The calendar’s final Grand Slam is here, and there’s some mystery if not full attendance atop the men’s and women’s tournaments. New York City is opening its doors (and taking your money) to what is usually the most attended sporting event in the U.S. every year. The 2026 World Cup with its 78 matches in U.S. stadiums easily comes in at No. 1 this year, but the U.S. Open will see well over one million fans for the third straight year during the three-week extravaganza.
One year after seeing Jannick Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz match up in the final of the last three majors on the calendar, 2026 will close with the New Two having zero meetings in a Grand Slam final. Sinner will sit this one out with a knee injury, while Alcarez was forced out of the French Open and Wimbledon with a bad wrist.
On the women’s side, six women have competed in the finals of the first three majors this year, and there have been seven different champions in the last seven majors. Things are wide open.
Here is a look at the Top 10 seeds on each side after the draw was revealed Thursday.
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2026 US Open Top 10 men’s seeds
No. 1 Alexander Zverev, Germany
The German, 29, finally broke through with his first grand slam at Roland Garros in June with Alcaraz sidelined and Sinner wilting in the heat in Round 2. He ascended to the top seed when Sinner announced he would miss New York. He has only played two hard court tournaments in preparation, and was eliminated in the first round in Montreal and in the Round of 16 in Cincinnati.
Best US Open finish: Final (2020)
2026 DraftKings odds: +300
No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Spain
There was joy across the tennis world when Carlitos announced his wrist was sufficiently healed to play in New York. He hasn’t played a tournament since mid-April when he was hurt at the Barcelona Open. Alcaraz is a two-time champion, defeating Sinner in four sets last year and Casper Ruud in four sets in 2022. He looked rusty playing mixed doubles this week, especially with his serve, but that was to be expected. He could have some tense moments in the first week as he regains form.
Best US Open finish: Champion (2022, 2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +250
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No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
The 26-year-old is enjoying a career high ranking of No. 4 and is in the midst of a strong year. Auger-Aliassime reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon. The Montreal native missed his home tournament earlier this month with a back injury, but he played the Cincinnati Open and won two matches before falling to Frances Tiafoe in the Round of 16.
Best US Open finish: Semifinal (2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +2800
No. 4 Novak Djokovic, Serbia
The most accomplished player in tennis history is still showing he can be a factor in Grand Slams, but making it through all seven matches required to lift the trophy is getting more and more difficult. Djkovic’s last major title came in New York in 2023. He reached the finals at Australia, the third round at Roland Garros and the semifinals at Wimbledon. With Sinner sidelined and Alcaraz fighting some rust, this might be his last, best chance for Grand Slam No. 25.
Best US Open finish: Champion (2011, 2015, 2013, 2023)
2026 DraftKings odds: +700
No. 5 Flavio Cobolli, Italy
Cobolli was a surprise finalist at the French Open, losing in five sets to Zverev. After reaching the semifinals at Cincinnati, Cobolli is ranked a career-high No. 6. The 24-year-old owns four Top 10 wins this year and is poised to make it past the third round in New York for the first time.
Best US Open finish: Third round (2024, 2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +3500
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No. 6 Alex de Minaur, Australia
The 27-year-old has won 11 ATP titles in his career, but he has never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. He has two Top 10 wins this year, including at the final of the Rotterdam 500 when he beat Auger-Aliassime for his lone 2026 title. He went 5-3 in the three hardcourt tune-ups for the US Open.
Best US Open finish: Quarterfinal (2020, 2024, 2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +6000
No. 7 Daniil Medvedev, Russia
The mercurial Medvedev is apparently considering a career in pickleball if he can’t improve his tennis. His three hardcourt results leading up to the US Open were not promising with a first-round loss in Canada, a second-round loss in Cincinnati and a first-round loss at the Winston-Salem 250, which prompted his thoughts on a career change. He has two titles this year but has been all over the place at the Slams. Never count him out, but never be surprised if he gets upset.
Best US Open finish: Champion (2021)
2026 DraftKings odds: +3500
No. 8 Ben Shelton, United States
A dark horse to win in New York, Shelton already has four titles this year. He defended his Canada Open trophy in August without dropping a set behind his dominating serve and an improved return game. The athletic lefty was upset in Round 1 in Cincinnati, but after the two-week grind in Montreal, extra rest before the US Open probably wasn’t the worst thing. He’s had career-best finishes at the first three Slams of the year. If he does that in New York as well, he will reach at least the final.
Best US Open finish: Semifinal (2023)
2026 DraftKings odds: +900
No. 9 Taylor Fritz, United States
Fritz is another threat to break the American major drought that stretches back to 2003. When his serve is on, he is a threat to roll through a tournament, as he did in winning Washington D.C. in July. He went 8-2 in the three hardcourt tournaments leading up to the US Open, capped with a quarterfinal appearance in Cincinnati.
Best US Open finish: Final (2024)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1200
No. 10 Arthur Fils, France
The 22-year-old is enjoying a career-high No. 11 ranking after winning the Cincinnati Open over Frances Tiafoe last week. Fils missed the Australian Open with a back injury and the French Open with a hip injury, but when he has been healthy, he has been brilliant. He went 9-2 in the summer hardcourt swing, with both losses coming to Rafael Jodar. Fils has two titles and four Top 10 wins in 2026.
