{"id":828689,"date":"2026-08-28T13:28:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/828689\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T13:28:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:28:48","slug":"u-s-open-preview-2026-30-tennis-champions-contenders-and-rising-stars-to-watch-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/828689\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Open preview 2026: 30 tennis champions, contenders and rising stars to watch in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aug. 28, 2026 5:01 am EDT Updated <\/p>\n

The U.S. Open 2026<\/a> starts Sunday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and on the hard courts of New York City, fans should expect surprises of all kinds.<\/p>\n

In the men\u2019s draw, Carlos Alcaraz is trying to defend his title<\/a> as he returns from an injury to his right wrist<\/a> that kept him off the court for four months. His nearest rival, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, is out with a right knee injury<\/a>, and the likes of French Open champion Alexander Zverev<\/a>, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic<\/a> and a clutch of top American talent will be looking to take advantage.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> is on a scratchy run of form, just as the top of the WTA Tour is taking on a remarkable level of parity. Every single player in the top 10 holds either a Grand Slam title or a WTA 1000 title (one rung below) and the competition to wrestle the title \u2014 and perhaps the No. 1 ranking \u2014 from Sabalenka\u2019s grasp is fierce.<\/p>\n

But whoever lifts the trophy is never the only storyline at a major, and nor should it be. There are the players who thrive on their home courts; the rising talents taking their first steps onto the biggest stages, and the statesmen and stateswomen of the sport who are here for one last hurrah \u2014 or perhaps more than that.<\/p>\n

In that spirit, here are 30 players to watch at the U.S. Open this year, 15 men and 15 women. Some of them are title contenders. Some of them are rising stars. And some of them are legends of the sport taking one last go-round in New York.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost time.<\/p>\n

Tour ATP WTA<\/p>\n

Country Belarus Canada Czech Republic France Germany Italy Japan Kazakhstan Philippines Poland Russia Serbia Spain Ukraine United States<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Try changing or resetting your filters to see more.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an argument that Aryna Sabalenka has the field exactly where she wants it. There\u2019s also an argument that the field has Sabalenka exactly where it wants her.<\/p>\n

Just like last year, she\u2019s coming in as world No. 1 without a Grand Slam title to her name on the year. Unlike last year, Sabalenka has been below her very high standards for several months.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Sabalenka was a semifinals-and-finals lock for most of the year leading up to the U.S. Open. She won about half of those finals. In 2026, she hasn\u2019t made a semifinal at all since late March.<\/p>\n

She is capable of catching fire \u2014 and New York is just about the most likely place that she would do it \u2014 but she hasn\u2019t hinted at an upturn in form.<\/p>\n

Her losses since the start of the clay season have been curious, especially when she failed to close on the edge of victory at the Madrid and French Opens. She seems to have lost trust in the varied play that has won her a few big, tight matches, as well as her awareness of how she might counter her opponents\u2019 strategies.<\/p>\n

Now watch her go win a third straight U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

W (2024, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In the immediate term, Elena Rybakina\u2019s left Achilles could be the difference between her playing the U.S. Open and not. As the tournament unfolds, it could determine the trajectory of the title \u2014 even if she is not there.<\/p>\n

A healthy and fit Rybakina would appear to have relatively smooth sailing into the second week. But Rybakina\u2019s fortunes have implications far beyond her own success. She is vying for world No. 1 with Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and she holds all the cards: With a semifinal run, nothing the others do would matter.<\/p>\n

Moreover, her absence in the bottom quarter of the draw would present a rich opportunity for Iga \u015awi\u0105tek, the resurgent 2022 champion who is in her quarter, and for that half of the draw, especially given the women\u2019s draw as a whole is relatively balanced.<\/p>\n

If Rybakina plays, her smooth serve and groundstrokes can do enough damage to take her on a deep run. But there are so many doubts over her injury that it would not be a huge surprise if she doesn\u2019t take the court at all.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jessica Pegula is such a consistent presence in the upper echelons of tennis that it can seem like she is putting together a career year, every year.<\/p>\n

