Zeynep is currently giving Gauff, one of the biggest favorites, a very hard time. I definitely recommend watching this match. Zeynep is truly one of the most enjoyable player to watch.

Rybakina ended the match on her service game with an ace.

Potapova takes on Rus or Jeanjean in R2.

Musetti takes on Dane Sweeny in R2.

This win takes Sweeny to a new career high ranking. Really happy for him

Unfortunately Moutet is still struggling with his wrist injury - hope he recovers soon

Oleksandra gets her first ever main draw win at the USO on her debut and will play the winner of [Q] Mary Stoiana vs. [17] Alexandra Eala next!

Mertens takes on Maria Timofeeva in R2.

I don’t like Ben Shelton’s slice backhand. It looks like it takes so much energy to do, is very obvious, and isn’t effective in matches. Am I just hating or could this shot use some work?

Struff takes on Francisco Cerúndolo in R2.

Schoolkate takes on Flavio Cobolli in R2.

The U.S. Open is a casino now.

On the tournament’s Kalshi deal, with player reactions.

https://www.benrothenberg.com/p/us-open-tennis-betting-odds-kalshi-sponsorship-predictions-market-selling-out-casino-new-york

Fran Cerúndolo will take on Ugo Carabelli or Struff in R2.

Bellucci takes on Taylor Fritz in R2.

Sakkari looked finished down 0-4 in the second set but played solid as Montgomery grew more and more erratic. She’ll play Yuliia Starodubtseva next!

Robin will have the remainder of this week as well as next week to rest before heading to Mexico to hopefully qualify for the Guadalajara Slam™️.

Serve was crazy today

Missed out [Q] next to Havlíčková’s name*

Bondár takes on Madison Keys in R2.

Starodubtseva takes on Sakkari or Montgomery in R2.

Men’s Singles :

Medvedev vs Gorzny :

If you give a mouse a cookie, something happens. I have not read the book yet, so please no spoilers. Similarly, if you give a Gorzny a wild card, something very special happens. Sebastian Gorzny was a college tennis player and is ranked 731st in the world, but he has now beaten one of the top 100 pros in the world in his very first US Open. This is a great moment, and it sets up a fun clash against Daniil Medvedev. This is very likely the end of the road, but it is a moment he will remember forever.

Heading in it was known that Collignon wasn’t the best on fast hardcourts, but Gorzny has shown he can compete at a very high level, and grinding out a five set match that included some rain delays shows a great level of composure and stamina. He also saved 5 match points in the 5th with some very deep hitting. Medvedev has been mediocre lately by his standards, but he seemed to be trying to figure tennis out in the first round. He went for shots, and when he felt something was open, he tried to score. It did result in a lot of awkward misses, but these early rounds are where he should iron that stuff out. Medvedev should wrap this up in 3 because he’s able to defend so well, but Gorzny hits with really good depth so I expect to see some Daniil crashouts and box rants here.

Munar vs Rinderknech :

Munar and Atmane delivered the mildly interesting drama they have become known for, as halfway through the match a somewhat dominant Atmane began cramping. He then began stalling, and Munar began asking for time violations. This went on for a while, and I think Munar was right to be frustrated with the situation. Munar ended up squeaking by, and he has a decent history against Rinderknech. He defeated him last season in Miami, and lost to him in 3 indoors in Metz in 2022. I think the result flips here because Rinderknech is playing well and Munar is a bit rusty. Atmane if he were physically fit would have won, and I can give credit to Munar for wearing him down to that state but even hampered Atmane still managed to remain in the match. Rinderknech is serving very well right now and had a fairly quick 4 set win against Shimabukuro. I think his proclivity to close to net will help negate some of Munar’s ability to grind. Given the history and Munar winning a match I’d expect this to go at least 4 sets every time. Rinderknech in 4-5.

