Bill Connelly's 2026 US Open rankings put the usual suspects at the top. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz lead the favorites list, with both players in their primes and recent Grand Slam pedigree. Sinner won the Australian Open earlier this year. Alcaraz owns multiple majors already. They're the ones to beat in two years.
Behind them, Connelly tabs players like Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev as legitimate contenders, though age and injury history cloud their outlooks. Djokovic's durability remains a question mark. Medvedev plays inconsistent tennis in majors. Neither can be dismissed, but neither looks as clean as Sinner or Alcaraz right now.
The interesting middle tier includes rising talents like Holger Rune and Sebastian Korda. Both have the game to make deep runs, though converting that into a major title is another matter entirely. Korda especially has the firepower but needs to prove consistency over a two-week grind.
Connelly doesn't ignore the longshots. Guys like Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev could surprise. Fritz's serve plays well on hard courts. Zverev's forehand gives him a path. It's early for firm predictions, but the 2026 field shapes up differently than past years.