Mikhail Mikhailovich Youzhny, nicknamed "Misha" and "Colonel" by his fans, is a Russian former professional tennis player who was ranked inside the top 10 and was the Russian No. 1. He achieved a top-10 ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the first time on 13 August 2007, and reached a career peak of world No. 8 in January 2008, and again in October 2010.Youzhny reached the quarterfinals of all majors, reaching the semifinals at the US Open in 2006 and 2010. The closest he came to a major final was at the 2006 US Open semifinals when he took the first set from world No. 9 Andy Roddick, after upsetting world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. At the other semifinal he lost in straight sets to the eventual champion, Nadal. Youzhny reached the finals of 21 ATP Tour-level titles, winning ten of them. He reached ATP Tour finals on all surfaces, but never won a singles title on grass. In 2010—his best season—Youzhny reached five ATP finals, winning two and ending the year as a top-10 player. Youzhny was a member of the winning Russian national team at the Davis Cup in both 2002 and 2006, playing a crucial role in 2002 when he won the deciding rubber after coming back from two-sets-to-love down.

Two-time defending champion Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the final, 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 2006 US Open. It was his third US Open title and ninth major title overall. Federer became the sixth man to reach all four major finals in one calendar year, the second to do so in the Open Era, and the first to do so since Laver in 1969. Also, he reached a record-equaling 10th consecutive major semifinal, matching Laver and Ivan Lendl.