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The 2026 US Open is done. Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina are the champions — and I'm joined by Christian from CHRISTIAN'S COURT for a full tournament review covering everything that happened over an extraordinary fortnight in New York.THE CHAMPIONSAlexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 for his SECOND Grand Slam title, six years after leading Dominic Thiem by two sets in the 2020 final here and losing. It caps his best season: a maiden major at Roland-Garros, the Wimbledon final, and at least the semifinals at all four Slams in 2026.Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 for her THIRD major and first US Open, denying the two-time defending champion a three-peat that would have made her the first woman to do it since Serena Williams in 2012-14. Rybakina has now beaten Sabalenka in BOTH 2026 Grand Slam finals, and takes over as World No. 1.ALCARAZThe defending champion returned from a four-month layoff after a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open and looked to be building beautifully — until Ben Shelton dethroned him 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 A.M., the latest finish in US Open history, ending an 18-match Grand Slam winning streak.SABALENKATwo-time defending champion, World No. 1 coming in, sixth straight US Open semifinal — and it ends with the three-peat denied and the top ranking gone. Where does she go from here?We also cover Zheng Qinwen's run from qualifying to the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic's first-round exit, Shelton and Tiafoe's all-American semifinal, and what the rest of the season looks like.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro ft. Christian's Court1:00 Pre-Tournament Predictions vs Reality1:30 Rybakina Wins US Open 2026 Despite Injury6:00 Sabalenka Final Loss & No.1 Pressure11:00 Creator Credentials & Press Access Behind the Scenes13:40 Coco Gauff's Run & Improved Serve18:50 Can Jessica Pegula Still Win a Slam?23:25 Alex Eala vs Iva Jovic: Match of the Tournament?27:20 Linda Noskova's Big Run28:40 Zheng Qinwen: Qualifying to Quarterfinals Comeback31:50 Zverev Wins US Open: Second Slam of 202635:45 Ben Shelton Final & Serve Tactics Debate40:20 Shelton Beats Alcaraz in 3:33am Epic43:30 Djokovic Shock Loss & His Future50:40 Rafa & Novak Documentaries51:20 Khachanov's Semifinal Run53:20 Zverev Ball Bounce Controversy55:30 Should Tennis Change Its Scoring Rules?59:10 Blockx, Michelsen & Tiafoe01:01:10 Christian's US Open Experience & Naomi Osaka Cookout01:04:20 Outro

I picked Ben Shelton. I was wrong. Alexander Zverev beat him 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US OPEN — his second Grand Slam title, and another year where American men's wait goes on. Full post-match analysis and an honest look at what I got wrong.Zverev was ruthless from the start. He took the opening set 6-3, then won the tiebreak 7-2 to move two sets clear, and even when Shelton found a way back to take the third 7-5 on Arthur Ashe with the crowd roaring, the German simply reset and closed it out 6-2. It's the completion of a redemption arc six years in the making: Zverev was a US Open finalist in 2020, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets and lost.It caps the best season of his career. He broke through at ROLAND-GARROS this year for his first major, reached the WIMBLEDON FINAL, and made at least the semifinals at ALL FOUR Grand Slams in 2026. He was elevated to top seed here after Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, and he justified it without ever really being troubled.For Ben Shelton, it's the end of an extraordinary fortnight that still ends in heartbreak. He dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a five-set classic that finished at 3:33 A.M. — the latest finish in US Open history — then beat Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal to become the first American man in a Grand Slam final since ANDY RODDICK IN 2003, and the first Black American man in a US Open final since ARTHUR ASHE IN 1972. The drought he was trying to end now stretches to 23 YEARS.And the head-to-head held: Zverev is now 6-0 against Shelton, having taken 13 of the 15 sets they have played. That was the thing I underweighted in my prediction, and I explain exactly why in this video.In this video: set-by-set breakdown, the tiebreak that decided it, where Shelton's third-set revival came from and why it didn't hold, what I got wrong in my preview, and what comes next for both players.

Elena Rybakina has beaten Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US OPEN — denying the two-time defending champion a place in history and claiming her first title at Flushing Meadows. Full post-match analysis and reaction.Sabalenka was chasing a THREE-PEAT. A third consecutive US Open title would have made her the first woman to do it since SERENA WILLIAMS in 2012-14, and would have brought a fifth career major and a 20th straight win at this tournament. She had survived Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) in the quarterfinals and dismantled Jessica Pegula in the semifinal to get here.Rybakina had taken the hardest route in the draw and kept finding answers. She overpowered Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4, ended qualifier Zheng Qinwen's extraordinary run 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, then came from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. In the final she did it again — taking the opener, losing a tight second as Sabalenka forced her way back, and then running away with the decider 6-2.It's her THIRD major title and her FIRST US Open. And it continues a pattern that is becoming the defining rivalry in women's tennis: Rybakina has now beaten Sabalenka in BOTH 2026 GRAND SLAM FINALS they have contested, after winning the Australian Open final in January, and also took the 2025 WTA Finals title match against her. Sabalenka's answer this season was the Sunshine Double, beating Rybakina in both the Indian Wells and Miami finals. Sabalenka still leads the overall head-to-head, but Rybakina now leads their Grand Slam finals 2-1.On the rankings: Rybakina moves to World No. 1 on Monday with Sabalenka dropping to No. 2 — but that was already mathematically confirmed before this match was played. The title doesn't change the ranking. It does mean she arrives at No. 1 as the reigning Australian Open AND US Open champion.In this video: how the match was won set by set, where the second set slipped and how Rybakina reset, the serving and return numbers that decided it, what it means for Sabalenka, and where this rivalry stands going into the rest of the season.

Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 US OPEN FINAL on Arthur Ashe Stadium. An American man is one match from ending a 23-year wait, against an opponent who has never lost to him.Ben Shelton is the story of the tournament. The eighth seed reached his FIRST GRAND SLAM FINAL by beating Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American semifinal — and he got there the hardest way imaginable, dethroning defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a five-set classic that finished at 3:33 A.M., the latest finish in US Open history. He is the FIRST AMERICAN MAN IN A GRAND SLAM FINAL SINCE ANDY RODDICK IN 2003, the first Black American man in a US Open final since ARTHUR ASHE IN 1972, and the first in any major final since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996. He's had a career-best season: four titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and Montreal, and a 39-13 record.Alexander Zverev has finally become the player everyone expected. The top seed broke through at ROLAND-GARROS this year for his first major, then reached the WIMBLEDON FINAL, and has now made at least the semifinals at ALL FOUR Grand Slams in 2026. This is his SIXTH major final and his third in a row. He beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) to get here, and he was a US Open finalist back in 2020, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets and lost.And here's the brutal part for American hopes: ZVEREV IS 5-0 AGAINST SHELTON. Four of those five wins came in straight sets, and he has taken 10 of the 11 sets they've played — Shelton's only set came in their very first meeting in Cincinnati. They have never met at a Grand Slam.Pedigree against momentum. Experience against a crowd that will be deafening. Who wins the last major of 2026?

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 US OPEN FINAL on Arthur Ashe Stadium. A rematch of the Australian Open final, a piece of Serena Williams history on the line, and a No. 1 ranking that has already changed hands.Aryna Sabalenka is chasing something nobody has done in over a decade. The two-time defending champion is bidding to become the FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THREE STRAIGHT US OPEN TITLES SINCE SERENA WILLIAMS in 2012-14. Victory would give her a FIFTH career major and a 20TH CONSECUTIVE WIN at this tournament. She survived Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) in the quarterfinals, then demolished Jessica Pegula in the semifinal to get here.Elena Rybakina is already the new World No. 1 — she takes over the top ranking on Monday regardless of what happens on Saturday, with Sabalenka dropping to No. 2. The reigning Australian Open champion has taken the hard road all fortnight: past Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4, past qualifier Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and then a comeback win over Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. A second major of 2026 is one match away.The rivalry is one of the best in the sport. Sabalenka leads 10-7 overall, but the biggest matches have gone Rybakina's way lately — she won the 2025 WTA FINALS title match AND the 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL, both against Sabalenka. Sabalenka answered by beating her in the Indian Wells AND Miami finals to sweep the Sunshine Double.This is their THIRD Grand Slam final against each other, and they have split the first two. Power against power, the best two hard-court players in the world, for the last major of the season.

Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the SEMIFINAL of the 2026 US Open. The top seed and reigning French Open champion against a big-hitter chasing a first Grand Slam final at 30.Alexander Zverev has had the cleanest route of anyone left. The top seed — elevated after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury — won ROLAND-GARROS this season for his FIRST GRAND SLAM TITLE, becoming the first player other than Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz to win a major since 2024. In New York he has barely been troubled, cruising past Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Arthur Ashe. He was a US Open finalist back in 2020, where he led by two sets before losing to Dominic Thiem. This is his chance to finish the job.Karen Khachanov is chasing the final that has always eluded him. This is only his THIRD Grand Slam semifinal — after the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open, losing both — and his first since. He reached the last four here when Alexander Blockx retired in their quarterfinal at 6-2, 7-5, 3-2. At 30, with one of the heaviest forehands on tour, he is bidding for a maiden major final.The head-to-head favours the German: Zverev leads 6-3 across nine meetings, and 5-3 in the eight played on hard courts. But Khachanov's three wins in the rivalry have ALL come on hard courts, and he beat Zverev en route to the Toronto final in their recent history. He knows how to hurt him.With Alcaraz and Djokovic both out, this half has opened completely. Whoever wins here is one match from a major title.

Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the ALL-AMERICAN SEMIFINAL at the 2026 US Open. Whoever wins makes history, and an American man is guaranteed a place in the final for the first time in over two decades.The stakes here are extraordinary. The winner of this match becomes the FIRST BLACK AMERICAN MAN TO REACH A US OPEN FINAL SINCE ARTHUR ASHE IN 1972 — and the first to reach ANY Grand Slam final since 1996. It also guarantees an American men's finalist at Flushing Meadows for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2003, the last year an American man won this title.Ben Shelton arrives off the match of the tournament. The eighth seed dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a four-hour-28-minute classic that finished at 3:33 A.M. — the LATEST FINISH IN US OPEN HISTORY — ending Alcaraz's 18-match Grand Slam winning streak. He came into New York as the Montreal Masters 1000 champion after a career-best season with titles in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart.Frances Tiafoe produced a comeback of his own. The 11th seed trailed fellow American Alex Michelsen by TWO SETS AND A BREAK before completing the biggest Grand Slam comeback of his career, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) across nearly five hours. New York is where Tiafoe has always played his best tennis — this is familiar territory for him.Shelton leads the head-to-head 3-1, but at the US Open specifically they are level at 1-1: Shelton won their 2023 quarterfinal on the way to the semifinals, Tiafoe won a five-setter in 2024. Both men are running on fumes after marathon quarterfinals. Whoever recovers better probably wins.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the SEMIFINAL of the 2026 US Open. The third consecutive year these two have met in the second week at Flushing Meadows, and Pegula is still looking for the answer.Aryna Sabalenka is chasing history. The World No. 1, top seed and TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION is into the US Open semifinals for a SIXTH STRAIGHT YEAR, still hunting a third consecutive title and her first major of 2026. She was pushed to the brink to get here, surviving Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) in a quarterfinal that went to a deciding tiebreak, after earlier beating Taylor Townsend in straight sets.Jessica Pegula is chasing something she has never had: a first Grand Slam title. The third seed leads the ENTIRE WTA TOUR with 34 hard-court wins this season and has 50 match wins overall in 2026, with titles in Dubai and Charleston, a run to the DC Open final in Washington and the Cincinnati final. She came through an all-American quarterfinal against Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.But New York keeps ending the same way. Sabalenka beat her in the 2024 US OPEN FINAL and again in last year's SEMIFINAL — and leads the overall head-to-head 9-4. Pegula has never beaten her at this tournament.The encouraging news for the American: the recent form has flipped. Pegula has won two of their last three meetings, including 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 in the Berlin semifinals this season. She has the tools. She has never had them work here.

Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the SEMIFINAL of the 2026 US Open. The new World No. 1 against the 2023 champion, in a final four that hasn't happened at this tournament in 51 YEARS.Elena Rybakina arrives with the biggest news of the fortnight already secured: she WILL BECOME WORLD NO. 1 after this tournament, replacing Aryna Sabalenka, after edging Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The reigning Australian Open champion had to come from a set down to end the qualifier's extraordinary run, and it caps a stretch in which she has beaten Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 and won 42 of her last 50 hard-court matches. She is the form player on this surface, full stop.Coco Gauff is one match from a second US Open final, and she just survived the scare of her tournament. Having not dropped a set through four rounds, the fourth seed found herself a set and two MATCH POINTS down against 2026 Roland-Garros champion Mirra Andreeva before rallying to win 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 — extending her perfect head-to-head over Andreeva to 6-0. She came into New York as the Cincinnati Open champion, exactly as she did in 2023 before winning her maiden Grand Slam in this building.The head-to-head is dead level at 1-1 — and the last meeting was recent. In the Toronto semifinals on August 13, Rybakina lost the opening set and then took control, winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.For context on how strong this final four is: this is the FIRST TIME SINCE 1975 that all top four seeds have reached the US Open women's semifinals, with Sabalenka facing Jessica Pegula in the other half.

Elena Rybakina vs Zheng Qinwen — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 US Open. The World No. 1 ranking on one side, the most improbable run of the tournament on the other.Elena Rybakina is one win from the top of the game. The second seed and reigning Australian Open champion is GUARANTEED TO REPLACE ARYNA SABALENKA AS WORLD NO. 1 if she reaches the semifinals here. She has been overwhelming all fortnight and produced her best performance yet in the round of 16, overpowering Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in a rematch of their Toronto quarterfinal. Add the Canadian Open final and 42 wins in her last 50 hard-court matches, and she is the form player on this surface.Zheng Qinwen's run is one of the stories of the year. The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist and former World No. 4 fell to No. 121 after elbow surgery and had to come through QUALIFYING just to reach this main draw. She is now the FIRST QUALIFIER TO REACH THE US OPEN LAST EIGHT SINCE EMMA RADUCANU WON THE TITLE IN 2021 — and she has done it the hard way. Twice. She erased a 5-0 deficit and saved match point to beat Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, then fell 5-0 down AGAIN against Iga Swiatek before reeling off SEVEN STRAIGHT GAMES to win 7-5, 6-3 — against an opponent who led their head-to-head 7-1.That single previous loss for Swiatek? The Paris 2024 Olympic semifinal, where Zheng also came from behind. This is what she does.An eight-match winning streak and nothing to lose against the most powerful player in the draw with the No. 1 ranking on the line. Who reaches the semifinals?

Coco Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 US Open. A reigning French Open champion who has NEVER beaten her opponent, against a home favourite who has not dropped a set all tournament.Coco Gauff is back in the last eight in New York for the first time since her title run in 2023 — and the parallels keep stacking up. The fourth seed arrived as the Cincinnati Open champion, her first title of 2026 and her second in that building, exactly as she did before winning her maiden Grand Slam here three years ago. She has been flawless since: NOT A SET DROPPED in four matches, closing with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 win over 14th seed Iva Jovic in 80 minutes.Mirra Andreeva is into her first US OPEN QUARTERFINAL, and she has had to work for it. The fifth seed and 2026 ROLAND-GARROS CHAMPION — the youngest women's champion in Paris since Monica Seles in 1992 — has been tested repeatedly, most recently surviving Anastasia Potapova 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 after dropping the opening set. At 19, with a major already won and a title in Linz plus a Madrid final this season, she is a genuine threat on any surface.Except, apparently, against Gauff. The American leads the head-to-head 5-0 across five meetings, most recently 6-4, 7-6(5) in the Rome quarterfinals in 2025. Andreeva has never solved her. "It'll come down to who holds up better in the big moments," Gauff said.Fresh legs against three-set grinding, a perfect record against a Grand Slam champion. Who reaches the semifinals?

