US Open Tennis 2026: Favorites, Predictions & Betting Preview

The 2026 tennis majors will conclude on Sunday, September 13, at the end of the US Open. This tournament is the final Grand Slam of the season, and New York City will be abuzz with action over the next couple weeks. Fans from across the country are flocking to the Big Apple for US Open tennis, and we have already seen some incredible action in mixed doubles.

On the men’s side of the bracket, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is the favorite per the US Open tennis odds. Alcaraz is arguably the most talented player in the world, but he is the favorite because No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner had to bow out of the competition due to a lingering knee injury. Sinner announced his withdrawal last week, changing the betting market overnight.

Aryna Sabalenka is looking to win her third straight US Open title, so it’s no surprise to see her listed as the favorite on the women’s side of the bracket. All four of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, and this is the preferred surface for the top seed in women’s tennis.

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Your Guide to the 2026 US Open

This will be the 146th edition of tennis’ US Open. It is the longest continually running tennis tournament in the world as the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon were all affected by a World War and/or COVID. Interestingly enough, the US Open was played in Newport, Rhode Island for the first 34 years of its existence. The competition moved to Queens, New York in 1915, and it has had a home in New York City since that point. 

The Final Grand Slam of the Season

The four biggest tennis tournaments in the world are the four Grand Slam events. Four different countries are represented in the Grand Slams as the Australian Open takes place shortly into the new year. The French Open is the next major, followed by Wimbledon, and the US Open will finish off the drama. 

Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Events

We saw the US Open Mixed Doubles conclude on Wednesday, August 26. The top three seeds all lost in the first round, highlighted by the duo of Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka. No. 4 seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli were able to make it to the Finals, but they fell to Czech comrades Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik. 

The singles and doubles competitions will start this weekend.

Why the US Open Stands Out

The crowds at the US Open are the best in tennis. There is friendly back and forth between players and fans throughout the competition, and although the home crowd cheers for Americans, they appreciate good tennis.

2026 US Open Tournament Schedule

The US Open schedule has been largely unchanged for a long time. This tournament begins in late August and runs for two weeks until mid-September, and the Labor Day Weekend is traditionally the halfway point of the competition.

The mixed doubles are now complete, and the US Open tennis schedule has the competition beginning on Sunday, August 30. The US Open Women’s Final will take place on Saturday, September 12, while the US Open Men’s Final will take place on Sunday, September 13.

Key Tournament Dates

The US Open Women’s Doubles Final is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 11, 2026. The US Open Men’s Doubles Final is set to occur on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET, and the US Open Women’s Singles Final is slated to start shortly afterwards at 4 p.m. ET. The last match of the competition will be the US Open Men’s Singles Final on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

Venue and Playing Surface

The US Open was played on grass from 1881 to 1974, and the competition was played on a clay court from 1975 to 1977. The final Grand Slam of the season has been exclusively on hard court since 1978 though, making it the second Grand Slam played on hard court alongside the Australian Open.

There are a whopping 34 courts at the US Open. Half of those courts are practice courts, and there are 13 field courts along with four main stadiums. Arthur Ashe Stadium is where the biggest matches will be held, but there will be plenty of fans at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand, and Court 17.

TV and Streaming Coverage

Fans can watch the US Open on the ESPN App, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and the Tennis Channel.

Players to Watch at the 2026 US Open

As previously mentioned, the US Open favorites are Carlos Alcaraz on the men’s side and Aryna Sabalenka on the women’s side. There are several other US Open players with a reasonable chance of winning the final Grand Slam of the year though.

Men's Singles Contenders

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz is the No. 2 seed and is +175 to win the US Open after the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner. No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev is the second favorite to win this competition at +315, and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is still among the favorites despite being 39 years old. No. 8 seed Ben Shelton, No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz, and No. 10 seed Arthur Fils are among the next set of favorites. 

