ATP Tour

Alcaraz returns for title defence; Djokovic, Zverev loom at US Open

The final major of the 2026 season begins Sunday in New York, with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic among the headline acts at the US Open.

Alcaraz returns to action just in time to defend his title at Flushing Meadows, having not competed since April due to a right wrist injury. The 23-year-old Spaniard’s title defence will be tested by top seed and Roland Garros champion Zverev, while Djokovic continues his pursuit of a record 25th major title.

ATPTour.com breaks down 10 things to look out for at this year’s US Open.

1) Alcaraz’s return: Having missed the past two major tournaments, Alcaraz will be eager to make an impact on his anticipated return to New York, where the Spaniard begins his title defence against Roman Safiullin. The pair is tied at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, and second seed Alcaraz could face Djokovic in a blockbuster semi-final.

Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam when he triumphed at the Australian Open earlier this year. He owns a 22-3 record this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

2) Djokovic continues charge for No. 25: Djokovic reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the final in Melbourne this year, but can he clear the final few hurdles in New York to claim a record 25th Grand Slam title across the men’s and women’s game? The 39-year-old Serbian is a four-time US Open champion, but arrives at Flushing Meadows after a shock three-set defeat to Thiago Agustin Tirante in Cincinnati two weeks ago. He opens against Mariano Navone on Sunday.

3) Top seed Zverev in top form at the majors: After clinching his first major title at Roland Garros, Zverev backed up that breakthrough with a run to his maiden final at Wimbledon, where he fell to Jannik Sinner. Can the top seed carry that form into the season’s final major at the US Open? The German reached his first major final at the US Open in 2020, but fell to Dominic Thiem in a dramatic five-setter.

4) Can Fils extend run? Arthur Fils is one of the ATP Tour’s most exciting young talents, and the Frenchman reached new heights last week when he surged to his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. Now, the 22-year-old is bidding to join an exclusive list of men to have won both Cincinnati and the US Open in the same year. He is a potential quarter-final opponent for Alcaraz.

5) Race To Turin heating up: Fils is one of several players chasing a debut at the Nitto ATP Finals this year, having surged to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Fourth-placed Flavio Cobolli, eighth-placed Frances Tiafoe and ninth-placed Rafael Jodar are also in strong contention, but there is plenty of room for movement over the US Open fortnight.

View the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin here.

6) Shelton, Fritz lead home hopes: Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz have strong records at their home major and both return to this year’s edition inside the world’s Top 10. Shelton reached the semi-finals in 2023, while Fritz advanced to the championship match in 2024 before falling to Sinner. Shelton has won a personal-best four titles this year, while Fritz lifted the trophy in Washington in early August.

7) Former champ Medvedev among other Top-10 stars in action: Another player with a dazzling record in New York is 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who is 33-8 at the event. Having fallen to Benjamin Bonzi in a chaotic five-set first-round match last year, Medvedev is defending just 10 points this year and has an opportunity to climb higher inside the Top 10, currently sitting at No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Cobolli and Alex de Minaur are also in action.

8) #NextGenATP stars take the stage: Jodar’s rise from outside the world’s Top 500 to the Top 15 in less than a year has been one of the standout stories of the 2026 season. The 19-year-old Spaniard is one of six #NextGenATP stars in the US Open draw, alongside Martin Landaluce, Federico Cina, Rei Sakamoto, Darwin Blanch and Jack Kennedy.

View the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race.

9) First-round matches to watch: Former US Open champion and World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka received a wild card for his final appearance in New York, where he has drawn Matteo Berrettini in the first round — a rematch of their opening clash at Wimbledon in June, which the Italian won in four sets. Fils faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in another popcorn first-round match, while Andrey Rublev and Marin Cilic meet in a battle between two former Top-5 stars. Read more here...

10) Can Granollers/Zeballos successfully defend title? Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will attempt to win the men's doubles title in New York for the second straight year having earned their first major title together at Flushing Meadows in 2025. They will, however, face stiff competition from the likes of joint-World No. 1s Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, and reigning Australian Open champions Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski.