New York, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and top seed Alexander Zverev headline the men’s singles draw for the 2026 US Open, with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner missing the season’s final Grand Slam due to a right knee injury.
Zverev, who is seeded No. 1 following Sinner’s withdrawal, will lead the top half of the draw, while second seed Alcaraz anchors a star-studded bottom half that also features former champions Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic.
Alcaraz returns to competitive singles after a four-month injury layoff caused by a wrist problem. The Spaniard, who won the US Open in 2022 and 2025, begins his title defence against Roman Safiullin. Zverev will open his campaign against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
The draw has created a potentially difficult route for Alcaraz, with several powerful opponents positioned in his half. He could face American No. 8 seed Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals, while a projected semifinal against fourth seed Djokovic could set up another high-profile meeting between the two.
Djokovic, a four-time US Open champion, will begin against Mariano Navone and is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. The 39-year-old Serb is in the same half as Alcaraz, meaning the two could meet in the semifinals if they negotiate their respective paths.
All five former US Open champions in the field are positioned in the bottom half. Djokovic has four titles, Alcaraz two, while Medvedev, Wawrinka and Cilic have won once each. Wawrinka could face 2019 semifinalist Matteo Berrettini in the first round.
Zverev, the 2026 French Open champion, is seeking his first US Open title after finishing runner-up to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final. His path could include meetings with players such as Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur before a potential clash with Alcaraz in the final.
American players will also attract considerable attention after an impressive North American hard-court season. Ben Shelton won the Canadian Masters title for a second consecutive year, while Taylor Fritz captured the Washington title. Frances Tiafoe reached the Cincinnati final and Brandon Nakashima made the finals in Montreal.
No American man has won the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton, Fritz, Tiafoe and Nakashima will look to end that long wait, while young American Learner Tien also enters the tournament after a strong season.
The US Open main-draw action begins on August 30 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
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