In 2026, she has won two WTA titles and has made three finals \u2014 including just before the U.S. Open, where she lost to an on-fire Coco Gauff at the Cincinnati Open after edging out Iga \u015awi\u0105tek in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

Pegula is playing such impenetrable tennis that surely this must be a record year. But whoops, look back at 2025. She won three titles and made three finals then.<\/p>\n

Such is Pegula\u2019s career. She\u2019s consistently elevating her excellent game, yet, frustratingly for her, she has yet to find the missing piece that earns her a Grand Slam trophy. She is as hungry as ever to win, especially after reaching the first major final of her career two years ago in New York. It may help that the woman who\u2019s beaten her each of the past two years at the U.S. Open, Aryna Sabalenka, is struggling to find her best tennis.<\/p>\n

Oh, and for added incentive, she has a shot at taking over the world No. 1 ranking if she wins the title and Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinals.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to look back at where Coco Gauff was 12 months ago, practicing her serve during medical time outs and between sets in front of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, and just marvel at how much she has progressed.<\/p>\n

The double faults are in the back of her mind. The forehand footwork in which she hops on her back foot like a flamingo is getting rarer. And with a Cincinnati Open title win to finish her preparation for her home Slam, Gauff is again one of the favorites for the title in New York.<\/p>\n

But taking that view would glaze over something central to Gauff\u2019s tennis. Her second serve may have been a disaster for much of 2024 and 2025, but her first serve has always been in the top two or three in the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Its speed and precision give her a platform to come forward to the net or just to win points for free; winning points for free on serve lets her use her foot speed and court coverage to unravel opponents when it\u2019s their turn.<\/p>\n

Once again at the U.S. Open, Gauff and her crowd will take some beating.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mirra Andreeva had quite a comedown after winning her first Grand Slam trophy at the French Open this spring. She lost in the second round of Wimbledon, which was a completely understandable result for a 19-year-old who barely had time to absorb her achievement. Still, she was so disappointed she was close to tears in her press conference after.<\/p>\n

Now that more time has passed, Andreeva has had a chance to adjust to being a Grand Slam champion and enters the draw as a dangerous figure. She may not be a true title-contending threat, but no one wants to see her across the net.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Open is the only major where she\u2019s never made it past the third round, but she does have momentum behind her in New York this year. She and her partner Andrey Rublev made it to the semifinals of the mixed doubles competition, and looked to be having a ton of fun along the way. Good vibes count for something, right?<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After winning her first Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon, 21-year-old Linda Noskov\u00e1 can expect more eyes on her at the U.S. Open than ever before. Noskov\u00e1 is low-key by nature and seems suited to a little extra pressure, but it remains the biggest unknown regarding her hopes in New York.<\/p>\n

On paper, Noskov\u00e1 has a nice game for hard courts. She plays with quiet power, absorbs her opponents\u2019 pace well and has enough syncopation in her game to keep her foes on the back foot.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s never made it past the third round at the U.S. Open, but no one had her circled as the Wimbledon champion at the start of the summer, either. Noskov\u00e1 could do plenty of damage if she can harness the confidence that comes with the pressure of being a major champion.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1 has already found some glory in New York this time around. She and her Czech compatriot, Jakub Men\u0161ik, won the mixed doubles, giving each of them their maiden Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n

That came on the heels of Muchov\u00e1\u2019s run to the Wimbledon singles final, where she lost in three sets to another Czech compatriot, Linda Noskov\u00e1. After that, Muchov\u00e1 had what she described as a \u201csmall surgery\u201d that kept her out of the summer events that lead into the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

When healthy, Muchov\u00e1 plays a beautiful, flowing style, which this year has been bolstered by more solidity and aggressiveness from the baseline. She has a good record in New York, and all the tools to make another deep run that should thrill the crowds.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

SF (2023, 2024)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After just under two years of tennis evolution and all the bumps in the road that come with that, Iga \u015awi\u0105tek is showing signs of finding her groove.<\/p>\n

The 2022 U.S. Open champion has been on a journey to bring the patient, controlled aggressiveness that made her first a new star, and then the WTA Tour\u2019s dominant force, from late 2020 to late 2024. That journey brought a Wimbledon title in 2025, but also plenty of painful defeats that became all too alike.<\/p>\n

