Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal has altered the picture for the 2026 US Open men’s draw, where the seeding order will be finalized before the New York major begins.

Main draw singles play at Flushing Meadows starts on 30 August, with 128 players in the men’s field and 32 seeds. The key cutoff for seeding is Monday 24 August, the final ATP Rankings update before the event. Ranking points from the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 tournament are the last ones that will count toward the US Open seedings.

Six men have withdrawn from the tournament, and Sinner plus Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are the two who would have been seeded. Sinner, the world No 1, has pulled out because of a right knee injury. His most recent match was his Wimbledon final win.

Without Sinner, Alexander Zverev is projected to move from third to second in the ATP Rankings on Monday, which would make him the top seed in New York. Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed his US Open entry after more than four months away with a right wrist injury. He is currently No 2, but he will fall to third when points from his 2025 Cincinnati Open title come off next week.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is projected as the No 3 seed, with Novak Djokovic set to be seeded fourth. Flavio Cobolli is currently projected at No 5 and could overtake Djokovic by reaching the Cincinnati final. Taylor Fritz, 10th in the Live ATP Rankings, also has a path to move ahead of Djokovic’s points total if he reaches the title match in Cincinnati.

Projected 2026 US Open ATP seedings based on ATP Live Rankings place Zverev, Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime and Djokovic at the top, followed by Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton and Fritz.

Carlos Alcaraz has ended the uncertainty surrounding his schedule by confirming that he will play the US Open at the end of August.

The Spaniard had been listed on several entry sheets throughout the summer after sitting out both the clay-court and grass-court swings. His preparation also drew concern when he was expected to appear at the Cincinnati Open, only to say that he was not ready in time.

That left questions hanging over his run-up to New York, but he is now set to compete at Flushing Meadows. Attention has already turned to how he will begin his final preparations once he arrives.

According to Alcaraz Updates, “ Alcaraz will have a practice session with Daniel Mérida in New York on Monday. He will depart for the US tomorrow (Saturday, 22nd August).”

Mérida has put together a strong spell on the ATP Tour in recent weeks. He reached the quarter finals of the Canadian Open after beating Tallon Griekspoor, Alex Michelsen, and Ugo Humbert, before losing to Learner Tien.

He also won Umag on clay, defeating Damir Dzumhur in the final to claim the first ATP Tour title of his career.

That form has earned him a place in Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Chile in September, a side that does not include Alcaraz.

There is also growing expectation that Alcaraz will take on more than singles duties at the US Open. He is heavily rumoured to be playing mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams.

The Mixed Doubles, which was re-formated in 2025, is staged during the US Open’s ‘Opening Week’, meaning Alcaraz could be back on court as early as Tuesday, 25th August.

He played the event last year with Emma Raducanu, but they were beaten on Arthur Ashe Stadium by Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.

With the relaxed format designed to help singles players build match sharpness before the final Grand Slam of the year, it may also serve as an ideal lead-in to Alcaraz’s singles return. Williams, meanwhile, is yet to play mixed doubles since returning to the sport on the grass court swing. She has already played doubles with Venus Williams, Victoria Mboko, and Karolina Muchova.

Carlos Alcaraz has at last confirmed that he will compete at the US Open, ending a five-month spell away from the ATP Tour.

The Spaniard has not played on the tour since injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open, a problem that ruled him out of Roland Garros and Wimbledon as well. For a time, his return remained uncertain, but a post shared in collaboration with Fabrizio Romana on 20 August settled the question.

On that same day, Alcaraz was already back on court in Spain, working with Holger Rune. The pair have spent the week practising together, with both players trying to build match sharpness ahead of the closing stretch of the ATP Tour.

Rune has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury at the Stockholm Open last October, leaving him out of competitive action for nearly a year. Their recent sessions have now included a full match, and Alcaraz came through it 7-6, 6-2 on Thursday, 20 August at the Spaniard’s academy in Murcia.

The focus now shifts to New York, where Alcaraz is expected to travel on Monday, 24 August. His return carries extra weight because he will be defending the full 2000 points earned by winning the Grand Slam in 2025.

There is also growing talk that he could feature in the US Open Mixed Doubles event with Serena Williams during the tournament’s Opening Week. If that pairing is confirmed, it would give Alcaraz another chance to collect match practice, while also creating one of the most closely watched entries in the event.

Alcaraz previously appeared in the inaugural 2025 edition alongside Emma Raducanu, although they were beaten in the first round by Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula.

Williams and Alcaraz are expected to receive one of the remaining wildcards, with Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex Eala, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic also confirmed for the competition.

The Spaniard’s comeback will not be straightforward. He has already been passed by Alexander Zverev during his absence, and another early defeat in New York could leave him vulnerable in the rankings once again.