Thursday’s US Open men’s singles draw placed former US Open champions Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in the bottom half, but of that trio, only Alcaraz has claimed a major title since Djokovic lifted the trophy here in 2023. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner anchors the top, joined by former Grand Slam finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, while US Open finalists Taylor Fritz (2024) and Casper Ruud (2022) lurk in the second half.
USOpen.org breaks down the draw ahead of the start of main-draw action on Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. View the full men's singles draw.
Will the final be another "New Two" showdown?
Sinner and Alcaraz have claimed the past seven majors, winning eight of the past 11—Djokovic is the only other man who has lifted a Grand Slam trophy since Nadal claimed his final major title at Roland Garros in 2022. The Spaniard has won three of the eight Masters 1000 events this calendar year, and leads the ATP Race to Turin, sitting nearly 2,000 points above Sinner.
However, that doesn't mean the 2022 champion is going to have an easy time. He faces the big-serving, 6'11" Reilly Opelka in the first round, who has dispatched Djokovic, de Minaur, Rune and Machac over the course of the season. His likely opponents in the next few rounds are Shang Juncheng or Mattia Bellucci, Luciano Darderi, and 2021 US Open champ Daniil Medvedev before a likely meeting with Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals. Upsets are always a possibility though, despite that fact that he's firmly on top of the sport—Botic van De Zandschulp upset Alcaraz in straight sets during the second round last year.
Sinner starts off with Vit Kopriva before facing either Alexei Popyrin or Emil Ruusuvuori, then will likely see Denis Shapovalov, followed by Tommy Paul. The reigning champion is likely to face his friend Jack Draper in the quarterfinals in a rematch of last year's semifinal showdown. The only player who has defeated the Italian since Wimbledon 2024, Andrey Rublev, does sit in the same half, but they wouldn't play until the semis—Rublev would have to break his quarterfinal curse to play the world No. 1.
Five Masters 1000-level champions look to shake up the draw.
While Sinner and Alcaraz are considered the players to beat for a chance at the trophy, there's another crop of top talent that has been successful on some of the games biggest stages. Five players have won the eight Masters 1000 events that have been up for grabs this year, with four of the five claiming their first title at that level.
Draper and Jakub Mensik won Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. Draper had to best Ben Shelton, Alcaraz and Holger Rune to lift the trophy, while Mensik beat Top 10 players Draper, Fritz and Djokovic en route to his title. Casper Ruud and Shelton notched their titles at Madrid and Toronto, defeating Draper and Karen Khachanov in their respective finals. Draper was a semifinalist in Queens last year, while Shelton and Ruud have both reached the semis of a major twice.
Resurgent Americans are showing up for the stars and stripes.
Four American men sit in the Top 20, with Fritz, Paul, Shelton and Frances Tiafoe all angling to claim their first major title. Fritz has gotten the closest, making a run to last year's US Open final before falling to Sinner. However, lifting the finalist's trophy was a huge deal, and a clear sign that the Americans are not only hungry for success, but they're achieving it. Fritz won titles at Stuttgart and Eastbourne earlier this year, and was the finalist at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, notching wins over Medvedev, de Minaur and Zverev.
Paul reached the semifinals at Rome, and made runs to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, losing to a Top 2 player each time. The No. 14 seed is likely to face Alexander Bublik in the third round, who has claimed three titles this season. If he beats the Kazakh, his next opponent is projected to be none other than the reigning King of Queens.
2024 semifinalist Shelton always brings his A-game, but the energy of the New York crowds draws out the best in the former NCAA Division I men's singles champion, a player known for his speedy serve and for getting fans on their feet. He has been on a roll this summer, reaching the quarterfinals or better at Wimbledon, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati and Toronto, where he lifted the trophy.
Tiafoe is another star who shines most brightly under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium, an entertainer who transforms energy from the crowd into showstopping results—including two semifinal appearances and his legendary upset of Rafael Nadal in 2022. 2025 hasn't been his strongest season, especially given his standout year in 2024, but he made it to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and D.C. Big Foe is always a contender in Queens.
There's a crop of other American contenders, including No. 28 seed Alex Michelsen and No. 30 seed Brandon Nakashima. Houston champion Jenson Brooksby could be a seed-slayer, along with Nishesh Basavareddy, Learner Tien and Reilly Opelka, each of them notching some impressive upsets over the course of the year.