Women's Singles Contenders

There is more parity when it comes to the women. Sabalenka is the favorite but not as much of a favorite as you might believe given her recent form in Flushing Meadows. No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek is the second favorite at +510, and she has an 8-5 record against Sabalenka since 2021. Coco Gauff and No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina are the only other ladies with odds of under 10-1 to win the US Open.

Rising Stars to Watch

There is a lot of buzz surrounding Rafael Jodar. Although Jodar is the No. 12 seed, many believe the teenager could actually win the US Open. He won the boys’ singles at the 2024 US Open, and he made it to the quarterfinals of the 2026 French Open just six months after declaring that he was leaving behind his amateur status to go pro in tennis. 

Alexandra Eala is a player to keep an eye on at this tournament. She is the highest-ranked Filipino player of all-time after rising to No. 18 in the WTA Rankings on Monday. Eala has yet to have a lot of success at Grand Slam events, but she is currently a shade over 20-1 to claim the title as many pundits think she can be poised for a breakout performance.

US Open Draw and Tournament Format

The full US Open draw will not be finalized until the conclusion of qualifiers on Thursday, August 27. There will be 128 players in both the men’s bracket and the women’s bracket, and 104 of those spots have already been claimed in each competition. There will be 16 qualifiers based on Thursday’s results, and tournament organizers can select eight Wild Cards for the competition too.

Top seeds are strategically placed in different quadrants of the bracket, and all unseeded players are randomly drawn into their positions.

US Open Betting Odds

The US Open tennis odds aren’t as correlated with the seeds or the ATP/WTA Rankings as you might assume. Betting markets tend to favor past Grand Slam winners, while the ATP/WTA Rankings put more emphasis on recent form.

Outright Winner Odds

Quarter and Half Winner Markets

It has become more popular to make quarter and half futures bets in tennis tournaments. Those bets are wagers for players to win their quadrant and then their half of the bracket and pay out at lower odds than overall winners’ markets. 

Match Betting Markets

There will be betting available for every match at the US Open. Lines will be set as soon as the field comes into focus, and new odds are up every day throughout the tournament.

Best US Open Betting Picks

Our best US Open picks are below, so gear up for the last Grand Slam of the year with these wagers.

Value Bets Before the Tournament

At this point, most of the value might be gone with Rafael Jodar. However, No. 3 seed Felix Auger Aliassime is very undervalued at +2630. Auger Aliassime has yet to win a Grand Slam, but he is playing his best tennis to date. He made the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon, and Auger Aliassime upset Alexander Zverev and a few others before falling in four sets to Jannik Sinner in the 2025 US Open Semifinals.

Players Ready for a Deep Run

I’m a believer in Iga Swiatek at the US Open. Swiatek won the Canadian Open two weeks ago, and she made it to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open last week. She is especially dominant on clay with four French Open titles, but she did win the 2022 US Open and could be poised to claim her seventh Grand Slam.

Early Round Upset Candidates

At this point, it’s hard to have faith in Naomi Osaka despite her talent. Osaka has struggled over the past few years, as she is yet to regain the form that made her a four-time Grand Slam champion. Her last Grand Slam title came over five years ago at this point, and Osaka has failed to make it past the third round in 13 of her last 16 Grand Slam appearances.

Key Betting Factors

One of the biggest tennis betting tips is to look at the records of players on different surfaces. Most players have a preferred surface they excel on, while they aren’t as effective on the other two types of courts.

Hard Court Performance

Player records on clay and grass shouldn’t be thrown out, but they should be scrutinized. Results at the Australian Open and US Open are better predictors of success for players at this Grand Slam, and those should be the majors you focus on before making a bet.

Recent Form and Fitness

Fatigue can be a huge factor at this point of the tennis season. Some players have gone eight months with minimal breaks, so wear and tear really catches up by this time. Older players are affected more by the longer seasons, and it’s usually a good idea to bet on players in their 20s.

Head-to-Head Records

Some teams or players just have an opponent’s number in all sports. Different styles can lead to advantages in certain situations, so it is a good idea to look up head-to-head records when making big decisions on match betting or futures betting once the draw is announced.

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