2026 US Open Preview: ATP Edition

The year's final slam arrives with plenty of intrigue as stars both new and old look to add one more coveted trophy to their collection. This article breaks down some of the big storylines heading into the end of Grand Slam season.

By Tennis Warehouse Staff

Publish Date August 2026

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7 min read

The 2026 ATP & WTA Season has proved to be spectacular thus far. With a brand new champion on the WTA side for the first three majors of the year, the stage is set for a climactic finish to the WTA grand slam season. Check out our WTA Preview here. On the ATP side, each slam has seen a different winner and multiple stars have either emerged or reemerged.

Alcaraz's Return

Everyone agrees that the Tour is better when Carlos Alcaraz is playing. Since April, tennis fans around the world have eagerly anticipated the Spaniard’s return to action. Though it seemed like he might try to make his comeback at one of the lead-in events this summer, Alcaraz withdrew from both Montreal and Cincinnati, leaving his US Open status in doubt. Distraught fans can take some comfort in the fact that Alcaraz was still practicing, even reuniting with Holger Rune as he too seeks to make his way back to playing, after a horrific Achilles injury last fall. The question becomes whether or not trying to return to action at all was the “right” choice for Alcaraz, who surely does not want to risk further damage to one of the most sensitive areas for a tennis player to injure (wrist). As defending champion, Alcaraz will attempt to become the first player in the Open Era to win the US Open without playing any of the warmup events since their introduction. As of this article, Alcaraz has confirmed his participation in this year’s final grand slam, with many tennis fans breathing a sigh of relief. But the good news was met with some disappointing ones the very next day…

Sans Sinner

Since securing his Wimbledon title defense in July, Jannik Sinner has proved to be absent from the lead-in Masters 1000 events ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, citing both fatigue and a knee issue. This knee concern ultimately would cause him to withdraw from the tournament, which is a definite disappointment to the sport and its fans. When healthy, Sinner has proved to be more or less the best player on the planet, and the possibility of a rematch of last year’s final was surely on everyone’s mind. Sinner was attempting to become the first player since Novak Djokovic in 2018 to go back to back at Wimbledon and the US Open, but his withdrawal opens plenty of doors for a whole host of players, namely one in particular.

Djokovic and the Quest for 25

The 2026 Slam season has been a bit of a conundrum for Novak Djokovic. Though he made a Slam final for the first time since 2024 with his AO finals run earlier this year (l. to Alcaraz), Djokovic fans know that anything less than a title isn’t good enough for the man who has won more singles Slams than any other male player in history. After dropping a two-sets-to-love lead for only the second time in his career to Joao Fonseca in Paris earlier this year, Djokovic rebounded in fine form with a semifinal run in London (l. to Sinner). But his return to the hard courts raised more questions than answers as the 39-year-old bowed out in his opening match in Cincinnati. However, Sinner’s withdrawal from the US Open opens the door for Djokovic to perhaps steal one more Slam.

Home Hopes

Only four countries have the honor of being able to host their own talent on the world’s biggest tennis stages. Since Andy Roddick in 2003, domestic tennis fans have long waited for an American male player to hoist the trophy once more. Though the WTA has seen multiple American women since 2000 win both Grand Slams and the US Open, American men have failed to bring even one home since Roddick’s lone slam triumph. Will this be the year that an American man finally breaks through? Let’s look at some of the top candidates.

Taylor Fritz

Though Taylor Fritz’s Slam season hasn’t been much to write home about, the California native is the only active American man with a Slam final under his belt. Perhaps he can wield that experience to his advantage, should he run into any of his countrymen in the rounds prior to a possible final appearance. Fresh off a title run at the ATP 500 in DC (one of his biggest titles in a few years), Fritz looks to be in relatively decent form, that is, provided he’s healthy. This summer, Fritz has been open about his ongoing physical concerns, particularly a knee issue that has continued to flare up. Despite the knee concerns, Fritz has played well this summer. Look for a deep run should he secure a favorable draw.

Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton went back-to-back this summer at the National Bank Open in Montreal for his second Masters 1000 title. After some trickier opening round matchups, Shelton settled in nicely, and stormed to the title without dropping a set. Though he lost early in Cincinnati, fans shouldn’t be too worried, as the demanding nature of back-to-back expanded Masters 1000 tournaments doesn’t allow for much time for athletes to recover, especially with a deep run in the tournament(s) prior. If anything, more time to rest and adjust to the demanding conditions of the Big Apple will likely be beneficial for Shelton’s hopes of a deep run.

Other American Hopefuls

There are a whole host of Americans in the Top 100 currently, each and every one of them equipped with the tools to upset top players on any given day. A former semifinalist in New York, Frances Tiafoe has long hoped to break through to a Slam final, especially at his home slam. Tiafoe was one set away from his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, but ultimately fell to a thunderous display of power from Arthur Fils (who could also easily make a run here). Brandon Nakashima has had quite the resurgent summer, as seen by his finals run in Montreal at the National Bank Open. Though he’s at times struggled to close out best-of-five matches, look for Nakashima to break through to his first major quarterfinal this summer. Alex Michelsen is also one of those American players who has proven he has the game to topple high-level players. Though he’s never progressed past the fourth round of a Slam, should Michelsen’s draw open up and the serving conditions prove favorable, look for Michelsen to stage an upset with a raucous home crowd. Tommy Paul has also had a bounce-back summer after tying the knot earlier in the season, defeating Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati after saving a match point. Look for his elite movement to be a potential difference-maker in close matches.

The Young Guns

Rafael Jodar

Perhaps no one has taken the tennis world by storm this year like Rafa. No, not that Rafa, but rather Rafael Jodar; Spain’s next tennis prodigy. The 19-year-old has been on a meteoric rise, eclipsing other young stars to skyrocket up the rankings, from well outside the world’s top 600 this time last year all the way to number eleven in the live rankings, and seven in the live ATP race to the year-end finals. His breakout has been nothing short of exemplary, from playing qualifiers at this year’s Miami Open, to a Roland Garros quarterfinal run, and now being one of the names to beat at this year’s US Open. Jodar possesses lethal power off both wings, moves incredibly well for his height, and has shown his grittiness on both hard courts and clay alike. Look for an all-Spanish clash at some point between him and the current Spanish number one…

Learner Tien

Rounding out both the young guns and the roster of Americans is Learner Tien, who has put together an impressive season, winning his second ATP title earlier this year in Geneva (a rare American triumph on European red clay). Tien has flashed his brilliance many a time over the past couple seasons, notching impressive top-10 victories and putting together strong showings on the hard court Masters 1000s of Montreal and Indian Wells, both times where he fell to the eventual champion (Shelton and Sinner, respectively). Learner’s game is tricky to play against, as his baseline consistency is tough for opponents to hit through, and his changes of directions have proved to be quite a nuisance to his opponents.