By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 27, 2026
Photograph credit score: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
All main roads result in New York for the ultimate Grand Slam of the season.
The US Open attracts have been launched shortly after midday at the moment and current intriguing paths for a number of stars.
Listed here are our High 5 Takeaways from the 2026 US Open males’s draw.
Carlitos’ Crushing Quarter
Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 2025 US Open title run with a Statue of Liberty tattoo on his arm.
Alcaraz may face some monumental challenges in his quest to seize his third US Open crown within the final 5 years.
Residing within the crushing backside quarter—the hardest of the 4 quarters—Alcaraz opens in opposition to Roman Safiullin, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist who beat Joao Fonseca at SW19 this 12 months. It is going to be Alcaraz’s first singles match since April 14th when he tore by means of eight of the final 10 video games dismissing Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 in his Barcelona opener.
Alcaraz, who has been out with a proper wrist damage, struggled to search out his first serve in his US Open Blended Doubles pairing with Serena Williams.
Given his injury-induced inactivity, Alcaraz may face this difficult path in Flushing Meadows:
*R1: Roman Safiullin
*R2: Jenson Brooksby (USA)
*R3: (30) Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
*R4: (15) Alexander Bublik (KAZ) or (20) Tommy Paul (USA)
*QF: (8) Ben Shelton (USA) or (10) Arthur Fils (FRA)
*SF: (4) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Tommy Paul has twice overwhelmed Alcaraz on exhausting court docket, although the Spaniard scored a straight-sets win over the American all-courter on the Australian Open in January. Alcaraz is 3-0 vs. the explosive Shelton and although Alcaraz crushed Fils within the Doha closing 6-2, 6-1, earlier this season the Frenchman delivered dynamic tennis successful his greatest profession title on the Cincinnati Open.
Sure, a wholesome Alcaraz can be favored to come back by means of this draw. Nonetheless, it’s been extra practically six months since Alcaraz performed a best-of-five set match, so how will he maintain up bodily? And may the youngest man to finish the profession Grand Slam shake off the rust quick sufficient to organize for some potential seismic second-week showdowns.
Djokovic: Deep Drive
Knocked to his knees by the warmth and Thiago Agustin Tirante in a Cincinnati loss, Novak Djokovic ought to bounce again in an enormous means in veteran-laden Queens quarter.
Persevering with his chase for a record-extending twenty fifth Grand Slam championship, Djokovic opens in opposition to a qualifier. Ought to he prevail, the 39-year-old Serbian famous person would face both Stan Wawrinka, in a rematch of the 2016 US Open closing, or Matteo Berrettini, in a rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon closing and 2021 US Open quarterfinal.
The excellent news for the four-time US Open champion: the forecast requires average week one temperatures and the primary seed Djokovic may presumably play is No. 27-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry. No. 7-seeded Daniil Medvedev, former US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe and Montreal finalist Brandon Nakashima are different threats, however total, Djokovic must be very happy with this draw.
Disruptors: Non High 10 Seeds Who Can Do Harm
(12) Rafael Jodar (ESP)
A 12 months in the past, Jodar was ranked No. 540 taking part in Challengers in Poland and Greece and dreaming of the massive levels.
Now, the 19-year Jodar is rocking elite opponents on among the sport’s prestigious levels as he’s rocked up rankings exhibiting the potential of a future to participant. Jodar faces Thanasi Kokkinakis in his opener and would face both Fabian Marozsan or American wild card and Columbia College NCAA champion Michael Zheng in spherical two.
Washington, DC Finalist Jodar can boldly drive the ball down the road off each wings, has a excessive shot tolerance and will face off in opposition to No. 1 Alexander Zverev, who schooled the Spaniard within the Roland Garros quarterfinals, for a semifinal spot.
(14) Learner Tien (USA)
The flat-hitting Tien can assemble acute angles, slides the lefty serve broad on the Advert aspect and owns 2026 hard-court wins over Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.
(23) Andrey Rublev
Rublev takes on 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in a demanding opening rounder. If Rublev, who performed effectively partnering Mirra Andreeva to the blended doubles accomplice, can get off to an excellent begin and keep away from emotional implosions, he can dictate along with his second and forehand has reached the US Open fourth spherical or higher in six of his final seven US Open appearances.
Zverev’s Favorable View from the High
Alexander Zverev’s biggest Grand Slam season simply bought higher.
The highest seed, who defeated Flavio Cobolli to win his maiden main at Roland Garros, has received 13 of his final 14 Grand Slam matches.
Search for the Wimbledon finalist and 2020 US Open finalist to make a second-week run in New York. Zverev opens in opposition to Italian Lorenzo Sonego along with his first actual check probably a fourth-round match vs. 2025 semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti.
Zverev, who squandered a two-set result in Diminic Thiem within the 202 US Open closing, is coming off a US Open third-round exit and figures to be pumped to make one other second-week run this month.
Felix Flight Path
Seeded third for the second straight Slam, Felix Auger-Aliassime is coming off an epic five-hour, 15-minute loss to Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon thriller.
Although FAA can go ignored keep in mind final 12 months in New York, the Canadian conquered Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur and took a set from Jannik Sinner earlier than shedding their semifinal.
IF Auger-Aliassime is touchdown his first serve and imposing his all-court aggression, he’s a risk for a closing 4 return.
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