Carlos Alcaraz vs Ben Shelton — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the biggest QUARTERFINAL of the 2026 US Open. The defending champion's 18-match Grand Slam winning streak against the biggest American hope in two decades.Carlos Alcaraz has gone from rusty to ruthless. Having not played competitive singles since a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in mid-April, the second seed has needed only a set to warm up — after dropping the opener to Jaime Faria, he has been close to untouchable, dismantling Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 and then handling Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to extend his personal-best GRAND SLAM WIN STREAK TO 18 MATCHES. At 23, he is chasing something no man has done since Roger Federer's five straight from 2004 to 2008: defending the US Open.Ben Shelton has never looked more ready. The No. 8 seed came into New York as the Montreal Masters 1000 champion, off a career-best season with three titles on three surfaces in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. He survived a 2:07 A.M. finish against Denis Shapovalov, then delivered his best performance of the fortnight, blowing away the resurgent Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. A win here would be the signature victory of his career — and he is chasing something bigger: no American man has won the US Open since ANDY RODDICK IN 2003.The problem is the head-to-head. Alcaraz leads 3-0 — Toronto 2023, the Laver Cup in 2024, and the Roland-Garros fourth round in 2025, where he won 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Shelton has taken a set, but never the match.Two of the biggest serves and biggest personalities in the sport, on Arthur Ashe, with a New York crowd fully behind the American. This is the match of the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Linda Noskova — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 US Open. The two-time defending champion against the reigning Wimbledon champion, with a piece of history on the line.Aryna Sabalenka is the World No. 1, the top seed, and TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION chasing a historic third straight US Open title — and her first major of 2026. She has been imperious in New York, extending her winning streak at this tournament and coming through American Taylor Townsend in straight sets in the round of 16 after earlier wins over Camila Osorio and Kamilla Rakhimova. Her projected semifinal is Jessica Pegula.Linda Noskova is chasing something nobody has done in seven years. The Czech won WIMBLEDON this season, and a title here would make her the FIRST PLAYER TO WIN BACK-TO-BACK MAJORS SINCE NAOMI OSAKA at the 2019 Australian Open. Seeded sixth, she has been tested and keeps finding answers — she needed three sets and SIX MATCH POINTS to finally put away Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in the fourth round, after earlier wins over Katie Volynets and Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee.But the head-to-head is a problem. Sabalenka leads 2-0, both on hard courts, and both were comfortable: 6-3, 7-6(4) in the 2023 Adelaide final, and 6-3, 6-4 in the Indian Wells semifinal earlier this year on her way to that title. Noskova has never taken a set off her.Power against power, a defending champion against a first-time Slam winner still learning what she's capable of. Who reaches the semifinals?

Iga Swiatek vs Zheng Qinwen — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open. A six-time Grand Slam champion against an Olympic gold medallist who had to QUALIFY just to get here. One of the great comeback stories of the year.Iga Swiatek is seeded eighth, unusually low for her, after an erratic season — though she found form to win the Canadian Open in Toronto, beating Elina Svitolina and reaching the final. In New York she has been grinding rather than gliding: she needed two tiebreaks to get past 25th seed Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3), 7-6(3), dominating both breakers to reach the last 16. The 2022 US Open champion is chasing a second title here, and her section has been the toughest in the draw all fortnight.Zheng Qinwen's story is remarkable. The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist and former World No. 4 fell to No. 121 after elbow surgery and a year of stop-start rehab — she had to come through QUALIFYING just to reach this main draw. Now she's on a SIX-MATCH WINNING STREAK and back in the US Open round of 16 for the first time in two years, after producing the comeback of the tournament: from 5-0 DOWN in the deciding set and SAVING MATCH POINT against 22nd seed Madison Keys, she won the final SEVEN GAMES to take it 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5.Two months ago Zheng lost to Alexandra Eala in the first round in Washington. This is a completely different player. Swiatek is the heavy favourite on paper — but nobody in this draw has more momentum or less to lose.

Elena Rybakina vs Naomi Osaka — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open. A Toronto rematch just four weeks on, with a quarterfinal and the World No. 1 ranking both in play.Elena Rybakina is the second seed, the reigning Australian Open champion, and she is INCHING CLOSER TO WORLD NO. 1 with every round in New York. She has been efficient all week, coming through American wild card Thea Frodin and then Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-6, 6-3 to reach the last 16. She is also the form hard-court player on tour, and she is the reigning Canadian Open finalist — she went on from beating Osaka in Toronto to make the final there.Naomi Osaka looks like her old self. The four-time Grand Slam champion — a two-time US Open winner — has been building all summer: a run to the DC Open semifinals in Washington, a quarterfinal in Toronto, and now her deepest New York run in years. She beat Hailey Baptiste, then Daria Kasatkina to reach a Grand Slam round of 16 for the first time since 2021, and survived a genuine test against 23rd seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in 2 hours and 38 minutes, squandering three match points before closing it out.And this is the rematch. Just four weeks ago in the Toronto quarterfinals — their FIRST EVER meeting — Osaka won the opening set before Rybakina came back to take it 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 across 2 hours and 33 minutes, firing 13 aces and saving four break points in the decider. Osaka was a set up and right there. She gets another crack, on the court where she has won two majors.

Coco Gauff vs Iva Jovic — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their ALL-AMERICAN FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open. The Cincinnati champion against the 18-year-old who just ended Alexandra Eala's run in a three-hour epic. First career meeting.Coco Gauff has quietly built the ideal week. The fourth seed and World No. 4 arrived in New York as the Cincinnati Open champion — her first title of 2026, her second in Cincinnati, and her 12th career title — after beating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the first all-American women's final there in 56 years. She's now come through Zeynep Sonmez, Magdalena Frech and Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16. The parallel is impossible to ignore: in 2023 a Cincinnati title was the launchpad to her maiden Grand Slam in this exact building.Iva Jovic has announced herself. The 14th seed and career-high World No. 14 came through one of the matches of the tournament, outlasting 17th seed Alexandra Eala 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a THREE-HOUR MARATHON on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night — a third career win over the Filipina, in the most demanding circumstances yet. "It took literally everything," she said. At 18, she's already made an Australian Open quarterfinal, becoming the youngest American woman to reach the last eight in Melbourne since Venus Williams in 1998, plus the Wimbledon fourth round, and is 31-16 on the season. This is her first US Open round of 16.They have never played on tour. Two American teenagers-turned-contenders, an Ashe crowd that wins either way, and a Grand Slam quarterfinal on the line. The question is whether Jovic has anything left in the legs after three hours — and whether Gauff's returning can exploit it.

