Dominic Thiem is in little doubt as to who he wants spearheading his ATP Fantasy team at the 2026 US Open.
The former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will welcome back Carlos Alcaraz to his roster for the hard-court major in New York — even if the Spaniard is competing in his first tournament after four months out with a wrist injury. For Thiem, fans would be brave to look past defending champion Alcaraz and top seed Alexander Zverev, especially in the absence of injured World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
“I think Carlos Alcaraz is a must-buy,” Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, said. “He’s such an extraordinary talent that even after almost half a year out, he can still go deep in the tournament. Also he’s No. 3 in the world, so he will be a little bit cheaper than he was before when he was still No. 1 or No. 2.
“I think fans should replace Jannik with Sascha [Zverev] because it’s a Grand Slam and if everything goes normally he will go very deep, and he will earn many points. Also with the serve, he will serve a lot of aces, so I would replace Jannik with Sascha.”
With the price of each player based on their position in the PIF ATP Rankings, any savvy ATP Fantasy manager knows that identifying a less-obvious contender can be the key for a successful tournament. Thiem likes the look of World No. 18 Jakub Mensik, who reached his first major semi-final at Roland Garros and has already lifted a trophy at this year’s US Open after winning the mixed doubles crown on Wednesday night alongside Karolina Muchova.
“Fans should consider Mensik as a ‘sub-10’ pick,” Thiem said, when considering non-Top-10 options. “I think he’s playing very well and also he had his first big run at Roland Garros, so he knows how it is to go deep in a Grand Slam. He costs eight coins at the moment, so I would pick him.”
Home favourite Ben Shelton and record 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic are among the other players on Thiem’s radar as he ponders his final selection.
“I would go for Shelton,” the Austrian said. “He won Montreal, so he is basically in very good shape. He lost early in Cincinnati, so also physically he should be very rested. I think that’s why he is a serious [contender].
“Of course you also have to consider Novak, because not a lot of people are talking about him but he is always there for a deep run in a Slam.”
New York is renowned for its vibrant and passionate home crowds, and Thiem does not only identify Shelton as a man capable of channelling that support to forge a deep run.
“Which American player will go deepest in the tournament? That is a very tricky question, because there are many American players who are in great shape right now," Thiem said. "Shelton first, but then also [Brandon] Nakashima, who played so good during Montreal and Cincinnati, and [Taylor] Fritz, [Frances] Tiafoe, [Tommy] Paul, they also had a very decent hard-court swing so far. But I would go for Shelton or Nakashima.”
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