Every year since 2003, the big question entering Grand Slam tournaments is whether an American man will finally win on the sport's biggest stages.
When tennis was dominated by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, few American men even reached a Grand Slam final, let alone won one. That's also held true in recent years, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominating the headlines and the competition. But Sinner is injured and will not compete in New York, while Alcaraz returns to singles play after almost a four-month absence.
The year's final Grand Slam is a chance for redemption for the Americans, as seven players from the United States are ranked in the top 50, including some of the men listed below, as well as Frances Tiafoe and Tommy
Paul.
Even though Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion, she has plenty of competition to keep her from a three-peat. Not only will Americans such as Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova have a say in that, but the contingent of players from Czechia, with seven women ranked in the Top 50, might also make some noise.
The following are some of the other contenders for the men's and women's singles title at the U.S. Open:
US Open men's contenders
Carlos Alcaraz
The defending U.S. Open champion is a threat to win any tournament he enters. The problem is that he has missed the last two Grand Slam events and the entire hardcourt season to date. But his performance in the mixed doubles tournament with Serena Williams shows that he is still a force to be reckoned with, especially if his troublesome wrist can withstand the force of two weeks of serves and returns.
Ben Shelton
The big question for Shelton is which version of him will show up in New York. The one who blitzed through Montreal or the one who looked tired in Cincinnati and was ousted in the first round? Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, who got to the final in Cincinnati, it may give U.S. men their best chance in a while for ultimate glory.
Alexander Zverev
Confidence is a key component in tennis, and Zverev has loads of it after his French Open triumph. His improved service game will be the key if he plans on making any noise in Flushing Meadows.
Arthur Fils
The 22-year-old from France has been slowly climbing the rankings and will enter the U.S. Open knocking on the door of the top 10. His performance in Cincinnati, where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title, put the entire tour on notice and he could be pushing to form a new Big Three with Alcaraz and Sinner, who is injured and will not play at the U.S. Open.
Taylor Fritz
Is this the tournament where an American male breaks the 23-year-old Grand Slam championship drought? Fritz, a 2024 U.S. Open finalist, has the forehand and serve to compete with any of the top players, so if he gets a favorable draw, he can do more than salvage his 2026 season (he hasn’t gotten past the fourth round at any Grand Slam this year).
Wild card: Félix Auger-Aliassime
The Canadian burst onto the scene and into the top five of the rankings with an impressive showing during last year’s tournament. He is more than capable of making another run toward his first Grand Slam championship.
US Open women's contenders
Aryna Sabalenka
The two-time defending champion hasn’t won a Grand Slam this year, and she is certainly overdue. She is hanging on to her No. 1 ranking by a thread. Anything less than a deep run at the U.S. Open, and she could lose her nearly-100-straight-weeks run at the top.
Elena Rybakina
The woman threatening to snatch that No. 1 ranking from Sabalenka already has a hard-court Grand Slam title this year, having won the Australian Open. The caveat is that she has never advanced past the fourth round at the US Open.
Coco Gauff
Gauff is due for a championship run in New York. Since winning the title in 2023, she has been beaten in the fourth round in each of the last two tournaments. But strong finishes at the Miami Open and in Toronto have her primed for another strong showing, especially if her forehand and serve cooperate.
Iga Świątek
Known more for her clay court prowess, the 2022 U.S. Open champion beat Rybakina in the Montreal final and could be the favorite to dethrone Sabalenka. The former No. 1 is attempting to keep alive her streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title, which she has done in each of the prior four years.
Wild card: Alexandra Eala
Amanda Anisimova could have been the choice here, as she has a U.S. Open finals appearance to her credit. But Eala, the 21-year-old from the Philippines, has burst onto the scene in the past year and is now firmly in the top 20 heading into the U.S. Open. And that lefty forehand is something to be reckoned with.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking the top US Open men's and women's contenders for 2026