Ben Shelton vs Stefanos Tsitsipas — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open, on Arthur Ashe Stadium. A home favourite in the form of his life against a resurgent two-time Grand Slam finalist who has never been this deep in New York.Ben Shelton is the No. 8 seed and one of the biggest weapons in the draw. He came into New York as the reigning Masters 1000 champion in Montreal, having won a personal-best three titles on three different surfaces this season in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. But he had to work for this one: a grinding 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 win over Denis Shapovalov that finished at 2:07 A.M. — the record third match of this tournament to end after 2am. That's serious mileage in the legs.Stefanos Tsitsipas is the story nobody predicted. Once World No. 3 and a two-time major finalist, he slipped outside the top 75 by May after 18 months of struggle, and split with his father as coach in June, bringing in Thomas Perrin from the Mouratoglou academy. In New York he has been reborn: he took out Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4 despite trailing a set and 5-3 and being 0-5 in the head-to-head, then beat No. 18 seed Jiri Lehecka 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-1. It's his FIRST US OPEN FOURTH ROUND in NINE main-draw appearances. "They're starting to embrace me," he said of the New York crowd.And the head-to-head favours the Greek: Tsitsipas leads 1-0, from Cincinnati in 2023. Shelton has the crowd, the power and the form. Tsitsipas has the momentum and the freshness. Who reaches the quarterfinals?

Aryna Sabalenka vs Taylor Townsend — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The two-time defending champion against an American chasing a first Grand Slam quarterfinal. First career meeting.Aryna Sabalenka is the World No. 1, the top seed, and TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION chasing an historic third straight US Open title. She is on a 16-MATCH WINNING STREAK in New York and has looked in control all week, coming through Camila Osorio in the opening round and beating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last 16. Her projected route from here is a quarterfinal against Karolina Muchova and a semifinal against Jessica Pegula — the smoother half of the draw.Taylor Townsend is the story of the American week. Ranked 96th, the left-hander has beaten Roland-Garros runner-up Maja Chwalinska, then produced a serving clinic in round two — winning ALL 23 of her first-serve points — before upsetting 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 across 2 hours and 27 minutes to reach the fourth round for a second straight year. "I'm built for these moments," she said afterwards. A former doubles No. 1 with hands nobody else in this draw has, she has NEVER reached a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal — at the US Open or anywhere.They have never played. Power against touch, the biggest hitter in the game against the best volleyer in the draw, on Sabalenka's favourite court with an American crowd desperate for an upset. This is the most stylistically fascinating match of the round.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. History on the line for both men.Carlos Alcaraz looks like he's finally through the rust. The defending champion — who arrived in New York having not played competitive singles since a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in mid-April — dismantled Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe to extend his personal-best GRAND SLAM WIN STREAK TO 17 MATCHES. At 23, he is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open since Roger Federer's five straight from 2004 to 2008.Tommy Paul is chasing history of his own. The No. 20 seed came through a brutal five-setter against Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3 to match his career-best US Open run, and a win here would make him the ONLY ACTIVE AMERICAN MAN to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams — he already has Australian Open (2023, 2025), Roland-Garros (2025) and Wimbledon (2024). Only New York is missing.The head-to-head is a problem for the American: Alcaraz leads 6-2 and has won their LAST FIVE MEETINGS. Paul also has significantly more mileage in his legs after nearly four hours against Bublik, while Alcaraz has spent barely any time on court in his last two rounds.But this is Arthur Ashe on Labor Day weekend, with a home crowd behind Paul and a defending champion still not certain he's back to his best. Full tactical breakdown and my prediction below.

Alexandra Eala vs Iva Jovic — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. Two of the brightest young players in the game, close friends off court, with a place in the second week of a Grand Slam on the line.Alex Eala has been close to flawless in New York. The 17th seed — the highest-seeded Filipina in Grand Slam history — has dropped just eight games in two rounds, sweeping American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 and then avenging her Strasbourg loss to Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4. It continues the summer that changed her career: the first WTA singles title ever won by a player from the Philippines at the DC Open in Washington, past Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, then a Toronto round of 16 and a place inside the world's top 20.Iva Jovic is no gentle draw. The 14th seed reached a career-high World No. 14 in August and is 31-16 on the season, with a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open — where she became the youngest American woman to reach the last eight in Melbourne since Venus Williams in 1998 — plus the third round at Roland-Garros and the fourth round at Wimbledon. She survived Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3 before beating Francesca Jones 6-4, 6-4.And here's the problem for Eala: Jovic OWNS this head-to-head. She won 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the French Open and 6-2, 6-2 at Queen's — and she beat Eala again 6-3 in the "Stars of the Open" exhibition on Arthur Ashe just last week. Jovic says she's "super excited" for it. Eala has never taken a set off her.The winner reaches the second week. Can Eala finally solve her friend?

Jessica Pegula vs Leylah Fernandez — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. TWO FORMER US OPEN FINALISTS, one third-round exit.Jessica Pegula has been ruthless in New York. The third seed and World No. 3 — runner-up here in 2024 — needed just 56 MINUTES to dismiss Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in an all-American second round, and she arrives in the form of her life: titles in Dubai and Charleston this season, a run to the DC Open final in Washington, and the Cincinnati final where she lost to Coco Gauff. She is in the smoother half of the draw with a projected semifinal against Aryna Sabalenka.Leylah Fernandez still owns one of the great US Open stories. The Canadian reached the final here in 2021 as a teenager, and her 2026 has been a grind — but she showed in Toronto what she can still do, obliterating World No. 5 and reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 for her first top-10 win in over a year. In New York she has been clean: past Zhang in round one, then a 6-4, 6-1 dismissal of Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew to reach the third round for a third time.The head-to-head favours the American: Pegula leads 3-1, with all four meetings on North American outdoor hard courts, and she won the most recent one comfortably — 6-2, 6-2 in the Miami third round in March 2026. Fernandez needs the version of herself that turns up when the New York lights come on.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Wu Yibing — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The defending champion, still shaking off four months of rust, against a Chinese player quietly having the cleanest week in the bottom half.Carlos Alcaraz is finding his way back. The second seed returned to competitive singles here for the first time since a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in mid-April, and the rust has been visible — he dropped the opening set to Jaime Faria before running away with it 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, conceding just five games across the final three sets. That is the pattern so far: slow starts, then a level nobody in the draw can live with. He landed in what Spanish media called a "death draw," with Alexander Bublik potentially in round four and Ben Shelton or Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals, so building rhythm now matters.Wu Yibing is a better opponent than his ranking suggests. The Chinese player sits around World No. 113 after years disrupted by injury — he missed nearly three full seasons with elbow, back, shoulder and wrist problems before a rapid climb to a career-high No. 54 in 2023 — and he won the Sarasota Open title this year. Most importantly, he has NOT DROPPED A SET in two rounds in New York, coming through James Duckworth in straights.Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 1-0, from their only previous meeting in Shanghai in 2024. He is a heavy favourite. But a fresh opponent with nothing to lose against a champion still finding his timing is exactly the kind of match that gets interesting for a set.

Alexander Bublik vs Tommy Paul — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. Chaos against control, and an American who has usually had the answers.Alexander Bublik is the 15th seed and World No. 16, and he remains the most unpredictable ball-striker in the men's game. He won his ninth ATP Tour title in Hong Kong this season, beating Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(2), 6-3, and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. In New York he opened by beating J.J. Wolf on the American's return from injury. On the right night, with the serve landing and the drop shots working, he can beat anybody in the draw — that has never been the question with Bublik.Tommy Paul is the World No. 21 and, on paper, the more reliable operator: a former Grand Slam semifinalist with a game built for exactly these conditions, and a genuine home-crowd advantage on the New York courts where American players tend to lift.The head-to-head tells the story. Paul leads 5-2 across seven career meetings, and the margins have generally been his too — 13 sets to 8, and even the games count in his favour at 114-103. Bublik has the higher ceiling; Paul has the better record of solving him.This one has five sets written all over it.

