For the past two years, winning a men’s Grand Slam has meant finding a way through Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. At the 2026 US Open, the field is about to look extremely different.
Sinner, the world’s No. 1 player and reigning Wimbledon champion, officially withdrew from the US Open because of a lingering right knee injury. Alcaraz will be in New York to defend his title, but he will return after a four-month absence from tennis due to a wrist injury.
This leaves the men’s draw in unfamiliar territory. Alcaraz remains the player to beat, even if he’s battling an injury, but after months without competition, expecting him to run the table in seven best-of-five matches is a big ask.
With Sinner out and Alcaraz not at full strength, the opportunity for the rest of the field is no longer hypothetical. The door is wide open; now it’s time to see who will step up.
Sinner And Alcaraz Have Separated Themselves From The Field
It’s almost hard to even comprehend how much Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated men’s tennis. Before Alexander Zverev broke through and won Roland Garros earlier this year, Sinner and Alcaraz had combined to win nine consecutive Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz has won five majors during that stretch; Sinner added four.
Their dominance has turned Grand Slams into a question of whether anyone else can get in their way of eventually meeting at the end of the tournament. Last year’s US Open was a perfect example. Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the final, marking the third consecutive Grand Slam championship match between the two.
Sinner’s dominance against everyone outside of Alcaraz was even more unfathomable. Entering last year’s US Open final, Sinner was 109-4 against everyone other than Alcaraz since the beginning of 2024. That is the challenge the rest of men’s tennis has been facing.
There are plenty of talented players behind them. Alexander Zverev has finally accomplished his Grand Slam win, Novak Djokovic is still capable of beating almost anyone, and Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz have given America legit tennis contenders. Getting past one elite player is difficult enough; having to potentially beat both Sinner and Alcaraz in the same tournament makes the path considerably harder.
Neither Enters New York Under Ideal Circumstances
Sinner’s status is no longer a question. The Italian withdrew from the US Open on Friday, after determining that his right knee injury needed more time to recover. The injury had already forced him to miss both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. Sinner was recently seen practicing in Monte Carlo, but said he and his team decided he wasn’t ready to compete in New York.
His absence removes a player who is 44-3 this season and won six tournaments, including Wimbledon. It also means the US Open will be played without the man who won the tournament in 2024 and finished runner-up last year.
Alcaraz’s situation is different. The defending US Open champion confirmed he will return after a four-month hiatus caused by a wrist injury. He has not competed since April, missing the French Open, Wimbledon, and the major North American hard-court tournaments leading up to New York. He had initially planned to return for Cincinnati, but decided another week off was necessary.
Being medically cleared to play is different from being ready to win a Grand Slam. Alcaraz will have to go from four months without any competition to potentially playing seven best-of-five matches over two weeks. If he can quickly find his rhythm, he should remain the favorite in the tournament, but if he doesn’t, the field changes drastically.
The Door Is Wide Open: Who Is Willing To Walk Through It?
With Sinner’s withdrawal, someone else will occupy his side of the bracket. Alcaraz’s uncertainty surrounding his wrist injury makes the other side less intimidating than it normally would be. For several players, this could be the opportunity they have been waiting for.
Alexander Zverev
The player with perhaps the greatest expectations going into New York is Zverev. The world No. 3 finally got the chip off his shoulder earlier this year when he won Roland Garros in June. After years of deep Grand Slam runs without a championship, Zverev proved he could finish the job, eliminating one of the biggest criticisms of his career.
Now comes the challenge of doing it again. Zverev reached the 2020 US Open final and came within two points of winning before losing to Dominic Thiem. His Cincinnati run last week ended in the round of 16 against American Tommy Paul, despite holding a match point.
Zverev is entering New York as a different player now. He has something he lacked during previous US Opens: A major win. With Sinner out and Alcaraz’s injury, he should be expected to contend for another Grand Slam title.
American Opportunity
It has been over two decades since the last American Grand Slam singles champion in men’s tennis. Andy Roddick remains the last American man to win one, with his victory at the US Open in 2003. This year’s tournament could be one of the best opportunities to finally end that drought.
Ben Shelton enters as the highest-ranked American at No. 6 and has a history of good performances in New York. He reached the US Open semifinals in 2023 and has continued developing into a more complete player, not just a big server.
Shelton also arrives with another strong summer of hard court play under his belt. He won the Canadian Open before Cincinnati, adding another title to his resume.
Taylor Fritz deserves to be part of the conversation as well. He reached the US Open final in 2024 before losing to Sinner and enters this year’s tournament ranked No. 9. He has already shown he can play deep into the second week; now he hopes to help end the American Grand Slam losing streak.
The American field is deeper than those two players. Francis Tiafoe just reached the Cincinnati Open final before losing to Arthur Fils, another player who has been on a hot streak as of late. Tiafoe suffered an injury during the match, making his physical health another factor in his ability next week.
For Shelton and Fritz, the withdrawal of Sinner removes one of the biggest obstacles standing between an American and a Grand Slam victory. Eventually somebody needs to take advantage.
Don’t Forget Novak Djokovic
If there’s something Djokovic has proven over his two-decade-long career, it’s that he can’t be counted out. At the age of 39, he isn’t the same juggernaut as he once was. His body raises serious questions about whether he can withstand the seven best-of-five matches it takes to win a major, but few players have been able to navigate a Grand Slam better than him.
Entering the US Open ranked No. 5 in the world, Djokovic is looking to extend his already illustrious career. At this point, it isn’t about winning every single week; it’s about getting healthy for the biggest tournaments. Sinner’s absence and Alcaraz’s uncertainty help.
Djokovic may not have many more opportunities quite like this, but will his own health be good enough to withstand a major tournament?
Arthur Fils Just Made His Case
If there’s one player who’s captured the attention of the whole tennis world recently, it’s Artur Fils. The 22-year-old Frenchman defeated Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 in Sunday’s final to win the first Masters 1000 championship of his career. The victory moves him to a career-high No. 11 in the rankings.
Fils has dealt with his own injury problems, including a stress fracture and hip issues, but when healthy, he can compete with anyone, as he showed in Cincinnati. He has improved tremendously with his serve and movement; that kind of play can cause problems for his opponents this upcoming week.
Winning Cincinnati doesn’t automatically make Fils the US Open favorite, but it gives him more momentum than anyone else in the field. Winning seven best-of-five matches presents an entirely different challenge for the young star.
An Opportunity Like This May Not Come Again
Sinner is 25 years old, and Alcaraz is 23. If the past few seasons have been any indication of how the future will go, it’ll be hard to find a way around them. That’s what makes this US Open so exciting.
With Sinner officially withdrawn, Alcaraz leads the pack even considering he hasn’t played a competitive match in four months. Someone has to seize the opportunity. Shelton and Fritz search to end the American drought, Fils looks to capitalize on recent victories, and Djokovic wonders if he has anything left in the tank.
The pressure surrounding this year’s US Open isn’t only on Alcaraz to see how his wrist holds up; it is on everyone behind him to prove who can step up when the two players who have controlled tennis finally leave an opening.
