US Open 2025: 5 men’s players to watch out for

The last Grand Slam of the year is around the corner, and the excitement is growing within the tennis fraternity to see who takes the US Open crown home this time around.

We have all been treated to some incredible match-ups at the Slams this year, and the US Open won’t be any different. Here, we take a look at five players in the men’s draw who have an affinity for hard courts and could go deep in the tournament. 

Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe has been a regular on the ATP Tour. Currently ranked inside the top 20, Tiafoe had a good run at the US Open last year, reaching the semi-finals. 

Though he hasn’t fared well in the Slams this year, having managed just a quarter-final run at Roland-Garros, the hard courts of the US Open are favourable to his style of play. 

Home support will be another incentive for the American. The 27-year-old has the capability to defeat anyone on his day with his aggressive play. Hence, it will be interesting to see if he can defy the odds, take out top-ranked contenders, and go one better by reaching his first Grand Slam final.

Tomáš Machác

Czech player Tomáš Machác has been performing consistently on the ATP Tour, rising to a career-best ranking of 20th this year.

Machác has performed well on outdoor hard courts, reaching the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters and the Round of 16 at the US Open last year. This year, he reached the third round of the Australian Open and won the Mexican Open.

The 24-year-old can surprise opponents with his aggressive playing style and has the ability to cause upsets on the US Open hard courts, making him one to keep an eye on.

Karen Khachanov

Armed with a booming serve and aggressive baseline play, this lanky Russian can prove to be a dangerous opponent for any top-ranked player.

Khachanov has been in great form since the clay-court swing this year, reaching his second Wimbledon quarter-final, the final of the National Bank Open, and the Round of 16 of the recently concluded Cincinnati Masters. He was also a US Open semi-finalist in 2022, so he knows how to go deep in the tournament.

The 29-year-old has a strong liking for hard courts, considering his attacking style of play. With consistency and form coming into the US Open, Khachanov could certainly ruffle a few feathers in his side of the draw.

Félix Auger-Aliassime

The Canadian broke onto the tennis scene in 2021, when he reached the semi-finals of the US Open. The year after, he made the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, thus reaching his career-best ranking of World No. 6.

Recurrent injuries and inconsistent performances have led to Auger-Aliassime dropping down the pecking order, though he has been showing signs of revival this year. He won the Adelaide Open and the Hopman Cup, reached the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships, and made semi-final appearances at the Qatar Open and the Hamburg Open.

Auger-Aliassime definitely loves playing on hard courts. Having shown consistency and better form this year, he could very well go on to replicate his run from 2021 — maybe even go further.

Flavio Cobolli

There has been quite an emergence of Italian players on the ATP Tour singles circuit recently. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Sonego, and Luca Nardi have been performing exceptionally well, while young Flavio Cobolli has also been making a name for himself, having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon this year.

The 23-year-old has made it to the third round of all the other Grand Slams in the last year, showing massive improvement in his game along with a never-say-die attitude. He also won the Tiriac Open and the Hamburg Open this year.

Cobolli has great baseline play, variations in his shots, and court coverage, making it difficult for his opponents to win points against him. After his Wimbledon exploits, the tennis world will be watching with great interest to see what kind of performances he can deliver at this year’s US Open.