New York, August 28: World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open 2026 due to injury. This opens the door for Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, who are now the leading contenders in the men’s singles main draw. The draw was released on Thursday.
With Sinner absent, Zverev takes the top seed and will lead the top half of the draw, while Alcaraz, the current champion and second seed, will head the bottom half. They will be joined by former champions Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka, and Marin Cilic.
Alcaraz is making his return after a five-month hiatus due to a wrist injury sustained at the start of the European red clay swing. He is eager to reclaim his title and win the US Open trophy for the third time in five years. Despite a lack of match practice, the reigning Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon finalist Zverev is focused on becoming the “King of Queens.”
Zverev will begin his campaign against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in the first round, while Alcaraz faces world number 98 Roman Safiullin.
All male players who have won the US Open, including Alcaraz (2022, 2025), Djokovic (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023), Medvedev (2021), Wawrinka (2016), and Cilic (2014), are in the second half of the draw. If Wawrinka, who is contemplating retirement, defeats 2019 semifinalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round, a rematch of the memorable 2016 final against Djokovic could be on the cards.
With Sinner out of the tournament, Djokovic has a fantastic opportunity to claim his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title during this year’s Flushing fortnight, as the Italian has won five of their last six encounters. It is expected that Djokovic will face a Spanish player in the semifinals.
Since Andy Roddick in 2003, no American male player has won their home slam. However, American players have had a stellar summer season in 2026, winning titles during the North American hard-court swing and advancing deep into tournaments.
Eighth seed and top-ranked American Ben Shelton has won the Masters 1000 title in Canada for the second consecutive year and reached the quarterfinals in Washington, D.C. He also secured trophies in Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart. Taylor Fritz won his first title of the year in D.C. and finished as runner-up in three other tournaments, trailing only Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. Fritz was also a finalist in 2024, losing to Sinner after defeating Berrettini, Casper Ruud, Zverev, and Tiafoe.
During his journey to the Cincinnati final, Tiafoe defeated three top 15 players and received tremendous support from New York fans. He channels this enthusiasm into powerful groundstrokes that astonish even the biggest players.
Young player Lerner Tien has also proven to be a dangerous contender, having won a title in Geneva and reaching the semifinals in Delray Beach and Montreal. His impressive runs to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells have also drawn attention.
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