Vacherot vs Majchrzak :

Vacherot played excellent in round one. Kovacevic came in at a good level and he was soundly beaten. Vacherot hasn’t even been relevant on tour for the last month or two so this is a really good result for him. I believe he can beat Majchrzak also. He serves much bigger, and he’s hitting his forehand big with control right now. Majchrzak looks to grind his opponent down and he’s very consistent from the baseline, but i think Vacherot’s swings are just consistent enough (including his backhand) that he’ll be able to hang in, and when he has opportunities I think he can score a little easier. Vacherot in 4.

Sakamoto vs Tiafoe :

I’m not sure about this one. Tiafoe really started flat against Martin Damm, and while he hung on to win it, it wasn’t until the 5th set that his game really started to look effective on offense. Damm played one of the best matches he ever has, so it wasn’t all Tiafoe slumping, but Sakamoto probably serves better than Damm and is a little bit more durable in the rally. Where he isn’t as strong I’d say is in Tiafoe specific tactics. Tiafoe tend to block and chip a lot of returns back. Damm was hitting his forehand with impeccable depth and varying his shots well off these short returns. The depth negated Tiafoe’s speed and so as long as Damm was hitting a good percentage, he was able to hold serve.

I think the 5 sets with Vukic was a slightly bad sign for Sakamoto. He’ll be a little bit fatigued here, and Tiafoe is better at everything than Vukic. Faster, better stamina, light years better on the backhand, and a more effective and repeatable forehand technique. I don’t think it’ll be straightforward given Sakamoto’s ability to send aces down and his current level, but Tiafoe should be a bit sharper this round and have the focus less on his backhand. Tiafoe in 4.

Nakashima vs Michelsen :

I don’t actually understand how these two haven’t played before. Their arrival on tour seems around the same time, and they’ve both been relatively successful on hardcourt. To me the big differences are in speed and consistency. Nakashima covers the court way better, and doesn’t have to redline to win points so he doesn’t miss as often. Michelsen has the serving and power to take the racquet out of anyone’s hands, but in a 3/5 format I think Nakashima will just be a constant nuisance, and he serves as well as Michelsen. I’d expect a tiebreaker or two, but it seems like Michelsen will have to constantly come up with winners at the end of neutral rallies in order to win this. Nakashima in 3-4.

Merida vs Rublev :

I saw a massive amount of quit in Merida against Tien so playing a baseliner grinder like Rublev would normally make me question his resolve, but Rublev struggled a lot in his first round and that lines up with his trend away from being a gatekeeper. He is easily moved by results and emotions so there is always a chance of a poor game or a poor choice, and he’s not at his best. Merida Aguilar basically has every shot, and plays very aggressive. I think this will frustrate Rublev and Andrey’s best shot is to isolate Merida’s backhand and play there the entire day. I don’t think I’ve seen the machine-like effort from him lately, so while he usually has more reliable stamina, I think Merida will win. Merida’s backhand broke down against Tien, but it took a whole set to get it there, and he didn’t necessarily start breaking down, he just started trying to hit winners too soon. Merida in 4-5. This is a match Rublev can win, but I think his slow footspeed will make it very tough for him to defend since Merida has such varied offense. There are just a lot of things in Merida’s direction right now.

Etcheverry vs Fearnley :

Etcheverry had a very comfortable win, but Kopriva was sporting an elbow issue so it was somewhat expected. Up next is Fearnley, who looks like an entire different player from game to game. Fearnley loses this in my opinion. He has the offense and power to score on Etcheverry, but with a warmup match under his belt I think Etcheverry will be able to maintain a level and capitalize on Fearnley’s errors and slumps. Since Fearnley highs are very good, I think this will go 4-5. Etcheverry in 4-5.