At the Canadian Open earlier this summer, she trusted the strategy for an entire tournament, and she won it. She is now applying that patience to her serve, the part of her game that is her biggest obstacle to the biggest titles, because of its inability to earn her free points \u2014 and relieve pressure \u2014 when an opponent is playing well or her own game is still clicking into gear.<\/p>\n

Will she win the U.S. Open? The serve might still need a little too much refinement for that. But she is in form, confident and playing the kind of tennis she wants to play. That\u2019s scary for the field.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This time last year, Amanda Anisimova was looking to bounce back after a harrowing Wimbledon final in which she did not win a game against Iga Swi\u0105tek. She showed resilience by beating Swi\u0105tek at the U.S. Open, before making it to a second consecutive major final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka.<\/p>\n

A year later, Anisimova still has the powerful groundstrokes \u2014 including one of the best backhands in the game \u2014 and experience necessary to win a Grand Slam trophy. Her forehand was much less reliable through the spring and early summer, and helped lead to a third-round exit at Wimbledon, but Anisimova in recent weeks reunited with Henrik Vleeshouwers, the coach who helped her reach No. 3 in the world at the end of last year.<\/p>\n

The renewed partnership seems to be going well so far \u2014 she had a quarterfinal run at the Cincinnati Open that will do just fine as far as preparation goes. Now Anisimova gets to play in front of friendly crowds on her favorite surface.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One of the in-form players of 2026, Marta Kostyuk arrives in New York enjoying the best season of her career \u2014 with the opportunity to make a statement run at a tournament that she is yet to fully get between her teeth.<\/p>\n

Trust in her longtime coach, Sandra Zaniewska, psychological work to separate her self-worth from her results, and the easy power and blistering attack that have always marked her tennis have all coalesced in 2026. She reached her first two Grand Slam semifinals back to back at the French Open and Wimbledon, and won her debut WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open.<\/p>\n

Hard courts haven\u2019t been her best friend this year \u2014 she tore an ankle ligament at the Australian Open in losing her first-round match \u2014 but everything is there for her to thrive on this visit to Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let the lavish outfits deceive \u2014 Naomi Osaka has renounced herself as a Grand Slam threat in 2026.<\/p>\n

One of tennis\u2019 few stars with cultural crossover, Osaka has leaned way into costumery in 2026 as she seeks to define herself as an \u201centertainer,\u201d not just an athlete. She has walked out for each of her Grand Slam matches this year wearing an ornate outfit layered with meaning.<\/p>\n

The clothes, an outlet for self-expression, have helped Osaka have fun in her tennis career again. After spending a few years in the sport\u2019s wilderness as she worked to come back from giving birth to her daughter, Osaka has found new perspective (it\u2019s just a job, she says now) to go along with her improved movement and her always-fearsome power game.<\/p>\n

That manifested in career-best runs to the fourth round at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before Osaka started the hard-court season \u2014 her favorite season \u2014 strong.<\/p>\n

She went to the semifinals of the D.C. Open and quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, and should arrive in New York feeling confident. Her semifinal appearance at last year\u2019s U.S. Open was at the time her best performance at a Grand Slam since 2021, and she wasn\u2019t playing nearly as well as she is now.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

W (2018, 2020)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alex Eala has been making history for the Philippines on a tennis court for a long time now, but it was at Wimbledon that she announced herself to the wider sporting world by beating defending champion Iga \u015awi\u0105tek on Centre Court.<\/p>\n

She backed that up by winning the D.C. Open title, her first, a few weeks later. She won the title by beating Jessica Pegula, showing that she can even get a crowd with U.S. home-court advantage on her side.<\/p>\n

