Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to enter the US Open has prompted debate, but Gill Gross believes that conventional thinking should not be applied too neatly to a player who often reshapes expectations.

Gross argued that tennis history is full of reminders that the sport’s biggest names have produced major results even when circumstances appeared far from ideal. He pointed to Roger Federer’s 2017 Australian Open triumph after six months away with a knee injury, Serena Williams winning the women’s title at the same event at 35 while eight weeks pregnant with her first child, Olympia, Rafael Nadal taking the 2022 French Open while on crutches shortly before, and Novak Djokovic finally winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics after a long title drought.

That backdrop is why Gross is reluctant to rule out Alcaraz, who has not played since mid-April because of a wrist injury. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said, “You do have to be careful to not apply regular player logic to a very irregular player. Do not apply logic to a player who defies logic regularly. That’s what the greats do.

“Roger Federer won the Australian Open coming off of a knee surgery. Rafael Nadal won Roland Garros when he was on crutches the week before. Serena Williams won the Australian Open when pregnant. The greats don’t follow the rules, they break them.

“Conventional wisdom doesn’t work. Logic doesn’t always work. Novak Djokovic hadn’t won a title in a year. He won the gold medal, right? It doesn’t necessarily always work that way. So that’s where I’m at with Alcaraz.

“I’m not making a prediction here, but at the end of the day, I’m not that surprised he’s playing, and I think he can win it. I think he can win it. Not a prediction, but don’t count him out. Don’t count the greats out in general.”

Not everyone is as confident. Greg Rusedski has said Alcaraz should not be playing at the US Open, arguing that best-of-five tennis after so little match play is akin to jumping into deep water. Andy Roddick, meanwhile, suggested that Alcaraz’s team may believe there is little danger of worsening the wrist injury if he takes part at Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz is scheduled to pair with Serena in US Open mixed doubles this week, but uncertainty remains over whether he will feature in the singles draw in the weeks ahead.

Coco Gauff said she usually dislikes facing Jessica Pegula, but described it as an honour to share the court with her after their Cincinnati Open final.

The 22-year-old needed only one hour and 14 minutes to beat Pegula 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday and collect her first title of 2026. It was also a significant milestone in the wider arc of her career. The two-time Grand Slam winner had not lifted a trophy since Wuhan last October, and this latest success made her only the third player to win the WTA 1000 event twice, joining Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka after her earlier triumph in 2023.

The result also brought Gauff level with the 32-year-old Pegula in their head-to-head, at five wins each. Gauff has now won their last two meetings, including their quarter-final match at Wimbledon.

Gauff’s reputation for composure and grace was reinforced by the way she handled the aftermath. In her on-court speech, she spoke warmly about Pegula and made clear how much respect she has for her as both a player and a person. She said, “First I wanna congratulate Jess. You’re an incredible player. That goes without saying. Playing you is always tough. Today, all the balls were going in on my side. But I don’t like seeing you on the other side of the court. But I like playing with you.

“But yeah, I just wanted to say congratulations. You’re an incredible person and player. Congrats to your team. You guys are also incredible people. One of the best teams on tour. I’d also just like to thank Jess. When I first came on tour, she was one of the few players who was nice to me.

“That’s always stuck a long way with me and my family. I have so much respect for you. It’s an honour to share the court with you once again. Hopefully we can run it back a couple times.”

Gauff then FaceTimed family members who were unable to be in Cincinnati, and later contrasted the feeling with her exit from the tournament a year ago. She added, “Thank you to my parents… Back at home, my brothers and grandparents.. all the family and friends that have been cheering for me and praying for me.. I FaceTimed them right there on the bench. It was good to see their faces and them smile.

“Usually I just get a ‘good job’ text. It was nice to get a bit more than that. I’d like to thank God for just bringing me through these tough periods. Last year I was literally in the parking lot like in tears. It’s a big difference what a year can make. So I thank him for pulling me through.”

Gauff will head to Flushing Meadows as one of the leading names in the field.

Aryna Sabalenka opens as the bookmakers’ pick for the 2026 US Open, yet her recent results have left her looking a step below the very best of the current form charts heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.

At Flushing Meadows, the world No 1 has built a formidable record. Over the last three years she is 19-1 in New York and has lifted back-to-back titles, with her only defeat in that span coming in the 2023 final against Coco Gauff. Even so, her latest run of form has been uneven. Sabalenka has fallen in the round of 16 at her last three events, at Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati, and she has not looked fully in rhythm.

That said, her ceiling remains as high as anyone’s on hard courts. In March, she won both Indian Wells and Miami, becoming only the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double. Her four Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, including two Australian Open crowns and two US Open triumphs, and she also owns three runner-up finishes at majors on the surface.

The main concern is confidence, which can be decisive at this level.

Elena Rybakina moved higher among the leading contenders after finishing runner-up in Canada, but fitness remains a question after she was forced to retire against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati, saying she could barely walk.

Jessica Pegula has been one of the steadiest players in recent weeks and will meet Coco Gauff in the Cincinnati final, while Gauff herself arrives in strong form after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and Toronto.

Swiatek responded to her Wimbledon disappointment with a title in Canada, though her Cincinnati loss to Pegula will still lead to a ranking drop.

Among the outsiders, Naomi Osaka is trending upward again after returning to 13th in the rankings, while Alex Eala continues to make progress after her DC Open breakthrough and strong runs in Toronto and Cincinnati.