Berrettini vs Navone :

Berrettini was solid in the first round which prevented any Wawrinka heroics. Stan provided the tour some of the wildest major final results ever and I wish him well in his retirement. Speaking of retirement, Djokovic suffered one of the more unsettling losses he has in recent history Sunday night, falling to Mariano Navone in a titanic 5 set contest that saw Novak hit a wall sooner than he has in any other recent major. He literally threw up on the court and was mostly unable to compete by the fifth, and this has brought the “maybe he should just retire” conversation back. This chatter is a little odd, because before the tournament he was one of the guys who seemed like he could sneak into the finals with Sinner out and Alcaraz rusty.

I know he’s 39 and tennis is a running game, but I really don’t think this single match is a good indicator of his level. His losses at majors have been respectable performances against guys at their peak deep in the second week, and while he hasn’t done anything outside of those events, Nadal/Federer and him would regularly use the side events (even M1000s) as warmup matches. Part of major hunting is major hunting. The rest of the tour becomes a tool for your goal. If he really is toast, I think he will hang it up in Australia where he has such great memories. Playing Navone is frustrating, and I can give Novak a pass for not wanting to dig in at times because Navone wants to play 6 hours of tennis.

I think despite Navone’s heroics, Berrettini can win this next round. His serve and forehand give him a quick route to points that Novak didn’t have the first round. Djokovic always starts slow at the majors and he plays a very composed style early on. This allowed Navone to get into the match and then humidity did the rest. Navone could grind out a second win, but I think the 3-0 of Wawrinka is a good sign for Matteo and he’s been doing better at the majors this season. Berrettiini in 4.

Shelton vs Hurkacz :

Pretty much a guarantee of 2+ tiebreakers here. Shelton dropped the first set, but once he got warmed up the match was over. He’s coming off a Montreal title win, and this is his home slam. I have some concerns about his shoulder in a long fortnight, but this is early on in the proceedings. I think anytime Shelton gets a forehand, Hurkacz will be frozen. He’s just not fast enough to run down Ben’s power. At the same time, I don’t think Shelton is a good enough returner to shut Hubert down. Hurkacz has a huge serve and easy power, so short returns won’t do the trick. His main weakness is his backhand can go long very easily, and he tends to try to go down the line too often which ends up clipping the net. I think Shelton grinds this one out. Shelton in 4.

Shapovalov vs Van Assche :

Shapovalov looked to be in trouble early, but his dominance of Kecmanovic is real. It sets up a match that will fully test his composure. Luca Van Assche is a ball machine. He just made Norrie fold with his pressure and defense, and I have a hard time seeing Shapovalov navigating the task. Denis can double fault in big moments, and he plays at the same pace the entire match. It’s a nice pace, but he can play his opponents into form and that is exactly what LVA does. Luca’s best shots is also his backhand, so I don’t see Shapo wearing it down. It’s going to take a very good serving performance and a willingness to play long rallies and shake off errors for Shapo to win. I’d be happy to watch that, but I’m not willing to predict it. LVA in 5.

Lehecka vs Samuel :

Samuel beat Machac in round one, but Tomas is not really ready to play yet. He still hits the ball well and he’s a great athlete, but he’s spraying errors pretty consistently. That makes it tough to really gauge Samuel’s level for this next round. Lehecka is another player who can make a lot of errors but he’s been playing great lately. This should be a grind that Lehecka can win, but I think Samuel is a similar level challenge to PCB and it will take a volume of hitting that will expose Lehecka’s lack of patience at times. Lehecka in 4.

Harris vs Tsitsipas :

Simple round one for Harris, and it sets up a fun clash against a resurgent Tsitsipas. Had Djokovic not crashed out, Tstitsipas might have had the biggest surprise of round one. Fils was one of the dark horses for this title, and just won a tournament. Stefanos had been struggling, so I’m sure he’s very happy with the win. He also has a winnable match here, because Harris doesn’t really have a great backhand either. It’s two big serves, and two big forehands, and Tsitsipas is a better mover and more aggressive on that wing. Tsitsipas should win this in 3-4, it’s just tricky to rely on him even after a win.

