’s side, where new mum Serena Williams, and her older sister Venus, will hope to contend for the title.

There will still be the shock of new at this year’s Open, however. Live streamed on Amazon Prime in the UK for the first time, the event will feature a basketball-style 25-second shot clock, and the club’s secondary arena, Louis Armstrong, has acquired a roof as part of a natty multi-million upgrade.

Few men in tennis are more synonymous with the US Open, nor more acutely aware of these passing trends than John McEnroe. The self-styled Super Brat – now a pundit for espn.co.uk - encountered Andy Murray on the grounds at Flushing Meadows the other day. Back competing in a slam for the first time since last year’s Wimbledon, the Scot faces Australia’s James Duckworth tomorrow, before a potentially tricky second rounder with either Feliciano Lopez or Fernando Verdasco, and he told McEnroe he didn’t feel he could win the title. While Djokovic might have said the same thing pre-Wimbledon, that seems an honest assessment by Murray, who has won four and lost three of his matches on the tour (withdrawing from Washington due to the rigours of a hectic schedule) since his return. It seems fairer to assess his chances when he returns next year.

“In some way deflection takes away some of the pressure that he feels," said McEnroe of his meeting with the Scot who is joined by Kyle Edmund and Cam Norrie in a decent-looking British challenge this fortnight. "You know that over in Great Britain there's high expectations every time he steps on the court no matter how much time he's missed. So I think it's understandable that he's want to minimize the pressure. It's somewhat realistic. But I have to add that I've seen some players who have made similar type of comments and gone on to win Grand Slams, being able to slide in the backdoor a little bit, not being the focus of attention.

“How far can he go? The best answer I could give you is that depending on how close he is to being Andy Murray, of course he has a chance against anybody. But mentally and physically in terms of how much back is he in terms of his fitness and tennis? Is his hip bothering him? I didn't have enough time to sit and drill him on these questions, nor do I think he would answer them if we did have the time. He may not even know the answers.

“You're talking about a guy that's a slam-dunk first ballot Hall of Famer who has been there and done that. To think he couldn't go out and do some damage or make some inroads I think would be a mistake. To be able to go seven matches and to win those, that's the part where I think the body and the mind are not used to that. The recovery would be more difficult. The cards have to play out perfectly for him, I believe, in terms of scheduling, in terms of his rest and recovery so he'd be able to really make a run at it, go at least reasonably deep in the tournament.”

McEnroe is speaking from experience, having never become the same player after suffering a partially torn labrum in his hip during his playing days. Medical science has moved on however, and he never underwent an operation.

"The plan was to come back and be a better player. I thought there was another gear I could find, and I didn't find it. But teams in general, the players, are more aware of what maybe needs to be done, what can be done. There's a lot of fresh data out there to help players recover. Hopefully he'll be able to get back to at least close to 100 per cent."

The draw, which pits Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the same quarter, may open things up for Rafa Nadal. But with Federer having won in Australia, Nadal in France, Djokovic winning Wimbledon, and Murray back in the mix, this is shaping up as a US Open for the ages.