Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev headline the 2026 US Open men's singles draw, released on Thursday, 27 August, with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner absent due to injury. Alcaraz, the defending champion, anchors the bottom half as No. 2 seed, while Zverev steps up as top seed and leads the top half at Flushing Meadows, New York.

How the Draw Shapes Up

Sinner's withdrawal reshuffles the competitive landscape dramatically. Zverev opens against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, while Alcaraz — returning from a five-month wrist injury sustained during the European clay swing — begins his title defence against Roman Safiullin, ranked No. 98 in the world.

In a striking statistical quirk, every living men's US Open champion is slotted into the bottom half of the draw. That list includes Alcaraz (2022, 2025), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023), Daniil Medvedev (2021), Stan Wawrinka (2016), and Marin Cilic (2014).

Alcaraz vs Zverev: The Title Rivalry

Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 7-6, most recently defeating Zverev in a five-set thriller en route to his Australian Open title in January 2026, and before that in the Cincinnati Open semifinals. The Spaniard is chasing a third US Open title in five years, though his extended absence from match play raises questions about his sharpness heading into the fortnight.

Zverev, the reigning Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon finalist, carries the momentum of a player who capitalised on Alcaraz's absence in Paris. He remains haunted by the 2020 US Open final, where Dominic Thiem denied him the title in five sets. With Sinner out and Alcaraz ring-rusty, Zverev will view this as perhaps his clearest path yet to a maiden US Open crown.

Djokovic's Record Chase

With Sinner sidelined — the Italian has won five of their last six meetings — Novak Djokovic will see the 2026 Flushing fortnight as a prime opportunity to claim a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. The Serb is projected to meet Alcaraz in the semifinals, a rematch of their Melbourne semifinal nine months ago. Should the veteran Wawrinka — reported to be playing in a farewell capacity — defeat Matteo Berrettini in the first round, a potential rematch of the 2016 US Open final between Wawrinka and Djokovic could materialise in the later rounds.

American Contenders Eye Home Glory

No American man has won the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, but the class of 2026 is generating genuine optimism. Ben Shelton, the No. 8 seed and top-ranked American, successfully defended his Masters 1000 title in Canada and reached the Washington D.C. quarterfinals, in addition to winning titles in Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart.

Taylor Fritz, the 2024 US Open finalist, claimed his first title of 2026 in Washington D.C. and was runner-up to Shelton and Frances Tiafoe at three other tournaments this year. Tiafoe, who defeated three top-15 players en route to the Cincinnati final, is renowned for feeding off the energy of the New York crowd. Brandon Nakashima (World No. 17) reached the Montreal final and the Cincinnati semifinals, while young talent Learner Tien — a Geneva title winner and quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and Indian Wells — adds further depth to the American challenge.

With the draw set and Sinner's absence confirmed, the 2026 US Open shapes up as one of the most open men's singles fields in recent memory — and the fortnight at Flushing Meadows begins in earnest.