What happened to the former US Open champions? The biggest winners, losers and comeback stories

Some are favourites to lift the trophy again. Others may not even make the main draw. The list of former US Open champions competing in 2026 tells the story of modern tennis better than anything else, featuring dominant world No. 1s, injury-plagued stars, remarkable comeback stories and legends preparing for one final farewell.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka remain among the sport’s leading figures and will arrive in New York as major contenders, continuing the dominance of a generation that has shaped the recent history of the tournament.

However, the picture is very different for some of the other champions from previous editions. While Serena Williams remains part of the tournament conversation after her return to competition, other champions such as Stan Wawrinka and Sloane Stephens are dealing with a much different scenario, with neither currently holding a direct place in the 2026 main draw.

Carlos Alcaraz can already boast two US Open titles on his résumé at just 23 years old and arrives as the defending champion in this edition. The Spaniard defeated Casper Ruud in the final to win his maiden Grand Slam title, and he returned to the top of the tournament in 2025 after another successful hard-court campaign, culminating with his sixth major title after defeating his great rival Jannik Sinner in the final.

This time, however, he arrives with more doubts than ever regarding his physical condition. He was dominating the Tour until his injury in April during the clay-court swing and has been four months away from competition. His return is expected at the Cincinnati Open, where he will have to prove whether he can quickly find his level and become a contender at Flushing Meadows once again.

He has had four months away, no match practice and is defending champion so perhaps not much will be expected of him straight away. Few defending champions have entered New York with so many unanswered questions.

The biggest favorite this time around after taking advantage of Alcaraz’s absence in recent months to establish himself as the clear world No. 1. He has won five Masters 1000 titles this season and recently became a two-time Wimbledon champion. The hard-court conditions in New York suit the Italian perfectly, and he will arrive full of confidence as he looks to reclaim the title.

The Italian captured the trophy back in 2024 after defeating Taylor Fritz in a dominant final and reached a streak of 13 consecutive victories heading into the 2025 final, where Alcaraz eventually beat him. There is still a lot more to be written in Sinner’s US Open history, perhaps one of the tournaments that best suits his game and where he has shown an impressive level in recent editions.

He will once again jostle with Alcaraz, but has his own injury doubts so perhaps might be one that Alexander Zverev pounces on yet again.

The current world No. 1 and two-time defending champion at the US Open will once again be the favorite, despite going through 2026 without a Grand Slam title so far. Sabalenka owns an impressive 34-6 record at the US Open (30-3 since 2021) and has reached three consecutive finals in Flushing Meadows, in addition to playing the last seven Grand Slam finals contested on hard courts.

Expectations are huge around Sabalenka, who at 28 years old continues to look almost unstoppable against lower-ranked opponents, with only a handful of players able to defeat her at big events. However, the pressure will be high, as her position as world No. 1 will be at stake in New York, and ending the season without a major title would represent a disappointment considering the standards the Belarusian has set for herself.

Djokovic, now 39 years old, continues his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title, and the US Open will provide another opportunity, precisely the tournament where he won his most recent major title back in 2023. He won his first title in New York during his historic 2011 season, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final, while his other victories came against Roger Federer (2015), Juan Martin del Potro (2018) and Daniil Medvedev (2023).

Nole owns a 95-15 record at the tournament and has also reached six additional finals, for an incredible total of 11 US Open finals in 19 appearances. In 2025, he reached the semifinals before losing to Sinner, and this time in Flushing Meadows he will once again be a candidate to go deep — and perhaps continue making history and dreaming of another title. It would be a 25th Grand Slam and the last one perhaps in his career if he manages to hit it right. Also a 12th US Open final in the process.

At just 22 years old, Coco Gauff already looks like a veteran when it comes to her status and experience at the biggest events. As a home favorite at the US Open, she was able to take advantage of that atmosphere a few years ago to win her first Grand Slam title in 2023, defeating Sabalenka in the final. Gauff currently remains world No. 4, although her last two campaigns in New York ended in the fourth round.

However, she remains one of the biggest names on the WTA Tour and will be among the top-tier contenders for the title. Her recent Wimbledon campaign, where she reached the semifinals, provided another boost of confidence for the American, who has become accustomed to reaching the later rounds at major tournaments.

Without a doubt, Iga Swiatek has been the most successful player of the last decade, collecting six Grand Slam titles and 11 WTA 1000 trophies, while spending a total of 125 weeks as world No. 1. The last year has perhaps been the most inconsistent stretch we have seen from Swiatek since winning her first major title at Roland Garros in 2020, and her current position as world No. 8 reflects how she has fallen a step behind some of her biggest rivals.

Back in 2022, Swiatek completed the best season of her career by winning the US Open title after claiming four WTA 1000 trophies during the year and another Roland Garros crown. The Pole could face a more complicated draw than usual due to her ranking drop, and her position inside the top 10 will be at risk during this hard-court swing, where she desperately needs strong results, especially in a season where she has yet to win a title.

Osaka’s US Open legacy is one of the strongest among active players, with the Japanese star winning two titles in New York during her peak years. Her first triumph in 2018 came in a controversial final against Serena Williams, while her second title in 2020 confirmed her status as one of the dominant hard-court players of her generation.

After stepping away from tennis and dealing with challenges outside the court, Osaka has spent the last few years rebuilding her ranking and confidence. It took time for her to find her best form again, but over the last year she has returned among the elite, climbing back inside the top 15.

A year ago, she looked like a strong contender after reaching the US Open semifinals — her best Grand Slam result in five years — before losing to Amanda Anisimova. This time, the Japanese star will once again be one of the names to watch, especially because when she plays with confidence, her natural talent continues to make her a contender for any major title.