That should be a potent weapon in New York, which is home to a massive Filipino population.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s really hard to win Grand Slam matches. It\u2019s even harder when the crowd is going bananas for the player on the other side of the net, and Eala will have that from round one.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Czech Republic just won\u2019t stop producing brilliant women\u2019s tennis players, and Nikola Bart\u016f\u0148kov\u00e1 is well on her way to joining her compatriots in the upper echelons of the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Bart\u016f\u0148kov\u00e1 is still working through her understanding of her own game, and her slightly jittery service motion and tendency to lose sets at first slowly, and then all at once are testament to that.<\/p>\n

But when she is on, she can be borderline unplayable. Her tennis has a swashbuckling assuredness, letting her flow through the court to carve away a volley, or redirect a ball from the baseline so quickly and so powerfully that her opponent has no time to react.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s putting it all together right on time for the U.S. Open, with at least a semifinal berth at the Monterrey Open in Mexico. At the Australian Open, she stunned Belinda Bencic en route to the third round, and won two matches, including the one against Bencic, in which she lost the second set 6-0.<\/p>\n

Fearless, self-possessed and growing in confidence week on week, she\u2019s one to watch and a dangerous proposition for just about any opponent.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During Mirra Andreeva\u2019s rise to the top of tennis, she reached the Australian Open girls\u2019 final in 2023, at 16. She lost that final \u2014 to Alina Korneeva, her compatriot one month her senior.<\/p>\n

Since then, Andreeva has risen and risen, while Korneeva has seen her own rise largely deferred by repeated setbacks with wrist injuries. Until now.<\/p>\n

In the same year that she beat Andreeva, she went 31-8 and made her full WTA Tour debut, before a seven-month absence due to wrist problems that broke the back of her 2024 season.<\/p>\n

In 2025, she lost more matches than she had become accustomed to losing, but far more importantly, played a great deal more of them, despite missing nearly six months between January and June.<\/p>\n

In 2026, Korneeva has found stability at last.. She defeated two top Americans, Emma Navarro and Iva Jovi\u0107, to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open, backing up her run to the semifinals of the Athens Open earlier this summer.<\/p>\n

With baseline poise and a mature balance between defense and attack, Korneeva is one to watch in New York and beyond.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Taylor Townsend possesses a slick, lefty all-court game that can evoke memories of John McEnroe. There\u2019s something about the way she swings her serve out wide into the ad court. It\u2019s a thing of beauty \u2014 and it has brought her Grand Slam doubles titles aplenty.<\/p>\n

At last year\u2019s U.S. Open, it brought her one of the richest singles runs of her career. Townsend upset Mirra Andreeva on Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the round of 16, where she played one of the epic matches of the tournament.<\/p>\n

In a three-set nailbiter against two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krej\u010d\u00edkov\u00e1, Townsend had eight match points in a second-set tiebreak that went to 28 points; Krej\u010d\u00edkov\u00e1 took it 15-13 and then grabbed the third set to knock Townsend out.<\/p>\n

Louis Armstrong Stadium was packed for a player who used the run to build her profile and advocate for equality and self-belief in a sport that has not always been kind to her. Now she is back.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alexander Zverev has had the most important season of his career at majors, and he goes into the last one of 2026 as the top seed thanks to Jannik Sinner\u2019s absence with a knee injury.<\/p>\n

Zverev claimed his first Grand Slam title at this year\u2019s French Open, and he backed that up with a run to the Wimbledon final, in which he played the kind of aggressive and decisive tennis that he had too often lacked in tight moments.<\/p>\n

While Sinner defeated him in the final, Zverev won the opening set of their match and did so with a ripped winner, two things that looked implausible in their six meetings prior, which Sinner won in straight sets.<\/p>\n

The German\u2019s serve and baseline solidity should be enough to get him through most of what awaits him in New York. Once again, the question is whether he can produce his top level on the points that matter, in the matches that matter. If he can, fulfilling his status as one of the favorites is in his hands.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The defending champion returns as one of the tournament\u2019s most intriguing figures, after missing the past two Grand Slams.<\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz has not played competitive tennis since April because of a wrist injury called tenosynovitis, in which fluid accumulates in the sheath of one of the most important tendons in the joint.<\/p>\n