Bublik vs Mannarino :

JJ Wolf showed early why he was 2-0 against Bublik, but then he showed why he is not really on tour anymore. There have been injury issues, but Wolf really can’t keep the ball in the court when he goes on offense. His speed let him shut down Bublik’s dropshots, but when Bublik decided to play defense and extend rallies, Wolf made errors. It’s a good win for Bublik, and he can win the next match also. Mannarino found his best tennis and started to really frustrate Tirante into errors, but a 5 set win for him makes me think he’s not going to have the oomph to grind another one out against Bublik. Alexander also showed moderate poise and composure in round one, and that’s what he’ll need against Mannarino. I’d add in that Bublik’s backhand is pretty solid, so Mannarino not giving him pace to work with there doesn’t mean he has to miss or bail out of rallies. Bublik in 4.

Prizmic vs Paul :

Prizmic looked completely exhausted against Shevchenko, so I think he will hit the Paul wall at some point this match. Tommy started off well against Wong and then got wobbly which led to him dumping the first set. From there he was dominant and I think he’s likely to beat Prizmic in the same 4. Prizmic hits the ball huge and Tommy can be impatient, but once he’s down in the scoreline Paul has shown the ability to lock in and grind a match out. The 3/5 format works way better for him. Paul in 4.

Duckworth vs Wu :

Wu played some absolutely relentless offense in round one. Walton is a defensive player, but by the end of the third set he was in complete pushmode. I think the consistent output on offense makes Wu dangerous here. Duckworth has been playing well and beat a slumping Arnaldi, but Duckworth dumps his serve a lot, and his commitment to aggression is good but never consistent. He can pull upsets, but he never really has a safe route through a match. I think Yibing’s swings are more fluid and repeatable and he’ll win as a result. Wu in 4-5.

Faria vs Alcaraz :

This I would expect is the first real test of Alcaraz. Carlos looked great and won comfortable against Safiullin, but Roman’s backhand and movement are big issues against such a complete player. Faria is more consistent off both wings, and has a solid offensive output. This will be a good look at Alcaraz’s returning and defense. I think he’s capable and will win, but it’s a welcome glimpse of him being put under some pressure. Alcaraz in 3-4.

Women’s Singles :

Sabalenka vs Iatcenko :

Iatcenko displayed such incredible poise and maturity in her first round against Zarazua. Zarazua is a player who makes you play 400 balls in an afternoon, and when you miss, you lose. Iatcenko was losing early, but shifted her game to play a more controlled and patient style. She was able to grind out an epic three set tiebreak win, and while there is no great reward in playing Sabalenka, she should be very proud. Iatcenko has a good serve and good power, but I think this is a tug of war that Sabalenka wins. Aryna was pretty solid in round one against Osorio, and she should play with some urgency against the talented qualifier. Sabalenka in 2.

Selekhmeteva vs Rakhimova :

These two have played 5 times on tour, including 4 within the last two years. When players are familiar, I expect the matches to be close, so it would not surprise me at all for this to go three. Rakhimova comes in with the much bigger win against Krejcikova, but Krej really helped in that one. Selekhmeteva’s forehand will be the biggest shot on the court, but Rakhimova is a little bit more consistent. I’ll give a slight edge to Rakhimova, but Selekhmeteva won the last two in a row (including a 6-2, 7-5 win at this year’s AO) so this really could go either way. Rakhimova in 3.

Townsend vs Preston :

Nice win for Preston who has struggled for consistency on tour. Townsend is probably better overall, but she also has been consistently playing near her highest level all season. I think the offensive pressure will be a bit too much for Preston. Townsend in 2.

Pliskova vs Shnaider :

Vandewinkel was up a set and a break in that match and is definitely a player to watch, but Pliskova’s offense just carried her through. I think she’ll have a hard time winning baseline rallies here, as Shnaider hits a heavier ball than her off both wings and is fine playing long rallies. That puts a lot of pressure on Pliskova’s serve. I could see this going three since she found a nice level last round, but the dropoff from Vandewinkel won’t come from Shnaider. Shnaider in 2-3.

