Tennis US Open 2026: Favorites and seeds

The upcoming US Open will be the last Grand Slam tournament of the 2026 tennis season, and a great opportunity for the world's best players to confirm their current form on hard courts. The tournament in New York officially runs from August 23 to September 13, while the main draws in men's and women's singles begin on August 30.

Qualifying will be held from August 24 to 27, with the women's final scheduled for September 12 and the men's final for September 13. Matches will be played at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with the biggest matches once again held at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Who will be seeded at the US Open?

According to the current ATP rankings, the top ten spots belong to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli, and Ben Shelton. Barring major changes, the top seeds in the men's draw should be arranged in that exact order.

In the women's draw, Aryna Sabalenka currently leads, followed by Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Karolina Muchova, Linda Noskova, Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, and Elina Svitolina.

Injuries and confirmed absences

The biggest question mark in the men's draw is Carlos Alcaraz, which is also drawing a lot of attention from those interested in sports betting. The reigning US Open champion hasn't played since the Barcelona tournament in April due to a right wrist injury. He missed both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and withdrew from the Masters in Cincinnati on August 4.

Alcaraz is still listed among the entrants for the US Open, but his participation isn't guaranteed. Even if he does show up in New York, a lack of match play would be a serious problem in a tournament decided over best-of-five sets.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Masters in Montreal. Sinner linked the decision to managing his health and recovery after Wimbledon, and there's currently no indication that his US Open participation is at risk. Djokovic hasn't withdrawn from New York either, so for now their absence from Montreal should be seen more as part of preparation and load management than as a confirmed obstacle to the US Open.

In the women's draw, Emma Raducanu won't be playing due to a stress fracture in her right leg. The injury already kept her out of Wimbledon, and her medical team has advised her to skip the American hard-court swing as well.

Victoria Mboko's status is also uncertain. She injured the medial collateral ligament in her left knee in June, causing her to miss Wimbledon and the Toronto tournament. She hasn't officially withdrawn from the US Open so far.

Top contenders in the men's draw

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner is currently the world's number one and the biggest favorite if he arrives in New York fully fit. This season he won Wimbledon, beating Alexander Zverev in the final, and he already won the US Open back in 2024.

His early preparation for the American hard-court swing was disrupted by his withdrawal from Montreal, but his team hasn't confirmed that he'll also skip Cincinnati or the US Open. Sinner's precise baseline game, his return of serve, and his ability to take the ball early suit hard courts particularly well.

Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz beat Sinner in the 2025 US Open final to win his second title in New York. This year he also became Australian Open champion, completing the career Grand Slam.

Before his injury, he would have belonged to the tightest circle of favorites. Now his situation is completely different. Months on the sidelines and missing Cincinnati mean he could arrive at the US Open without a competitive match since April.

Alexander Zverev

Zverev won Roland Garros and then reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Sinner. He currently sits third in the ATP rankings and is playing at the Masters in Montreal, where he's been set as the top seed due to the absence of Sinner and Alcaraz.

There are no reported current injury concerns. His serve and backhand give him a realistic shot at going deep, though he'll need to show more initiative in key points against the very best players.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semifinal this year. He currently sits fifth in the ATP rankings, but his experience and four US Open titles make him a contender for the second week of the tournament.

Skipping Montreal leaves a question mark over his form, but there's no confirmed information that Djokovic is injured or considering withdrawing from the US Open.

Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz enters the American hard-court swing in good form. He won the Washington title, beating Rafael Jodar, and moved up to eighth in the ATP rankings. As a former US Open finalist and currently the highest-ranked American, he could benefit from home crowd support.

Top contenders in the women's draw

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka is the world's number one and back-to-back US Open champion. In the 2025 final she beat Amanda Anisimova to become the first player since Serena Williams to defend her title in New York.

The spring injury that forced her out of Stuttgart no longer looks like an obstacle. Sabalenka opened her Toronto campaign with a win over Moyuka Uchijima and is in the middle of a strong run of results on hard courts.

Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina is second in the WTA rankings and the reigning Australian Open champion, having beaten Sabalenka in that final. Her serve and powerful, flat groundstrokes make her one of the most dangerous players on fast hard courts. If she can maintain her level over two weeks, she could mount her first serious challenge for the title in New York.

Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff

Pegula is the world's third-ranked player and the 2024 US Open finalist. She reached the final in Washington but lost to Alexandra Eala 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 after the rain-delayed match finished on Monday.

The loss doesn't change the fact that Pegula consistently performs well on North American hard courts. Coco Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, is also in the Toronto draw. Both will have the advantage of a home crowd, but also greater pressure of expectations.

Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, and Iga Swiatek

The 2026 women's season has produced three different Grand Slam champions. Rybakina won the Australian Open, Mirra Andreeva won Roland Garros, and Linda Noskova won Wimbledon.

That means Andreeva and Noskova can no longer be seen as mere dark horses. Iga Swiatek has dropped to eighth in the rankings, but her position could actually be dangerous for the top seeds, since she may face them earlier than in previous years.

What can we expect from the 2026 US Open?

In the men's draw, the balance of power depends largely on Alcaraz's health and Sinner's preparation. If Alcaraz doesn't compete, or arrives without enough match play, Sinner would be the biggest favorite, while Zverev, Djokovic, Fritz, and others would get a better chance of reaching the final — which would certainly make live betting more interesting.

The women's tournament currently looks more open. Sabalenka has both the results and the experience in New York, but Rybakina, Pegula, Gauff, Andreeva, Noskova, Swiatek, and Anisimova form a wide enough group of contenders that the draw itself will heavily shape the outlook.