Wrist injuries are among the most dreaded ailments for any tennis player, and trying to come back from one by jumping right into five-set tennis is beyond audacious \u2014 but Alcaraz has a thing for breaking precedent. No one has defended the men\u2019s title in New York since Roger Federer\u2019s streak of five ended in 2008.<\/p>\n

Still, no matter how extraordinary Alcaraz is, winning seven matches would be a lot to ask. He and his team have for months prioritized the longevity of Alcaraz\u2019s career over rushing a comeback, meaning the 23-year-old may not be inclined to risk anything.<\/p>\n

If he is completely healthy and manages to shake off rust quickly, then matchup-wise, his chances of picking up a second Grand Slam this year are pretty good. Alcaraz is still peerless among the field with Jannik Sinner out, and he\u2019ll arrive in New York fresher than players who have slogged through a long season \u2026 But that\u2019s an Empire-State-Building-sized \u201cif.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

W (2022, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime plays like he did last year at the U.S. Open, or this year at Wimbledon, then he has every chance of a deep run into early September. He lost to Jannik Sinner in four tough sets in the 2025 semifinals here, and pushed Novak Djokovic to a brutal five sets in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in July.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the Canadian was despondent after going out of the French Open to Flavio Cobolli, seeing it as a near-unforgivable missed opportunity with Sinner and Djokovic out already and Carlos Alcaraz absent.<\/p>\n

Last year at the U.S. Open, he did seize an opportunity, backing up knocking out Alexander Zverev by defeating Alex de Minaur in a grueling quarterfinal for the right to meet Sinner.<\/p>\n

A back injury earlier in August could be a stumbling block, and he\u2019ll want the weather to clear up or to stay rainy, because he loves an indoor hard court. If Auger-Aliassime can find rhythm in his early rounds, there\u2019s no reason why he can\u2019t replicate last year\u2019s run.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

SF (2021, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Again, Novak Djokovic senses an opportunity. Again, his path to seizing it might mostly depend on his own durability.<\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz hasn\u2019t played singles in four months. Jannik Sinner is out with a knee injury. The forecast for the first week of the U.S. Open is pretty mild. Djokovic loves to play at night and will get plenty of assignments in that slot on Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\n

The question for the 39-year-old, who has won this tournament four times, is whether or not his body will let him take advantage. It didn\u2019t look that way at the Cincinnati Open, where Djokovic lost his only match since Wimbledon to Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina. He was felled largely by the exertion of a mammoth service hold that sapped his energy.<\/p>\n

Djokovic has only played 20 matches all year. He\u2019s also probably the best hard-court player in the history of the men\u2019s game. If he plays his way into fitness and form over the first three rounds, anything can happen. But that \u201cif\u201d has so far defined his season.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

W (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Flavio Cobolli launched himself into the Grand Slam conversation after making the final at the French Open this year, as one of few players who managed to take advantage of a wide-open draw.<\/p>\n

If he gets another chance in New York, he has the platform to build on a successful year at the majors, after a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old is one of the better athletes on tour, with a well-rounded game. He can do the most damage off his forehand side, and his kick serve will be a weapon on the hard courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, but Cobolli hasn\u2019t been particularly efficient in the lead-up to the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

At the Cincinnati Open in mid-August, his first four matches went three sets before he crumbled against eventual champion Arthur Fils in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

Energy management matters in New York, where the heat, long hours and cumulative effects of the season can catch up to players. But deep runs at Grand Slams are becoming routine for this Italian, who can gut out a win when he wants to.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

R32 (2024, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was the 2023 U.S. Open that saw Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old college tennis player with a phone he needed to hang up, a 150 mph serve and an electric forehand, announce himself as a shooting star.<\/p>\n

Three years on, the phone has been left on the hook, and Shelton is at one of the most interesting moments of his career. Until earlier this summer, he had achieved good results in smaller tournaments this season but had mostly underachieved when the lights got bright, something antithetical to his stated goal of peaking at the biggest events.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t breaking serve. He couldn\u2019t be patient from the baseline. His return and his backhand were as ineffective as his serve and forehand could be lethal.<\/p>\n

