With the women’s race at this year’s US Open appearing increasingly open, Greg Rusedski has made two striking predictions less than a week before the final Grand Slam of 2026.

Aryna Sabalenka arrives in New York as both defending champion and world No 1, yet her build-up has been clouded by a difficult summer in Europe. After completing the Sunshine Double with hard-court victories at Indian Wells and Miami, she looked like the player to beat. Since then, however, her campaign has been damaged by painful defeats that ended her hopes at the French Open and Wimbledon. Losses in Toronto and Cincinnati before the US Open have only deepened the sense that she is not in peak form.

Rusedski, the former British No 1 and former finalist, believes the turnaround may not come in time for another run to the title. “I don’t think she can turn it around,” Rusedski told talkSPORT via his podcast. “She went out early in Cincinnati and she has not been as mentally strong as usual.

“We thought at the beginning of the year when she reached the Australian Open final that she would have a couple of majors in the bag by the time she got to the US Open, but it hasn’t happened. She really has come off the rails.

“The women’s draw is wide open. We’ve see Iga Swiatek come back to win in Canada, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula got the finals in Cincinnati and it’s wide open for the US Open.”

Rusedski was equally firm in his support for Filipina standout Alex Eala, saying the 21-year-old can make a major impact in New York after her Wimbledon run.

“There is one big superstar coming through on the WTA Tour and it’s Eala,” added Rusedski.

“She is really saving the WTA Tour at the moment and she is a breath of fresh air for the sport.

“She’s going to be seeded for the US Open and that should help her to get through the first couple of rounds. After that, I’m backing her to better her performance at Wimbledon.

“Eala had the best result for any player from the Philippines when she reached the last-16 at Wimbledon and I think she can do even better at the US Open and reach the quarter-finals or better.”

Carlos Alcaraz has made clear that he intends to return at the US Open, even as several of the sport’s biggest voices have urged caution after his wrist injury. The Spaniard has not played a competitive match since hurting his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April, and his decision to target New York has already sparked debate.

Andy Roddick and Greg Rusedski are among those who have questioned the wisdom of coming back in a best-of-five-set Grand Slam so soon. Alcaraz had already withdrawn from this week’s Cincinnati Open after admitting that his wrist had not fully healed, but he has since confirmed that he will play the US Open mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams. He has also suggested that he will enter the singles draw as well.

Rusedski, the 1997 US Open runner-up, said he was baffled by the plan. “Why would you start back with a wrist injury in three out of five sets?” asked Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast.

He added: “Maybe he’s thinking three out of five sets, I can win him in straight sets, I can build myself up, I got a day off in between every match, but I think it’s a huge risk. I would be very surprised if he plays in the singles.

“I hope he’s able to play the US Open, but I’m not sure this is the smartest thing, unless it’s just a publicity stunt and he’s just gonna play in the mixed doubles and then not even play the singles. Who knows? We don’t know until he shows up in the blocks for the opening first round match in New York what’s gonna happen.”

Alcaraz’s decision comes shortly after Jannik Sinner confirmed he will miss the final Grand Slam of 2026 to protect his long-term health. The contrast between the two leading men has been hard to ignore.

If Alcaraz does compete in singles and comes through the event with another US Open title, the choice will be vindicated. If not, the questions about whether he returned too soon will only grow louder.

Fourteen of the 16 teams for the 2026 US Open mixed doubles have now been set, with Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams among the newest pairings confirmed.

After last year’s revamped format delivered strong interest, US Open organisers have kept the competition on the same schedule, placing it before the singles main draw. The winning team will again play for $1,000,000, and the draw has already attracted attention through several headline pairings.

Last year’s field included Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud, Emma Raducanu with Carlos Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula with Jack Draper, and Elena Rybakina with Taylor Fritz. That approach created plenty of buzz during Fan Week, though the title ultimately went to the doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who defended their crown.

For 2026, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic are expected to be the top seeds based on combined singles rankings. Pegula and Fritz will team up after Draper’s injury rules him out, while Rybakina’s own fitness remains uncertain after she picked up an injury before the tournament.

Swiatek and Ruud are back after finishing runner-up in 2025, while Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien, have also formed new combinations. Diana Shnaider is listed as a confirmed entrant, although her partner has not yet been named.

Among the wildcard teams, Errani and Vavassori will try to win a third straight title in New York. Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime also stand out, and Auger-Aliassime said: “It’s a great opportunity because obviously I didn’t play last year, but this time around to kind of feel what it’s like to have the Eala effect and fan base behind me,” and “It’s going to be it’s going to be funny because she’s younger than me, but she has a fan base, right? Like she’s carrying the crowd. So, it’s going to be interesting.”

Two more places will be decided through qualifying on 24 August, with the mixed doubles event scheduled for 25-26 August at Flushing Meadows.