PREVIEW | ATP US Open 2025: Can anyone stop another final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz? - Djokovic, Shelton, Draper and Zverev lead the charge

It's all set for the start of the 2025 ATP US Open, which will run from Sunday, August 24, to Sunday, September 7, at the traditional Flushing Meadows venues. The tournament marks the return of defending champion Jannik Sinner, who had to retire from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner and Alcaraz are the clear protagonists of this tournament, and it would be a major surprise to see either of them exit before the final. The two favorites have met in the last four finals of tournaments they've both entered, including the last two Grand Slam finals at the French Open (won by Alcaraz) and Wimbledon (won by Sinner).

Sinner or Alcaraz has now won seven consecutive Grand Slam titles, and all eyes will be on them. Sinner's retirement from the Cincinnati final last weekend was likely a precaution for his main goal: the US Open. This allowed Alcaraz to claim another title.

The battle for the No. 1 ranking is heating up. Sinner is defending his title, while Alcaraz only has second-round points to defend from last year. The player who advances further will end the tournament as world No. 1, but if they both fall in the same round, Alcaraz will leave Flushing Meadows at the top of the rankings.

The Italian will play the first round against Vit Kopriva and have a potential second round clash against Alexei Popyrin or Emiil Rusuuvuori. Alcaraz in the other side will debut against Reilly Opelka and potentially will clash against Juncheng Shang or Mattia Bellucci on the second round.

This is the question we've been asking all year, and while other contenders have emerged, none have truly convinced us they can consistently compete at the level of the top two players.

The name of Novak Djokovic always resurfaces at every Grand Slam, although his chances of winning another major title seem to be getting slimmer. The Serb has managed to make deep runs—with one final and four semifinals in Grand Slams since the start of 2024—but he has been surpassed in the final rounds. This year alone, he's lost three times in semifinals (twice to Sinner and once after retiring against Zverev at the Australian Open).

However, the Serb still has a chance. In his last three tournaments, he has a 14-2 record, only losing to Sinner. It will be crucial for him to get through the early rounds without too much physical wear and tear if he wants to be in top form for the later rounds. This time, the draw sets him up for a potential quarterfinal clash with Taylor Fritz and a semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz.

Alexander Zverev will have another opportunity this week at Flushing Meadows. A three-time Grand Slam finalist and with six other semifinal appearances, the world No. 3 German is a player many have been waiting to see lift a major title, but he has yet to succeed. At the US Open, he reached the final in 2020 (losing to Dominic Thiem) and was a finalist at this year's Australian Open (losing to Sinner). He had interesting campaigns in Toronto and Cincinnati, reaching the semifinals in both, and will be motivated to fight for a major title again—the biggest goal of his career. Can he finally do it this time?

Another strong name is Britain's Jack Draper, the current world No. 5, who reached the semifinals of the 2024 US Open. However, his momentum is not entirely with him, as he is returning from an injury and this will be his first appearance since his surprising second-round elimination at Wimbledon in early July. The 2025 Indian Wells champion also reached the mixed doubles semifinals with Jessica Pegula, although that's not a strong indicator of his singles level. Nevertheless, if he is physically fit, the conditions at Flushing Meadows could be favorable, and when he's confident, he seems to be one of the few players who can truly be a threat to Sinner and Alcaraz.

In 2024, we saw the return of a local player to the men's final for the first time since 2006, when Andy Roddick fell to Roger Federer. This time, it was Taylor Fritz who couldn't overcome the dominant world No. 1, Jannik Sinner, but at least he brought hope back to the Americans. This year, Fritz once again appears to be a name to watch, after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon and as a finalist in the 2024 edition.

However, his compatriot Ben Shelton will likely have better credentials, as he won his first Masters 1000 title a few weeks ago at the Canadian Open, defeating Karen Khachanov in the final and his own compatriot Fritz in the semifinals. He was on a nine-match winning streak before losing to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of Cincinnati, possibly due to physical issues after a demanding few weeks without proper rest. Heading into the US Open, he will arrive in better physical shape for a tournament where he already made the semifinals back in 2023.