Then he stormed to the title at the Canadian Open in Montreal, as the slow courts and high bounce played to his strengths and gave him the time to soften his weaknesses. He arrives in New York with his status as a sports star needing to converge with his status as a tennis player. Bring the two together, and who knows what could happen.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner absent and questions surrounding defending champ Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s fitness, Taylor Fritz could have (another) good chance to win his first Grand Slam trophy.<\/p>\n

The Californian loves playing on hard courts in front of a home crowd. He has more experience in New York than most other contenders, having made the final in 2024, which he lost to Sinner.<\/p>\n

But Fritz also has a bit of scar tissue to work through. That final two years ago was a proper drubbing from Sinner; last year, Fritz wilted under the bright lights and lost a four-set quarterfinal to Novak Djokovic in which he gave up momentum when he had it time and again.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the thing with American men in New York. It\u2019s been so long since any of them won a Grand Slam that ending the 23-year drought, especially at the U.S. Open, is going to take an unimaginable amount of mental fortitude.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

22-year-old Arthur Fils has had a rough 15 months. At the 2025 French Open, he recorded a statement win on a baying Court Suzanne-Lenglen, but aggravated a back injury he has carried since childhood in the process.<\/p>\n

That essentially ended his season, despite a halting comeback early in the North American hard-court season. Then, he started 2026 on a tear, returning to the court with a more compact forehand and more economical movement, blasting through his opponents and winning the Barcelona Open.<\/p>\n

Then another injury that ruined his home Slam, and limp exits at Wimbledon and the D.C. Open. Was it all happening again?<\/p>\n

As it turned out, no \u2014 and thank god, because men\u2019s tennis needs Fils\u2019 exuberant brilliance more than it knows. He warmed up for New York by storming to the Cincinnati Open title, and he enters the tournament with the sky as the limit. That\u2019s almost always been the case for Fils. It just feels like his body won\u2019t get in the way of his talent for the first time in a while.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

R64 (2023, 2024)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Frances Tiafoe typically shines the brightest in front of the exuberant home crowds at the U.S. Open, where he feeds on New York\u2019s energy and his motivation peaks.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the site of his two Grand Slam semifinals (in 2022 and 2024) and Tiafoe will be yearning to go deep after a third-round loss last year. His form augurs well: He captured the biggest title of his career at the Stuttgart Open in June; in mid-August, he reached the final of the Cincinnati Open, where he lost to young Frenchman Arthur Fils.<\/p>\n

That was the second ATP Masters 1000 final of Tiafoe\u2019s career, a reflection of the focus and aggressiveness he\u2019s employed on court lately.<\/p>\n

But Tiafoe did raise concern in that championship match, after receiving treatment on his lower back or hip area before losing the third set 6-0. It could be that he felt an injury coming on and didn\u2019t want to hurt his chances at the U.S. Open, but for now, there is a question mark written in pencil next to his name.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

SF (2022, 2024)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A year ago, Rafael J\u00f3dar was hitting the books for his first weeks of classes at the University of Virginia, and preparing to represent it in college tennis.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s the world No. 13. That doesn\u2019t happen all that often.<\/p>\n

Already a dangerous combination of steady and explosive, J\u00f3dar is also raw and seasoned at the same time. His serve can make him look vulnerable, but it can also explode off a hard court and get him lots of free points; his hyperaggressive returning can put even the best in the game on the back foot.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been going deep in just about every tournament he plays lately, and it\u2019s hard not to see him at least in the second week in New York. It\u2019s not all that hard to see him as a dark-horse semifinalist or even finalist, either.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to like about Learner Tien\u2019s evolution since his wild-card entry into the 2024 U.S. Open, which he earned with a 28-match win streak on the ATP Challenger Tour, the second rung of professional tennis.<\/p>\n

He got unlucky at the 2025 tournament \u2014 Novak Djokovic in the first round is never good \u2014 and enters the 2026 edition inside the top 20. In partnership with 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang, his coach, Tien has added some zip to his arcing lefty serve, to go with the deceptive power in his forehand, his absurd court coverage and his superb pattern play and improvisation.<\/p>\n

