With the 2026 US Open already underway, it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here for the men's draw and click here for the women's draw. Ok, let's dive in!
#1. Can Aryna Sabalenka complete a three-peat? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number one player in the world in the women's draw, gunning for her third straight US Open title. A three-peat is not an easy feat at any grand slam. Especially one as grueling as the US Open. She's certainly the odds on favorite and should be feeling good about her chances. Especially since hard court is her best surface.
#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz win his third US Open? Back from injury, number two seed Carlos Alcaraz is looking to win his third US Open and in the process defend his title. Given he was absent from the French Open and Wimbledon this year due to a wrist injury, it feels like it's been a while since we saw him compete. It's hard to know how well he'll be able to play in New York. Assuming he's feeling great, I don't see why we should pick against him. He won the Australian Open earlier this year and is the defending US Open champion. Hard court is his jam. On top of that, Jannik Sinner is not playing due to injury.
#3. Can Elena Rybakina win her second hard court grand slam? Elena Rybakina comes in as the number two seed, having won the Australian Open earlier this year. She won Wimbledon back in 2022, so she's going for her third grand slam title overall and second on the hard courts. She came up short in Cincinnati in her most recent hard court tournament, losing to Iga Swiatek 4-1 via walkover in the quarterfinals, so it's hard to know how big of a worry that should be. Regardless, Rybakina absolutely should be seen as a serious contender given how things went for her at the Australian Open.
#4. Can Felix Auger-Aliassime reach his first grand slam semifinal? Felix Auger-Aliassime comes in as the number three seed and yet he's never reached the semifinal of a grand slam. He has a chance to change that this year given he has a top four seed. On paper, he should be a semifinalist this year due to Sinner being out and Novak Djokovic getting eliminated in the first round, but every year he runs out of steam in the quarterfinals. Will this be the year he finally breaks through? It will be fun to find out.
#5. Can Marta Kostyuk build on her French Open and Wimbledon success? Marta Kostyuk comes in as the No. 11 seed after reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon. She's had a fantastic summer and should look to build on that at the US Open. Last year, she reached the 4th round at the US Open, so she's shown she can compete at this event and now that she's been to back-to-back grand slam semifinals, she should be feeling confident. I'm excited to see what she does.
#6. Can Alexander Zverev take advantage of Jannik Sinner's absence? Alexander Zverev is the number one seed on the men's side as a result of Jannik Sinner being out. With Alcaraz potentially rusty due to missing the last two grand slams, and Djokovic losing in the first round, the stars really could be aligning for Zverev to win his first US Open and second grand slam (2026 French Open). The US Open historically has more withdrawals given how beaten up guys tend to be at this time of the season. If there's a guy who should be looking to pounce on this chance, it's definitely Zverev.
#7. Can Naomi Osaka build on her strong Wimbledon? Naomi Osaka comes in as the No. 13 seed in the tournament, having reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Osaka certainly seems to be finding her groove again and she has won the US Open and Australian Open twice, making hard court her best surface. If she could make a deep run, that would be awesome for the sport. Especially given how much the New York crowd likes her.
#8. Can Alex de Minaur reach his first grand slam semifinal? Just like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur keeps hitting a wall in the quarterfinals of a grand slam. As I've mentioned, with Djokovic eliminated and Sinner out due to injury, someone has to take advantage of the waters parting. Alex de Minaur is a guy who absolutely has a chance to be one of those guys. He's the No. 6 seed and has plenty of grand slam experience. He just has to go out and make the most of this opportunity.
#9. Can Linda Noskova build on her Wimbledon title? Linda Noskova is the No. 6 seed and is coming off an amazing two weeks at Wimbledon in which she went the distance to win her first grand slam. Winning on grass and hard court are different animals and it's always tough to follow up your first grand slam with a second grand slam in the next slam. Especially when you factor in a surface change. Still, Noskova has to take a lot of confidence from what she did at Wimbledon. I look forward to seeing how she does in New York.
#10. Can Taylor Fritz break through to win his grand slam? Taylor Fritz is the No. 9 seed and the top ranked American man. The New York crowd will certainly be cheering him on. He reached the final back in 2024, so he's shown an ability to find success at the US Open. The last American man to win a grand slam was Andy Roddick in 2003 at the US Open. Fritz has a chance to break that spell. Especially with the way the draw has been shaking out. If he could go the distance, that would be awesome for American tennis.
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