For several years, Medvedev was one of the most consistent players at the tournament, reaching two finals (2019, 2023) and winning the title in 2021, his first and only Grand Slam title so far. However, over the last couple of seasons, Medvedev has lost prominence on Tour, and in his last seven Grand Slam appearances, he has reached the second week only once (Round of 16 at the 2026 Australian Open).

Medvedev has lost some of his previous dominance over the last few seasons, but he has managed to remain near the top of the rankings. He will arrive at Flushing Meadows as the world No. 6, although he is expected to be a step behind the biggest contenders. Still, if the Russian finds inspiration during the North American hard-court swing, he can be a player to watch in New York, and at 30 years old he remains one of the most respected names on Tour.

Medvedev is formerly the King of New York now he is an outsider, very much one who could face make or break end to the year through this tournament.

Raducanu produced perhaps the most surprising result in Grand Slam history when she became the first player to win a major title coming through qualifying. It was only her second Grand Slam main-draw appearance, and she completed a run of 10 consecutive victories without dropping a set at just 18 years old, creating the feeling that a glorious career was about to begin for the Briton.

There are still many questions surrounding her career, but it should not be forgotten that she remains a young player who, when physically healthy, has shown flashes of the talent that made her a champion in New York.

However, since then she has struggled to fully deliver on those expectations. Between coaching changes and constant injury problems, Raducanu has not been able to show the level many expected from her. She will not compete at this year’s US Open after withdrawing due to another injury, and at 23 years old she faces another ranking drop that will take her outside the top 80 in the coming weeks.

Andreescu was another player expected to achieve great things after making history at the 2019 US Open. It was an incredible season for the Canadian, who reached world No. 4, won two WTA 1000 titles and lifted the US Open trophy after defeating none other than Serena Williams in the final — all at just 19 years old. However, the tennis world has never seen the same Andreescu again, with the Canadian spending much of the following years away from competition or making only sporadic appearances.

This time, she sits at No. 179 in the rankings and is waiting for a potential wildcard from the tournament organizers to compete in the main draw. Otherwise, she will have to play qualifying, something she has become familiar with in recent seasons, including at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. At 26 years old, Andreescu continues searching for the opportunity to become a consistent force on Tour again and, more importantly, stay competitive over a long period after years marked by injuries.

Stan Wawrinka is preparing for his retirement in the coming months, and the US Open will be his final Grand Slam appearance. The world No. 125 failed to make the main draw cut and will start from qualifying — unless a last-minute wildcard is confirmed, something he has already requested according to his own comments.

Wawrinka hopes to return to New York for a final farewell at the tournament where he won his third Grand Slam title back in 2016, defeating Djokovic in the final. At 41 years old, Wawrinka is preparing to retire in October at the Swiss Indoors, and the US Open represents one of the final major stages of an impressive career that saw him become one of the biggest challengers to the Big Three for years, reaching world No. 3 and becoming one of the most respected players of his generation.

Back in 2014, Marin Cilic produced an impressive campaign to win his first Grand Slam title, defeating Kei Nishikori in an unexpected final. On that run, the Croatian eliminated second seed Roger Federer in the semifinals to reach his first major final before securing the biggest title of his career.

At 37 years old, Cilic continues his career while remaining competitive at the highest level. However, his current ranking has dropped to No. 85. His last title came at the Hangzhou Open two years ago. While he will not enter this edition as one of the main contenders, it would not be a surprise to see him advance several rounds at one of the most important tournaments in tennis. His 41-14 US Open record reflects his strong connection with the event, where he remains one of the most successful active champions.

Back in 2017, Stephens made history by winning the US Open title in an all-American final against Madison Keys, and for a couple of seasons she established herself among the biggest names on Tour. The 33-year-old currently sits at No. 268 and has been away from the spotlight for much of the last two years. Although retirement appeared closer than ever, the American has restarted her career in recent months with several appearances during the clay-court swing, and she recently received a wildcard to compete in Montreal qualifying.

Although she is far from the level that saw her reach a career-high world No. 3 ranking, Stephens showed in Canada that she can still be competitive, earning her first WTA 1000 victory in more than two years after defeating Solana Sierra in the opening round. She is not currently listed in the US Open qualifying draw or main draw, but as a former champion, a potential wildcard from the organizers cannot be ruled out.

The older of the Williams sisters won two of her seven Grand Slam titles in New York, while also finishing runner-up twice at the tournament. Twenty-five years have passed since her last US Open championship, but she remains an active player and continues to make regular appearances on Tour. She has played 25 editions of the US Open and owns an impressive 79-22 record at the tournament, placing her among the most successful players in Flushing Meadows history.

Williams has not won a US Open match since 2019, but she has continued competing in the following years, including in 2025, when she pushed Karolina Muchova in a three-set first-round battle. At 46 years old, Venus does not appear ready to retire yet, although she currently carries a 13-match losing streak dating back to 2025.

Serena Williams built one of the greatest US Open legacies in tennis history, winning six singles titles across three different decades. Her first triumph came in 1999 as a teenager, while her final championship in 2014 completed a dominant period in which she won three consecutive editions of the tournament.

At 44 years old, Serena recently returned to competition during the grass-court swing, playing the Wimbledon singles main draw after four years away from Grand Slam tennis. She was eliminated in the first round by Maya Joint, but all indications suggest Serena will receive a wildcard for the US Open. Her participation, however, will depend on her physical condition after the recent injury that interrupted her comeback.

Never before has the list of former US Open champions reflected such contrasting fortunes. Some arrive in New York as favourites to lift another trophy. Others are fighting injuries, chasing wildcards or preparing for one final farewell. Together, they ensure that the 2026 US Open will feature one of the most fascinating collections of former champions in recent memory.