US Open Draw Winners and Losers: Djokovic, Sabalenka Face Difficult Roads/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The 2026 U.S. Open draw created promising opportunities for Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and a resurgent group of American men. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff landed potentially grueling paths through New York. Questions about injuries and fitness also surround Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe and Venus Williams as the tournament begins.
Quick Look
- Aryna Sabalenka is pursuing a third consecutive U.S. Open women’s title.
- Elena Rybakina could become world No. 1 by reaching the semifinals.
- Novak Djokovic’s path to a record 25th Grand Slam title is filled with dangerous opponents.
- Coco Gauff could encounter former top-10 players as early as the second round.
- Six American men enter the tournament ranked inside the world’s top 25.
- Jessica Pegula received a manageable early draw but could meet Sabalenka in the semifinals.
- Frances Tiafoe’s recent hand surgery raises questions about his fitness.
- Venus Williams will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round.
Deep Look
Open fields create opportunities in New York
The 2026 U.S. Open singles draws have produced difficult routes for several favorites and possible openings for players seeking career breakthroughs.
Aryna Sabalenka is attempting to become the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012 through 2014 to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles. Her position atop the women’s rankings is also under pressure from Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
The men’s tournament appears unusually open. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is returning to singles competition after nearly four months away because of a right wrist injury.
Sinner and Alcaraz have combined to win three of the past four U.S. Open men’s championships.
Winner: Elena Rybakina
Rybakina has a chance to leave New York as the world’s top-ranked woman. The reigning Australian Open champion can claim the No. 1 ranking by reaching the semifinals.
Her immediate concern is physical. Rybakina experienced Achilles soreness and an injury scare in Cincinnati and had not confirmed her participation when the draw was released.
If healthy, the No. 2 seed opens against Thea Frodin and could meet Darja Vidmanova in the second round. More difficult prospective opponents include Maria Sakkari in the third round, Naomi Osaka in the fourth and Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Despite her success elsewhere, Rybakina has never advanced beyond the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
Winner: American men
American men enter the tournament with renewed momentum as they try to end a lengthy championship drought. No American man has won the U.S. Open singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Six Americans are ranked inside the top 25:
Several produced strong results during the hard-court season. Fritz won in Washington, Shelton captured the Montreal title, Nakashima reached the Montreal final and Tiafoe advanced to the Cincinnati final.
Winner: Jessica Pegula
Pegula received a favorable opening stretch as she again pursues her first Grand Slam singles championship.
The No. 3 seed begins against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She would then face either Venus Williams or Sofia Kenin before possible meetings with Leylah Fernandez in the third round and Sorana Cirstea in the fourth.
Pegula owns a 3-1 career record against Cirstea. Karolina Muchova or Elina Svitolina could await in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal against Sabalenka.
Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the 2024 U.S. Open final and again in the 2025 semifinals. Pegula has made clear that her “goal is to win the tournament.”
Intriguing first-round matches
The opening round includes a notable men’s contest between No. 10 Arthur Fils and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Fils arrives after winning the Cincinnati Masters, where he defeated Tiafoe in the final. Tsitsipas has not advanced beyond the second round of a major this season, but the former world No. 3 has reached two Grand Slam finals.
On the women’s side, No. 20 Maja Chwalińska will face Taylor Townsend. Chwalińska was the 2026 French Open runner-up, while Townsend has twice reached the U.S. Open fourth round.
Loser: Novak Djokovic
Djokovic faces a demanding route as he seeks his 25th major singles championshipwhich would give him sole possession of the all-time record across men’s and women’s tennis.
The No. 4 seed opens against Mariano Navone in their first career meeting. His potential second-round opponents are Matteo Berrettini and Stan Wawrinka, both former Grand Slam finalists or champions.
Possible later opponents include Tomas Etcheverry in the third round; Brandon Nakashima or Andrey Rublev in the fourth; Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals; and Alcaraz, Shelton or Fils in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev could await in the final.
Loser: Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has encountered this pressure before. She pursued a third consecutive Australian Open championship in 2025 but was stopped by Rybakina.
The top-ranked player has another chance to complete a three-peat in New York, although she has not won a Grand Slam title this season and could lose the No. 1 ranking after holding it for nearly 100 weeks.
Her draw could include No. 27 Barbora Krejcikova in the third round, No. 15 Diana Shnaider in the fourth and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the quarterfinals.
Loser: Coco Gauff
Gauff enters as the Cincinnati Open championbut her U.S. Open path is among the most challenging in the women’s draw.
She could meet Paula Badosa or Daria Kasatkina in the second round. Both are former top-10 players, and Badosa defeated Gauff on grass in Berlin in June.
A third-round match against No. 28 Sara Bejlek would be a rematch of their Cincinnati semifinal, which Gauff won 6-4, 6-1. No. 14 Iva Jovic or No. 17 Alexandra Eala could follow in the fourth round.
In the quarterfinals, Gauff could encounter French Open champion Mirra Andreeva or 2025 U.S. Open finalist Amanda Anisimova. Gauff is 5-0 against Andreeva, while Anisimova leads their series 2-1.
Rybakina or six-time major champion Swiatek could then await in the semifinals.
Loser: Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe’s immediate concern is his health. He underwent surgery in August to remove a cyst from his right hand and competed in Cincinnati despite medical advice.
He reached the Cincinnati final but took a medical timeout during his 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 loss to Fils. Tiafoe subsequently withdrew from the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament, adding to questions about his readiness.
His early draw is manageable. Tiafoe opens against Martin Damm Jr. and could face Aleksandar Vukic in the second round. He owns winning records against both.
The difficulty increases later, with Medvedev a possible fourth-round opponent, Djokovic a potential quarterfinal opponent and Alcaraz a prospective semifinal opponent.
Tiafoe has produced his best Grand Slam results in New York, reaching the semifinals in 2022 and 2024.
Loser: Venus Williams
Venus Williams will make her 26th U.S. Open appearance after receiving a wild card into the women’s singles draw.
The 46-year-old opens against Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion. Williams suffered first-round defeats at both the 2025 U.S. Open and the 2026 Australian Open, making another matchup against an established major champion a difficult assignment.
The appearance follows Serena Williams’ return in the U.S. Open mixed doubles competition alongside Alcaraz.
More on Sports
-
A new direction in the fight against cancer! HNCII's nationwide campaign kicks off from Gorakhpur
-
Singaporean chef jailed 8.5 years for sexually assaulting 11-year-old girl at restaurant
-
Karishma Tanna shares postpartum routine
-
Vivo's new explosion in India! A new smartphone makes a stormy entry with solid features, priced just this much
-
More than 6,000 cyclists will come together! Grand walkathon and cycle rally in Pune on the occasion of PM Modi's birthday