Alexandra Eala was IMPRESSIVE. Full post-match reaction and analysis after the No. 17 seed dismantled Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 to reach the THIRD ROUND of the 2026 US Open.This was the revenge match, and Eala left nothing to chance. Oliynykova was the one player in this section with a win over her — the Ukrainian beat her 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the WTA 500 in Strasbourg back in May. Four months later, on Grand Slam centre stage, Eala flipped it comprehensively, racing through the opening set for the loss of a single game and closing it out in straight sets.It means back-to-back straight-sets wins in New York after her 6-1, 6-2 dismissal of American qualifier Mary Stoiana in round one, and a place in the third round of a Grand Slam. She arrived here as the highest-seeded Filipina in Grand Slam history at No. 17, off the summer that changed everything — the first WTA singles title ever won by a player from the Philippines at the DC Open in Washington, past Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, followed by a Toronto round of 16 and a rise into the world's top 20.In this video: full breakdown of the win, what she's doing better than she was in May, everything she said afterwards, and a look ahead at a third round that could produce one of the matches of the first week.

Alexandra Eala vs Oleksandra Oliynykova — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their SECOND ROUND match at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. Alexandra vs Oleksandra, and Eala has a score to settle.Alex Eala is through in style. The highest-seeded Filipina in Grand Slam history at No. 17 opened her campaign by sweeping aside American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2, reaching the US Open second round for the second straight year. It caps a summer that produced the first WTA singles title ever won by a player from the Philippines — at the DC Open in Washington, past Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula — plus a round-of-16 run in Toronto and a place inside the world's top 20.Oleksandra Oliynykova is a genuinely awkward next assignment. The Ukrainian, whose career-high sits around World No. 65, came through a solid first round against American wild card Reese Brantmeier 6-4, 6-4, and she brings something almost nobody else in this section does: a win over Eala. She beat her 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the WTA 500 in Strasbourg in May, in a tight three-setter.So Eala leads nothing here — Oliynykova leads the head-to-head 1-0. That was four months and an entire career transformation ago. This is the payback match, with a probable third-round meeting against No. 14 seed Iva Jovic waiting for the winner, and Coco Gauff beyond that.

Linda Noskova vs Lanlana Tararudee — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their SECOND ROUND match at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. A reigning Wimbledon champion against Thailand's trailblazer.Linda Noskova arrives in New York as a Grand Slam champion. The Czech won Wimbledon this year and is seeded sixth here, and she opened her campaign in control, beating American Katie Volynets 7-5, 6-1. After a hard-court swing that included a shock loss to Caty McNally in Toronto, this is her chance to build a serious fortnight — she is in the same quarter as several of the draw's dangerous names, and a clean second round matters.Lanlana Tararudee is one of the stories of the first week. Thailand's No. 1 player, with a career-high ranking of World No. 99 set in May, she came through a genuine test in the opening round, beating Elvina Kalieva 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2 across three sets. She is now into the second round of a Grand Slam with nothing to lose and an entire country watching.They have never played on the main tour. On paper it is a mismatch — a Slam champion and No. 6 seed against a player ranked around the top 100. But Tararudee has already shown this week she can win ugly, and second-round matches at Slams have a habit of getting complicated for seeds who are not fully switched on.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has knocked out Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils in the first round of the 2026 US Open — a player he had NEVER beaten. Full post-match reaction and analysis: is Tsitsipas actually back?The former World No. 3, now ranked 53rd after an 18-month slide, beat the 10th seed 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4 on his way to striking 50 winners. Fils arrived in New York as one of the form players on tour, having won the Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati barely a week earlier, and he came in 5-0 in the head-to-head. He led by a set and 5-3, and had the second set on his racquet.Then it turned. Fils tightened serving for the set, double-faulted early in the game, and Tsitsipas broke with a backhand up the line — the point both players pointed to afterwards as the moment the match changed. From there the Greek won the tiebreak and ran away with it, dropping just five games across the final two sets. "I'm a Greek fighter," he said afterwards.The context is what makes this interesting. Tsitsipas fell outside the top 75 by May 2026, his lowest ranking in years, after a stretch where he struggled to win back-to-back matches. He ended the coaching partnership with his father in late June and brought in Thomas Perrin from the Mouratoglou academy, and says the back problems that disrupted the previous 12 months have eased. This is comfortably the best win of that new chapter.So: a genuine turning point, or one great night against an opponent who was due a flat day? Full breakdown of the match, everything Tsitsipas said afterwards, and an honest read on whether the revival is real.

Novak Djokovic has lost in the first round of the US Open to Mariano Navone — and the manner of it has raised a much bigger question. Full post-match reaction and analysis: are Djokovic's Grand Slam winning days behind him?The 24-time Grand Slam champion and No. 4 seed was beaten 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by the world No. 49 Argentinian on Arthur Ashe Stadium, in a match lasting 4 hours and 36 minutes. Djokovic had never lost before the third round at the US Open in his career, and had not lost in the opening round of ANY Grand Slam in more than 20 years — since the 2006 Australian Open. For the 25-year-old Navone, it is comfortably the biggest win of his life.But the result is only part of the story. Djokovic was visibly unwell throughout, received treatment, and was sick on court before fading badly across the final two sets. In his press conference he described it as an ongoing problem rather than a one-off: vomiting and throwing up in "pretty much every match this year," followed by cramping, pain, and his back and shoulder giving out. Asked how he fixes it, he said simply, "I don't know" — and added that he is trying to understand "how much longer I can keep going like this," saying it seems more likely he will not be back next year.He has not announced a retirement and has not given a timeline. But this is the clearest he has been about the physical cost of continuing, and it reframes the question of whether a 25th major is still realistically on the table.In this video: what actually happened in the match, everything Djokovic said afterwards, how the physical issues have shaped his 2026, and an honest assessment of where his Grand Slam chances stand.

Comprehensive US Open 2026 Preview — a full-length conversation with Cam Williams of TENNIS TALK, covering the two biggest questions of the fortnight: is Alexandra Eala a genuine contender, and is Carlos Alcaraz actually ready to defend his title?⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro – women's & men's draw preview with Cam Williams1:00 Women's draw: how wide open the WTA field is2:30 Sabalenka – going for three in a row, No.1 on the line7:30 Coco Gauff – Cincinnati win, form and draw13:00 Świątek – route to the final, benched section17:30 Keys / Rybakina ankle & the draw's toughest section20:00 Pegula, Anisimova and the next tier23:00 Naomi Osaka – contender or not?30:00 Alexandrova, Yovich & the dark horses34:00 Andreeva & Gauff hangover talk (young Slam champs)38:00 Men's draw: notable omissions – Sinner, Musetti, Draper, Fonseca46:00 Alcaraz – the big unknown, Safiullin first round54:00 Zverev – favourable draw, is he the favourite?1:00:00 Djokovic – tough draw, deep-run chances1:07:00 Fils – contender for the title1:12:00 Shelton – best American hope1:15:00 Tsitsipas vs Fils first round, Steph's form1:18:00 Mensik & Tien – the next-gen dangers1:23:00 Wawrinca wild card saga & Berrettini first round1:26:00 Cobolli, Auger-Aliassime, Fritz group1:27:30 Predicted winners & outro

Alexandra Eala vs Mary Stoiana — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FIRST ROUND match at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. History on one side of the net, a first Grand Slam main draw on the other.Alex Eala arrives in New York as the HIGHEST-SEEDED FILIPINA IN GRAND SLAM HISTORY, seeded No. 17 after the summer that changed her career. She became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA singles title at the DC Open in Washington — beating Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula along the way — then backed it up with a run to the round of 16 in Toronto and a career-high ranking inside the world's top 20. Her section is steep from here: Iva Jovic potentially in round three, Coco Gauff in the round of 16, Mirra Andreeva in the quarters. But it starts here.Mary Stoiana is the American qualifier standing in her way, and she has earned it the hard way. The 23-year-old from Southbury, Connecticut — a Texas A&M product with a career-high ranking of No. 173 — came through qualifying by beating Katie Swan and then edging Yue Yuan 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the final round. She has reached Q2 in Melbourne and Q3 in Paris this year; this is her breakthrough.They have met once before, on the ITF circuit: Eala won 7-5, 6-2 at the W100 in Landisville, Pennsylvania in August 2024. Two years and a very different Alex Eala later, can Stoiana make it interesting on the biggest stage of her life?

