US Open 2026: Top men’s singles contenders

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

There are many top players that have withdrawn from the competition due to injury issues, the most unfortunate one being last year’s finalist and world No. 1, Jannik Sinner, who is sitting out due to a knee injury. The good news, though, is that we will be seeing the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, returning to professional tennis after four months away due to a complicated wrist injury. 

Here, we take a look at the top contenders for the men’s singles title at the 2026 US Open.

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev fulfilled his lifelong dream of winning a Grand Slam earlier this year when he won the French Open. He also reached his first Wimbledon final, but there he lost to Jannik Sinner in four sets.

Since Wimbledon, Zverev hasn’t performed well at the hard-court swing. He was knocked out in the first round at the Canadian Open and lost to Tommy Paul in the round of 16 of the Cincinnati Masters. 

However, the German has performed exceptionally well at the Slams this year, reaching at least the semi-finals in all three of them. He has a great game on the hard surface, and with Jannik Sinner having pulled out and Carlos Alcaraz returning after a four-month hiatus, Zverev is a firm favourite to win here and lift his first US Open crown. 

Carlos Alcaraz

Amid major concerns about his availability, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed that he will defend his title in New York.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion is marking a return from a tricky wrist injury and hasn’t played an ATP Tour-level match for four months since the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters. In Australia, the young Spaniard became the youngest male player to reach a career Slam, winning his seventh Slam title in the process.

Although Alcaraz could struggle in the earlier rounds for match fitness, he is still one of the best players on the men’s tour, and a five-set match-up will favour him against any opponent. With Sinner pulling out of the tournament due to a knee injury, Alcaraz is definitely one of the favourites to win the tournament and go back-to-back in New York.

Novak Djokovic

This is arguably most opportune moment for Novak Djokovic to win an unprecedented 25th Slam title given his top three challengers are out of the way: Jannik Sinner is out, Carlos Alcaraz is returning from an injury, and Alexander Zverev isn’t in the best of form coming into the tournament. 

Although Djokovic hasn’t performed well in the hard-court swing, having been knocked out in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters, he is a different player when it comes to the Grand Slams. 

This year, Djokovic has reached a Grand Slam semi-final (Wimbledon) as well as a final (Australian Open), even defeating Sinner in the Australian Open semis. The hard court is one of his favourite surfaces; having won four US Open singles titles, he clearly knows how to navigate the tournament as well.

Even in his twilight years, the legendary Serb remains a favourite to win Grand Slams. With the stars aligning in his favour the way they have here, this could be his best chance yet.

Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz might not have had a great season this year, but it is undeniable that his game is tailor-made for the hard surface. He also has the advantage of playing in front of his home crowd.

The fast-serving American reached the final here in 2024 but lost to Jannik Sinner in three sets. Although he got knocked out of the National Bank Open in the first round, he did well to reach the quarter-final of the Cincinnati Masters and is another player who can go the distance at the US Open this time around. 

With many big players like Sinner, Holger Rune, and Jack Draper missing from the tournament, the men’s draw is wide open, and Fritz is one player who can take advantage. It’s been a long time since a male American player won the US Open, and this is Fritz’s big chance. With Alcaraz returning from an injury, and Djokovic and Zverev not in the best of form, this could just be the year that sees the lanky American take advantage of the situation and win his first Grand Slam on home turf. 

Arthur Fils

Frenchman Arthur Fils has returned strongly from a seven-month lay-off this year. The talented youngster won the Barcelona Open, reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open and the Madrid Open, and is due to play in the semi-finals of the ongoing Cincinnati Masters. 

Fils has done really well this season, showing a lot of improvement and maturity. Ever since he hired the legendary Goran Ivanisevic as his coach in February, Fils has gone from strength to strength. Although he is ranked in the top 30 right now, Fils has a career-best ranking of world No. 14 and could even break into the top ten this year if he continues to play well and go deep in big tournaments. 

With a lot of top players missing from the US Open, as well as given his great form, the Frenchman has an outside chance of going all the way and lifting his first Grand Slam trophy.