Kostyuk vs Stephens :

Stephens is playing well against, but Kostyuk is a little bit too solid for her, and has a better offensive output. Kostyuk in 2.

Birrell vs Alexandrova :

Good win for Birrell, but she is actively looking to find consistency and Alexandrova is already there. Alexandrova’s offense is huge and she’s playing solid right now. Alexandrova in 2.

Li vs Vekic :

This should be a close one. Ann Li is playing well, but she can’t guarantee her swings land in the court even if it’s a big point. Her game is excellent but not repeatable. Vekic is in a slump, but she’s been grinding through it. I think this depends on Ann Li’s perspective. She can outlast Vekic and be fresher in a third set, but if she doesn’t realize that, she might try to force things. Vekic is the better player at keeping the ball in the court in neutral rallies on big points, so I think she probably can get to a third. Li in 3, but it is very difficult to back her in a long battle because of how often she drops serve.

Tararudee vs Noskova :

Round one against Volynets was the big test for Noskova’s focus and percentages, and she passed. Volynets did serve for the first set, but from there Noskova won 10/11 games. Tararudee represents a similar test of a solid baseliner, but Noskova in form and serving well should win in 2.

Pegula vs Kenin :

Kenin gets a win, but this is too much right now. Kenin’s forehand is really not the same as it was when she was a threat at majors. Pegula in 2. There is a lot of buzz around her and she has admitted feeling nervous, but it’s not affecting her tennis.

Sawangkaew vs Feranndez :

The rallies here should be excellent, but I think Fernandez will be able to score a little more readily at the end of them. She’s fast enough to run down anything that Sawangkaew can offer, and her ability to create angles and go down the line on her backhand when she’s inside the baseline should give her a very small edge . Sawangkaew does everything well so this is a tough out, but Fernandez in 3.

Paolini vs Stefanini :

Paolini going 3 with Erjavec is not a good sign at all. She did beat Stefanini in 2021 in straights, but her play this year is not that reliable. I sort of want to pick Stefanini here, but she’s been the bigger hitter or had an error prone opponent in all her matches so far. This feels like on where I could look foolish but Paolini just seems unable to play her best tennis right now. I think Stefanini will grind her out. Stefanini in 3.

Parry vs Cirstea :

The Parry party continues. She’s serving well and that gives her a chance against Cirstea. This is too big offenses playing but I think Cirstea is playing a higher level right now and her ability to hit her backhand down the line will make things very tricky on Parry’s one-hander (if it lacks depth or sits high). Cirstea in 3.

Svitolina vs Joint :

Two great baseliners playing here. Svitolina is a much better server and I think it will give her the edge. Joint also tends to capitalize on forced errors and I think Svitolina’s defense will actually cause Maya to force the issue and miss at times. Svitolina in 2.

Wang vs Kalinskaya :

Wang is playing decent right now, so this should be interesting. Kalinskaya withdrew in Cincinnati but played well against Blinkova. Their previous hardcourt matches all went three, but Kalinskaya won them all. Wang has huge power, but struggles with consistency so I think Kalinskaya may be just a bit more able to guarantee that she hits the court in big moments. Kalinskaya in 3.

Navarro vs McNally :

Navarro won the first round, but it was very close. Boisson played some excellent tennis, but Navarro did not look like a contender for a deep run. She now plays a very in-form McNally who won comfortable in round one. McNally would probably beat Boisson in a comfortable two sets, so the only thing I’m worried about here is Navarro feeling comfortable against McNally since she won their last two hardcourt meetings in 2025 and 2023. I can discard those partially for this guess because McNally is playing some of the best tennis of her life right now. I think McNally gets this done in 2.

Boulter vs Muchova :

Muchova looks very good out there right now. Her defense should be able to keep Boulter from dominating things and Boulter is not fast enough to defend when Muchova has control. This should be good until it isn’t. Muchova in 2.