US Open 2026 Women's Draw Preview & Prediction — full quarter-by-quarter breakdown of a draw that has been savage to the bottom half. Alexandra Eala's path, Aryna Sabalenka's three-peat bid, and the question everyone is asking about Iga Swiatek's section.Aryna Sabalenka is the No. 1 seed and, on paper, the favourite as she chases a THIRD consecutive US Open title. She opens against Camila Osorio, with a tricky projected quarterfinal against No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova and a heavyweight semifinal against 2024 finalist Jessica Pegula. Difficult — but of the two halves, hers is clearly the smoother road to the final.Alexandra Eala arrives at a career-high seeding of No. 17 after the summer of her life — her maiden WTA title in Washington, a Toronto round of 16, and a rise into the world's top 20. She opens against a qualifier, then the winner of Oleksandra Oliynykova and wild card Reese Brantmeier. But it gets steep fast: a likely third-round "young guns" showdown with No. 14 seed Iva Jovic, then a potential round-of-16 date with Coco Gauff, and Mirra Andreeva looming in the quarterfinals. Her route to the final reportedly runs through four Grand Slam champions.And then there's the bottom half, which is genuinely brutal. Iga Swiatek — seeded only No. 8 after a patchy season, despite winning Toronto — has been dropped into arguably the toughest quarter of the draw, sharing it with No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka and Madison Keys. She opens against Wang Xiyu with a projected quarterfinal against Rybakina. Easy draw? Not remotely — and I break down exactly why in this video.Full analysis, dark horses, upset picks and my predicted champion below.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro00:59 Headlines04:38 Projects QFs07:34 Popcorn 1st Round Matches10:06 My Predictions12:24 Routes To The Final

US Open 2026 Men's Draw Preview & Prediction — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have been handed BRUTAL draws at Flushing Meadows. Full quarter-by-quarter breakdown, dark horses, and my predictions through to the champion.The draw broke about as badly as it could for the two biggest names in the sport. Alcaraz and Djokovic have landed in the SAME HALF — meaning one of them is gone before the final — and both have minefields to cross just to get there.Carlos Alcaraz returns to defend his title having not played a competitive singles match since a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in mid-April. His reward: a first round against Roman Safiullin, the man who beat him in straight sets at the 2023 Paris Masters, with Matteo Arnaldi possible in the third round, Alexander Bublik in the fourth, and a quarterfinal against one of the two most recent Masters 1000 champions — Montreal winner Ben Shelton or Cincinnati winner Arthur Fils. Spanish media have already called it a "death draw."Novak Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title with four US Open crowns already, opens against Mariano Navone and could then face Stan Wawrinka — playing his final Grand Slam — or Matteo Berrettini in the second round. Brandon Nakashima looms in the fourth round, former champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Survive all that and Alcaraz is waiting in a repeat of last year's semifinal.The top half, meanwhile, has cracked wide open. With World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrawing with a right knee injury, Alexander Zverev inherits the top seeding — and the reigning French Open champion, the first player other than Sinner or Alcaraz to win a major since 2024, is projected to meet third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals. On paper, a far kinder route to the final.Full analysis and my predicted champion below.

Mirra Andreeva vs Janice Tjen — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FIRST ROUND match at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. A reigning Grand Slam champion against Indonesia's history-maker — and they just played each other three weeks ago.Mirra Andreeva is the fifth seed and, at 19, already a major champion. She won the 2026 French Open, beating Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in the final to become the youngest Roland-Garros women's champion since Monica Seles in 1992 and the first Russian woman to win in Paris since Maria Sharapova in 2014. Her season also includes a title in Linz and a final in Madrid. The hard-court swing was bumpier — she was upset by Leylah Fernandez in Toronto — but she comes to New York as one of the genuine title contenders.Janice Tjen is one of the sport's best stories. The Indonesian is ranked World No. 35, just off her career-high No. 36 set in February, and she became the first Indonesian woman to win a tour-level singles title since Angelique Widjaja in 2002 when she took the Chennai Open. Her 2026 has been a grind at 11-20, but she has four career top-30 wins — including Leylah Fernandez — and she is a genuinely awkward, fearless opponent on a big stage.They have played once, and recently: Andreeva came through their third-round meeting at the Cincinnati Open just weeks ago. Tjen now gets an immediate rematch, on the biggest stage in tennis. Can she flip it?

Coco Gauff vs Zeynep Sonmez — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FIRST ROUND match at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York. The Cincinnati champion opens her home Slam against Turkey's trailblazer.Coco Gauff could not have timed her form better. The fourth seed and World No. 4 arrives in New York having just won the Cincinnati Open — her first title of 2026, her second Cincinnati crown, her fourth WTA 1000 and her 12th career title — beating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the first all-American women's final there in 56 years. After dropping the opening set of her first match to Liudmila Samsonova, she won TEN CONSECUTIVE SETS to close out the tournament, and moved to 40-13 on the season. The parallel is impossible to ignore: in 2023 a Cincinnati title was the springboard to her maiden Grand Slam in this exact building weeks later.Zeynep Sonmez has quietly had the best year of her career. The Turkish No. 1 started 2026 ranked outside the top 100 and climbed to a career-high World No. 54 — already the highest-ranked Turkish player in WTA history — with a third-round run at the Australian Open and breakthrough weeks in Madrid, Nottingham and Toronto, where she beat home favorite Rebecca Marino before running into Maria Sakkari.First career meeting. A red-hot top-four seed on her favourite court against a player with nothing to lose and a nation behind her. Can Sonmez cause the shock of the opening round?

Alexandra Eala vs Amanda Anisimova — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The first career meeting between the Filipina history-maker and one of the biggest ball-strikers in the game.Alex Eala arrives with the highest seeding of her career. Seeded 17th after a summer that produced her maiden WTA title in Washington — where she beat Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula — and a round-of-16 run in Toronto, the 21-year-old is now firmly inside the top 20. She reached the third round in Cincinnati when Elena-Gabriela Ruse retired with a right foot injury at 6-1, 3-0, in a match twice interrupted by rain and lightning. That means fresh legs and only 40-odd minutes of tennis in her racquet.Amanda Anisimova is the ninth seed and World No. 10, and the danger is obvious. She hit a career-high World No. 3 in January 2026 and reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, a Dubai semifinal, and the fourth round at both Indian Wells and Miami — though injury, form and a brief coaching split have made the rest of the season a grind at 17-10. She looked sharp in her opener, dispatching Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3.They have never played. Anisimova's flat, first-strike power against Eala's lefty variety and the confidence of the best month of her career. Who reaches the round of 16?

Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the FINAL of the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. Two of the biggest titles in the sport, a head-to-head locked at 6-6, and a rivalry that keeps refusing to settle.Iga Swiatek is into her first WTA final in nearly a year. The World No. 3 and six-time Grand Slam champion has been ruthless all fortnight — she needed just 64 minutes to sweep Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, then survived a genuine test from Elina Svitolina, coming through 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 for her first win over the Ukrainian in three meetings this season. After a period of questions about her level, this is the resurgence answered on court.Elena Rybakina has taken the hard road every single day. The No. 2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion rallied from 0-3 down in the third against Liudmila Samsonova, then came from a set down to beat Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in a 2 hour 33 minute quarterfinal, and then dropped the opener again before running away with the semifinal against Coco Gauff 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. Three comebacks, one final. And with Aryna Sabalenka out of Toronto, the World No. 1 ranking has been hovering over her week.The head-to-head is one of the best in tennis: 6-6 after 12 meetings. Swiatek leads 4-3 on outdoor hard courts and won their only previous final, in Doha in 2024 — but Rybakina has taken the last two, most recently in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January. Who takes the Toronto title?

Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the SEMIFINAL at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. A rematch four years in the making, in the exact city where it started.Coco Gauff is into the Toronto semifinals for the FIRST TIME in her career, after three previous attempts that all ended in the quarterfinals. The World No. 4, 31-12 on the season, moved through with a clinical 6-3, 6-1 win over teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva in the round of 16 — her 25th career WTA 1000 quarterfinal — and then received a walkover when No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic withdrew with a hip injury. She arrives fresh. That may matter enormously.Elena Rybakina does not arrive fresh, and it may not matter at all. The No. 2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion has ground her way here through back-to-back survival jobs: down 0-3 in the third to Liudmila Samsonova before winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, then a set down to Naomi Osaka in their first-ever meeting before taking it 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 across 2 hours and 33 minutes, firing 13 aces and saving four break points in the decider. With Aryna Sabalenka out of Toronto, the World No. 1 ranking is very much in play for her.The head-to-head? They have met exactly ONCE — right here in Toronto in 2022, where Gauff edged it in a third-set tiebreak. Four years on, both are completely different players. Who reaches the final?

Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 National Bank Open (ATP Masters 1000 Canadian Open) in Montreal. The defending champion against the Czech who already owns the head-to-head. Two players born in the 2000s, one semifinal spot.Ben Shelton arrives as the man to beat. The No. 5 seed and World No. 10 is defending the Masters 1000 title he won here last year — his first at this level, beating Karen Khachanov in the final — and he is having the best season of his career: three titles on three different surfaces for the first time, in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. He came through windy, awkward conditions to end the run of Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3), staying perfect at this tournament and notching his 30th win of 2026.Jakub Mensik is the No. 13 seed and World No. 17, 27-13 on the season with a title in Auckland, and he has been quietly clinical all week — past Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, Terence Atmane 7-5, 6-4, and Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5. The Miami Open champion has one of the biggest serves on tour and the temperament to match.Here's the thing Shelton has to deal with: Mensik leads the head-to-head 2-1. Two huge serves, very few return games, and margins measured in a handful of points. Who reaches the semifinals?

Naomi Osaka vs Elena Rybakina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. Two of the biggest hitters in the sport, meeting for the FIRST TIME ever, with the World No. 1 ranking hovering over the match.Naomi Osaka is playing her best tennis in years. The four-time Grand Slam champion and No. 11 seed has now won 13 of her last 15 completed matches, following her DC Open semifinal run in Washington with a spotless week in Toronto — she has not dropped a set. She beat Panna Udvardy 6-3, 6-4, crushed Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 in 71 minutes, and then silenced a sold-out home crowd by ending Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4.Elena Rybakina is the No. 2 seed, the reigning Australian Open champion, and the form player on hard courts on the entire tour — 42 wins in her last 50 hard-court matches and 24-5 in 2026. With Aryna Sabalenka out of Toronto, Rybakina is now within touching distance of the World No. 1 ranking, though she's playing it down: "a lot of matches I gotta win." She needed every bit of her fight to get here, coming back from 0-3 and two breaks down in the deciding set to beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.They have never played a competitive match — only two practice sessions, in Australia and at Roland-Garros. Two of the purest ball-strikers in the game, no head-to-head, and a No. 1 ranking in the background. Who reaches the semifinals?

Naomi Osaka vs Leylah Fernandez — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. A four-time Grand Slam champion against Canada's own, in front of a home crowd that will be deafening.Naomi Osaka has been ruthless this week. The No. 11 seed and World No. 13, fresh off a run to the DC Open semifinals in Washington, opened with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Panna Udvardy and then dismantled Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 in just 71 minutes. She is moving well, serving big, and looks like the version of herself that wins these tournaments.Leylah Fernandez has given Canada its moment of the tournament. The No. 30 seed and World No. 34 has had a difficult season at 16-20, but she produced a stunning 6-1, 6-4 upset of World No. 5 and reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva — winning nine consecutive games, converting four of five break points and taking 24 of 27 points behind her first serve. It was her first top-10 win in over a year, and the 2021 US Open finalist looked every bit of that player again.The head-to-head is dead level at 1-1. Add a sold-out partisan crowd and Fernandez's history of raising her level on the big stage, and this is the most volatile match in the draw. Who reaches the quarterfinals?

Alexandra Eala vs Belinda Bencic — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. The hottest player on tour against a former champion of this event. First career meeting.Alex Eala's summer has turned into something historic. Days after becoming the FIRST FILIPINA to win a WTA singles title — beating Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the DC Open final, having already knocked out Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka — the World No. 20 has kept rolling in Toronto. She survived a three-set battle with giant-killer Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Saturday night to extend her winning streak to SEVEN, the longest of her career, and reach the round of 16.Belinda Bencic is the sternest test yet. The No. 12 seed and World No. 14 is an Olympic gold medalist and a former champion at this very tournament, and she has the kind of flat, early, redirecting baseline game that gives everyone problems. She beat Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-1 before surviving an absolute war with Taylor Townsend — 3 hours and 24 minutes — to get here.They have never played. Both are tired. Both are dangerous. Who reaches the quarterfinals?

Iga Swiatek vs Marta Kostyuk — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their QUARTERFINAL at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. A Roland-Garros rematch, and Kostyuk has been waiting for it.Two months ago in Paris, Marta Kostyuk did what nobody expected: she beat four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in the fourth round at Roland-Garros — having never won a single set against her in three previous meetings. Kostyuk has said openly she "can't wait to play her again."She has earned the rematch in style. Now a career-high World No. 11 with a 29-6 record in 2026, the Ukrainian has won the Madrid Open — a WTA 1000 title, beating Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in the final — and reached semifinals at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. In Toronto she came through Katherine Sebov 7-6(4), 6-0 and then dismantled No. 19 seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-1. That's 24 wins in her last 26 matches.Iga Swiatek, World No. 3 and a six-time Grand Slam champion with 26 tour-level titles, has looked ominous this week. She opened with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Sara Bejlek — including a nine-game run to start — and then brushed aside Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-1. She has dropped almost nothing.The head-to-head matters here: Swiatek leads 3-1 overall, and crucially she is 2-0 against Kostyuk on hard courts, winning both in 2026's predecessor season. Paris was clay. This is not. Does the Roland-Garros result travel?

Alexandra Eala vs Caty McNally — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. The Washington champion against the woman who just took out the Wimbledon champion. First career meeting.Alex Eala arrives in Toronto as the hottest player on tour. Days after becoming the FIRST FILIPINA to win a WTA singles title — beating Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the DC Open final after knocking out Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka — the 21-year-old is now World No. 20 and seeded 25th here. She extended her winning streak to six with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Alycia Parks in the second round. The question is simple: how much is left in the tank?Caty McNally is the draw's disruptor. Ranked No. 70 after one of the great ranking climbs in recent memory — she was outside the top 1000 in September 2024 — the American just stunned sixth seed and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6(5), 6-1. It was her second career top-10 win and her 22nd tour-level victory of the season, already a career high. Her doubles-honed hands, variety and returning make her a genuinely awkward opponent for anyone.They have never played each other. Momentum versus momentum. Who reaches the round of 16?

