Web desk: On the eve of the last Grand Slam of the year, every tennis fan is asking the same question: Who is going to win the US Open title?
While the fans and critics may have their own favourites, there are only two players who are starting the tournament in red-hot form – Sinner and Alcaraz.
These two have shared the last 7 Grand Slam titles between them, which speaks volumes about the level they are playing at right now. You can never count out the guy with 24 grand slams, Novak Djokovic, but he has faced a severe battering at the hands of Sinner and Alcaraz in their past few meetings.
If we look at the current form of the players in the ATP circuit and their past outings on the US Open surface, these are the players who may go all the way in this tournament.
1. Jannik Sinner
The current World No. 1 and the defending champion, Jannik Sinner, is the favourite to lift the trophy this year after winning the title in straight sets against American Taylor Fritz last year.
Sinner has already won 2 slams this year, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He is coming into the tournament after reaching the final in the Cincinnati Open, where he had to retire in the first set against Alcaraz because of an undisclosed illness.
But he seems to have recovered and has already taken to practice for defending his crown.
This is the forecasted path for Sinner if he is to lift this year’s trophy.
Round 1: Vit Kopriva
Round 2: Alexei Popyrin
Round 3: Denis Shapovalov
Round 4: Tommy Paul
Quarterfinal: Jack Draper
Semifinal: Alexander Zverev
Final: Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner has an easy path till round 4, where he may face American Tommy Paul, who can prove to be a tricky opponent on his home surface. In the quarters, he may face Draper, the last year’s semifinalist.
Zverev is still hunting for his 1st grand slam, and if he successfully negotiates his early round matches, he may face Sinner in the semis. And just like the last two grand slam finals, we may be in for a treat because the tennis fans may get to see another chapter of the biggest and most popular rivalry in men’s tennis between Sinner and Alcaraz.
Although he had to retire against Carlos in the Cincinnati final, Sinner will take confidence from their meeting in Wimbledon, where he defeated Alcaraz to win his fourth major. And the conditions at Flushing Meadows also suit Sinner, so he will definitely start as the favourite.
2. Carlos Alcaraz
The Spanish prince Carlos Alcaraz will be eyeing his 6th Grand Slam and his 2nd US Open title after his breakthrough in the 2022 edition, where he won his first major.
Alcaraz has been playing some fantastic tennis, and he has the most wins by a male player in tennis this year. He has also won the French Open and played the Wimbledon final.
He is coming into the tournament on the back of his 8th Master 1000 win in the Cincinnati Open. He has already won 6 titles this year, and he will be looking to add the US Open to his tally as well.
This is Carlos’ probable path to the title:
Round 1: Reilly Opelka
Round 2: Mattia Bellucci
Round 3: Luciano Darderi
Round 4: Davidovich Fokina
Quarterfinal: Ben Shelton
Semifinal: Taylor Fritz
Final: Jannik Sinner
Carlos takes time to get into his groove, and hence he is vulnerable in the early rounds, as evident by his 2nd round loss to van de Zandschulp last year. His early challenge will be Fokina in the fourth round, but Carlos should see him off.
Big Ben, the semifinalist from last year’s US Open, will be his likely opponent in the quarters. In the semifinal, Carlos may face Fritz, the finalist from last year’s addition. Fritz has been playing amazing tennis. He played Carlos in the Wimbledon final this year, where Carlos won a hard-fought victory.
Fritz will have the home crowd on his side as well. Carlos has never lost a match to Fokina, Shelton, and Fritz, so he should make the final. And this is where he will face his arch-rival cum friend, Sinner, who defeated him in the Wimbledon final a month ago.
Although Alcaraz enjoys a 9 5 lead in their head-to-head, Alcaraz will be wary of the threat Sinner poses.
3. Novak Djokovic
The odds may be against the 38-year-old tennis GOAT, but you can never rule out Novak Djokovic from any tournament, especially a grand slam.
Novak has been on the hunt for his record 25th grand slam title, which will take him past Margaret Court’s tally of 24 majors, making him the ultimate great of this sport.
In a recent press conference, Djokovic made it clear that he only has grand slams on his schedule because of his ageing body. Djokovic has been handed a mixed draw at this year’s US Open.
Here is his forecasted path to the 25th title:
Round 1: Learner Tien
Round 2: Zachary Svajda
Round 3: Sebastian Korda
Round 4: Frances Tiafoe
Quarterfinal: Taylor Fritz
Semi-Final: Carlos Alcaraz
Final: Jannik Sinner
Djokovic should make it easily to the quarterfinals, where he will likely face the home boy, Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe may pose a challenge, but Novak should see him off.
Quarters are where it gets tough for him, as he may face America’s biggest hope, Taylor Fritz, who has been playing some fantastic tennis lately. If he moves past him, he will face the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who poses a significant threat.
The Spaniard has beaten him in back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2023 and 2024. If Djokovic somehow beats him, he faces his most brutal nemesis of late, Jannik Sinner, who has beaten him comprehensively in their last 5 matches, including the semifinals at Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the Australian Open.
It was Sinner who ended Djokovic’s Wimbledon 2025 campaign in straight sets. With an ageing body, this bridge seems too difficult to cross, but count out Novak at your own peril. He has risen from the dead several times, and he may have one more miracle up his sleeve.
Other likely contenders
Although no one has been able to put up a fight against Carlos and Jannik, there are a few players who may go deep into the tournament and end up lifting the title if one or both of the top two get upset in the early rounds.
Taylor Fritz is the likely player who can win it all if he plays his best tennis, coupled with the support from the home crowd. Ben Shelton has played some good tennis lately, reaching the semis at the Australian Open and the quarters at Wimbledon.
Jack Draper, considered to be the next big thing in Tennis, may also have a breakthrough tournament. If I pick some totally out-of-the-box contenders, we may see Alexander Bublik, Flavio Cobolli, or Jiri Lehecka having a deep run.
Concluding remarks
After the Big Three – Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, it’s Alcaraz and Sinner who are ruling tennis and reviving the love for the game in the hearts of the fans. And we may likely get another final between them at the US Open, if other players don’t bring it to them.
The 2025 Roland Garros final between Alcaraz and Sinner was hailed by several critics and tennis legends as one of the greatest grand slam finals in the history of tennis, which lasted for 5 hours and 29 minutes, and Carlos ended up lifting the title in the super tie break.
And after watching that final, every tennis fan wants to see more of these two magicians, and they will likely get their wish. And on that day, no one can say for sure who is going to come up triumphant.