Best US Open finish: Second round (2023, 2024)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1200
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2026 US Open Top 10 women’s seeds
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus
Sabalenka burst out of the gate with 26 wins in her first 27 matches of 2026, which included titles in Miami and Indian Wells and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open. She’s held on to the No. 1 ranking, but her results have been somewhat mixed since. She hasn’t made it past the Round of 16 in her last three tournaments (Wimbledon, Canada, Cincinnati). She’s the two-time defending champion and three-time finalist in New York, so pick against her at your peril, but she has shown some inconsistencies of late.
Best US Open finish: Champion (2024, 2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +320
No. 2 Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan
Rybakina retired with an ankle injury in the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open, and there was question whether she would play in New York. She wouldn’t confirm her entry leading into the week and didn’t hit the practice courts until Thursday morning. She’s apparently going to play and she will become World No. 1 if she reaches the quarterfinal, regardless of who wins the tournament. When fully healthy, the two-time major winner has the best serve in the game and hits with plenty of power. Her ankle will be a storyline to track.
Best US Open finish: Fourth round (2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1100
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No. 3 Jessica Pegula, United States
Pegula rises to the No. 2 seed with the withdrawal of Elena Rybakina due to an ankle injury. Her No. 3 World ranking matches a career-high for the 32-year old. She has had a strong summer hardcourt season, reaching the Washington and Cincinnati finals and compiling a 10-3 record over three tournaments. Pegula has just one Grand Slam final on her resume, but it came in New York and she’s been a semifinalist the last two years.
Best US Open finish: Final (2024)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1200
No. 4 Coco Gauff, United States
The 2023 US Open champ comes back to New York with plenty of momentum and in fine form. She won Cincinnati and reached the semifinals in Canada before losing to Rybakina in three sets. She is also coming off her best Wimbledon performance earlier this summer. The last time she won Cincinnati, she followed it up with a title in New York. Can she do it again?
Best US Open finish: Champion (2023)
2026 DraftKings odds: +500
No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, Russia
The 19-year-old is enjoying a career-high World No. 6 ranking as she prepares for her 15th consecutive major. She broke through with a French Open title this summer on what is her best surface. She’s 4-3 in her three US Open appearances and went just 3-2 on the hard courts in Canada and Cincinnati. Hard to see her as a threat to win it all.
Best US Open finish: Third round (2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1500
No. 6 Linda Noskova, Czech Republic
The 21-year-old rocketed up the rankings after an amazing grass court season this summer that saw her win Wimbledon and the Berlin Open. Noskova is not as much of a threat on the hard courts, going 2-2 in Canada and Cincinnati. She reached the Round of 32 at the Australian earlier this year.
Best US Open finish: Third round (2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +3000
No. 7 Karolina Muchova, Czech Republic
After reaching her second Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, Muchova underwent what she labeled a “small surgery” and missed the North American hard court swing ahead of the US Open. She won the mixed doubles in New York on Wednesday with Jakub Mensik, so she looks 100 percent heading into the main draw. When she is healthy, Muchova is a threat, and the 30-year-old has had some success in New York.
Best US Open finish: Semifinal (2023, 2024)
2026 DraftKings odds: +3000
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No. 8 Iga Swiatek, Poland
Swiatek has not reached the semifinals of her last four majors, which is her longest stretch since 2021. The 25-year-old has the most majors of any active player (outside of Venus Williams) at six and is always a threat. She won Canada and reached the semifinals in Cincinnati, so it will be no surprise if she has a deep run in New York.
Best US Open finish: Champion (2022)
2026 DraftKings odds: +550
No. 9 Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
Svitolina made runs to the semifinals at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at Roland Garros earlier this year. She reached the semifinals of Canada but had to withdraw from Cincinnati in the third round with an ankle injury. She played mixed doubles with husband Gail Monfils this week and looks fully recovered.
Best US Open finish: Semifinal (2019)
2026 DraftKings odds: +4000
No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, United States
Anisimova has not had the form she had in the back half of last year when she reached both the Wimbledon and US Open finals, but she’s still ranked in the Top 10 and her ceiling remains high. She is 2-5 against top 10 players this year, including 0-3 against Jessica Pegula. A semifinal run is possible, but she’s not a true threat to win the title.
Best US Open finish: Final (2025)
2026 DraftKings odds: +1600
SN’s picks to win the 2026 US Open
On the men’s side, going with Ben Shelton (+900). The safe pick would be Alexander Zverev or even Carlos Alcaraz, who faces the monumental challenge of stepping into a major with no matches since April and having to win seven straight. But Shelton’s game has become more than just his cannon serve. He’s breaking more often and was pretty dominant on the hard courts in Montreal. Shelton would face Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and Djokovic in the semifinals if the bracket holds. The last American man to win a major was Andy Roddick in 2003 in New York. It is time for that streak to come to an end.
For the women, Coco Gauff (+500) is the pick. Her serve, knock on wood, has actually been a positive at times this summer, and her forehand has been steady. She’ll always have the best court coverage on the tour, and her backhand is a weapon. Cincinnati showed when she gets rolling on the hard court, she’s tough to stop. Gauff would not face Sabalenka until the final, where they could have a rematch from 2023. The last time Americans won both the men’s and women’s singles in New York was in 2002 with Pete Sampras and Serena Williams.
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