Joao Fonseca vs Casper Ruud — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their THIRD ROUND clash at the 2026 National Bank Open (ATP Masters 1000 Canadian Open) in Montreal. A Roland-Garros rematch, on a much faster surface, with the Brazilian holding the psychological edge.Joao Fonseca, 19 and ranked World No. 27, has already delivered the signature win of his young career this season — beating Novak Djokovic in five sets at Roland-Garros before making his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. In Montreal he came through a tense, late-night battle with Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(3), 7-5, crediting his "mental strength" after the drama, for his first win at this tournament.Casper Ruud, the ninth seed and World No. 14, is a former World No. 2 with three Grand Slam finals on his resume — including the US Open, a reminder that the "clay-courter" label undersells him badly on hard courts. He was ruthless in the second round, dismissing Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-1, 6-2 in barely over an hour.The head-to-head is the hook: they have met exactly once, and Fonseca won it 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 at the French Open in May 2026 — on Ruud's best surface. Ruud gets his revenge shot in Montreal, on a court that should suit Fonseca's ball-striking even better. Who wins?

Zeynep Sonmez vs Maria Sakkari — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their SECOND ROUND clash at the 2026 National Bank Open (WTA 1000 Canadian Open) in Toronto. Turkey's trailblazer against a former World No. 3 in the middle of a genuine revival.Zeynep Sonmez has been one of the stories of 2026. The Turkish No. 1 started the season at World No. 110 and has climbed to a career-high of No. 54 — already the highest-ranked Turkish player in WTA history — with a third-round run at the Australian Open and breakthrough weeks in Madrid and Nottingham along the way. In Toronto she came through a tricky opener against home favorite Rebecca Marino 7-5, 6-4, handling a partisan crowd with real composure.Maria Sakkari, ranked No. 33, is playing her best tennis in two years. The former World No. 3 and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist reached her first final in over two seasons in Athens, and she has looked like a genuine threat again on hard courts — the surface where her movement and forehand have always travelled best.The head-to-head belongs to the Greek: Sakkari leads 2-1, and in their only 2026 meeting at the Qatar Open in Doha she dropped just four games. Sonmez is a different player now, on her preferred surface, with nothing to lose. Can she finally break through?

HISTORY. Alexandra Eala has become the FIRST FILIPINA — and the first player from the Philippines — to win a WTA Tour singles title, beating world No. 3 and top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the final of the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.Full recap, match breakdown and reaction to the biggest moment in Philippine tennis history.The final began on Sunday, August 2, and was suspended by heavy rain and lightning with Pegula leading 6-4, 1-2. When play resumed at midday on Monday, August 3, a completely different Alex Eala walked back onto Stadium Court. She broke back, took the second set 6-4, and then swept the decider 6-0 — a bagel against the World No. 3 — closing it out in 1 hour and 45 minutes on court.The run to get there was extraordinary. The 21-year-old beat 2024 Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng from a set and a break down, ended defending champion and No. 7 seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1), took out No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4, and dismantled four-time Grand Slam champion and No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 — before finishing the job against Pegula. Three seeds, an Olympic champion and a Grand Slam champion in five matches.Eala arrived in Washington ranked No. 28. She leaves it at a career-high World No. 20, inside the top 20 for the first time, with 500 ranking points and a first tour-level trophy after her Eastbourne heartbreak in 2025.

Jessica Pegula vs Alexandra Eala — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open FINAL in Washington, D.C. Sunday, August 2, on Stadium Court at Rock Creek Park. A three-time Washington finalist against a 21-year-old chasing the first WTA singles title of her career.Alex Eala's week has become the story of the summer. The World No. 28 beat Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng from a set and a break down, ended defending champion Leylah Fernandez's title defense 6-2, 7-6(1), dismantled No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4, and then took apart four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 in their first career meeting. Three straight-set wins in a row to close it out. Three seeded players gone. Her first WTA 500 final — and a first tour-level title on the line after the Eastbourne heartbreak of 2025.Jessica Pegula is the top seed, World No. 3, and the most complete player left. She beat No. 4 seed Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4 in 87 minutes to reach her fourth final of 2026, a season that already includes titles in Dubai — her fourth WTA 1000 — and Charleston. She is chasing a third Washington crown.The head-to-head favors the American: Pegula leads 1-0, edging Eala 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 in the 2025 Miami semifinals. That was 16 months ago, and Eala is a very different player now. Can she finish the fairytale?

Jessica Pegula vs Diana Shnaider — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open SEMIFINAL in Washington, D.C. The top seed and the tour's most dangerous lefty, with a WTA 500 final on the line.Jessica Pegula is the World No. 4 and the No. 1 seed here, riding a 35-9 season that includes titles in Dubai — her fourth WTA 1000 crown, won past Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 — and Charleston. The 32-year-old American booked her Washington semifinal by handling No. 20 Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 7-5, and she has made this tournament a regular hunting ground.Diana Shnaider, the No. 4 seed and World No. 18, has been the most efficient player in the draw. She demolished Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-2 while conceding just 26 points, then ended the run of 2022 DC champion Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-4 in an all-Russian quarterfinal. The 22-year-old lefty's flat, early-strike ball is a genuine problem on a fast court.But the history is one-sided: Pegula is 3-0 lifetime against Shnaider, including two wins on hard court. Shnaider has never solved her. Does that change in Washington?

Naomi Osaka vs Alexandra Eala — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open SEMIFINAL in Washington, D.C. A four-time Grand Slam champion chasing her first WTA final in five years, against a 21-year-old having the week of her life. They have never played each other before.Alex Eala's run at Rock Creek Park has been extraordinary. The World No. 28 came from a set and a break down to beat Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, then survived 1-5 in the second set to take out defending champion Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) — and capped it by dismantling No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, repeating her Berlin win over the Ukrainian. That's her sixth top-10 win of 2026 and a third WTA semifinal of the season. A first WTA 500 final is one match away.Naomi Osaka, the No. 3 seed and World No. 13, is quietly building the best stretch of her comeback: 21-8 on the season, a Bad Homburg final on grass last month, and 10 wins in her last 12 matches. She reached her first Washington semifinal by grinding past Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, having earlier advanced when Ashlyn Krueger retired. Osaka has not made a WTA final since the 2021 Australian Open — this is the closest she has come.First-ever meeting. Osaka's power and free points off the serve against Eala's lefty variety and the belief of a player who has beaten three big names in five days. Who reaches the final?

Alexandra Eala vs Elina Svitolina — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open QUARTERFINAL in Washington, D.C. Two seasons colliding: a 21-year-old at a career-high, and a 31-year-old top-10 veteran who has been the model of consistency all year.Alex Eala has been the story of the week at Rock Creek Park. The World No. 28 rallied from a set and a break down to beat Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round, then saved a 1-5 deficit in the second set to knock out defending champion Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) — two marquee names in 48 hours, and a first DC Open quarterfinal.Standing across the net is No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina, World No. 10, 36-10 on the season with a 20-5 hard-court record and finals in Auckland and Rome. She came through a scrappy 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Polina Kudermetova — with nine double faults — and now gets a rematch she openly called "a new challenge."And that's the hook: Eala leads the head-to-head 1-0. She beat Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 on grass in Berlin in June. This is their first meeting on hard court, and Svitolina has had six weeks to solve her.

Alexandra Eala vs Qinwen Zheng — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their blockbuster FIRST ROUND clash at the 2026 Mubadala Citi DC Open (Washington Open), July 27 – August 2, 2026, on the outdoor hard courts of the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.This is the draw everyone circled. Alex Eala arrives at a career-high World No. 28 after a breakout grass season — a WTA 125 title in Birmingham, a semifinal run in Berlin with two top-10 scalps, and a stunning Wimbledon fourth-round run that included beating defending champion Iga Swiatek. Qinwen Zheng, the Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist and former World No. 4, enters on a wildcard, now ranked outside the top 100 as she rebuilds from July 2025 elbow surgery and a stop-start return to the tour.Zheng leads the head-to-head 1-0, winning their only previous meeting 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the 2023 Asian Games semifinal. Three years on, the roles have almost completely reversed. Who wins in Washington?