The doubt is his fitness. He\u2019s been managing a left elbow issue for some time and it\u2019s been getting in the way of good results the past couple of months. That\u2019s never good, and never worse when five-set tennis is also on the agenda, but he\u2019ll have plenty of support in New York as a rising member of the American cohort on the ATP Tour.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

R128 (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Brandon Nakashima has been playing some of the best tennis of his life since hiring coach Wayne Ferreira earlier this summer.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old from California hasn\u2019t tweaked his game much technically, but his confidence has improved, and that confidence has led to Nakashima making more aggressive choices on the court.<\/p>\n

After a second-round loss at Wimbledon, he made it to the final of the Canadian Open and the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open, both of which are played at the level just below a Grand Slam. Nakashima isn\u2019t the biggest hitter on tour, but he is one of the most accurate servers, and has been taking better advantage of the platform his serve offers him.<\/p>\n

What Nakashima lacks is experience at the majors. He\u2019s never made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam and is 4-8 in his career in five-set matches. But playing in front of a home crowd with renewed belief, a new coach and a potent serve makes the U.S. Open a fantastic opportunity for a breakthrough.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

R32 (2022, 2025)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk and the U.S. Open are not best friends.<\/p>\n

That might seem strange to say about a 20-year-old who just won the mixed doubles title (with compatriot Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1), and who has two third-round berths and one second-round exit all before turning 20.<\/p>\n

The issue is that those exits aren\u2019t because of Men\u0161\u00edk\u2019s game \u2014 his laser serve, rock-solid backhand and impressive movement for his height are all ideal for hard courts \u2014 but rather his mentality. He lost to Nuno Borges from two-sets-to-one up in 2024, despite having three match points in one fourth-set tiebreak, and went down to France\u2019s Ugo Blanchet from the same position last year.<\/p>\n

Men\u0161\u00edk has excised some of that Grand Slam scar tissue of late \u2014 he had had some heartbreakers at the other majors, too \u2014 and the mixed doubles win should give him confidence as he pushes for a first second-week appearance in New York.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

Best finish<\/p>\n

R32 (2023, 2024)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Columbia University NCAA tennis star is all grown up and graduated \u2014 and ready for another major.<\/p>\n

Michael Zheng has done something extremely rare this past year: He survived qualifying at three Grand Slams out of three during his senior year of college. OK, Wimbledon qualifying happened a few weeks after he graduation, but he only missed the ceremony because he was busy qualifying for the French Open.<\/p>\n

Zheng has proven himself to be a pretty tough out for someone also concerned with finishing up an Ivy League degree in psychology. He covers the court effectively and can have laser precision on his forehand.<\/p>\n

Having grown up in New Jersey before attending Columbia, he should have the crowd behind him. For a certain kind of player, he\u2019s a bit of a nightmare draw.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hope for Ga\u00ebl Monfils to put on another Grand Slam show, at the last one of his career.<\/p>\n

He was the star of the mixed doubles and has already made himself a candidate for the shot of the tournament, running from basically Coney Island to retrieve an overhead in the corner of the opposite side of the court that he was covering.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been a walking highlight reel for the better part of the last two decades, but more than that, Monfils has been a role model and a lodestar for tennis players all over. This is his last season. He got a wild card from the French Tennis Federation into the singles. Maybe he wins a match. A few more highlights would be nice.<\/p>\n

Godspeed Ga\u00ebl.<\/p>\n

U.S. Open CV<\/p>\n

U.S. Open career win-loss record and appearances include main-draw matches only<\/p>\n


\n\"Connections:\"Connections:<\/p>\n

Aug 28, 2026<\/p>\n

Connections: Sports Edition<\/p>\n

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms<\/p>\n

Find the hidden link between sports terms<\/p>\n

Play today’s puzzle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aug. 28, 2026 5:01 am EDT Updated The U.S. Open 2026 starts Sunday at the Billie Jean King…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":828690,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[1082,99,428,28230],"class_list":["post-828689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-olympics","tag-sports","tag-tennis","tag-top-sports-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=828689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/828689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/828690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=828689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=828689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=828689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}