US Open 2026: Where the Three Men’s Grand Slam Champions Stand in New York

The 2026 US Open has a completely different storyline as all three of the reigning men’s Grand Slam champions are not competing on equal footing. One has withdrawn, one enters as the top seed after a breakthrough year, and one returns from a lengthy injury layoff as the defending champion. With the tournament ongoing at the Flushing Meadows, here is where the previous Grand Slam winners stand currently and the road each must navigate in pursuit of another title.

Jannik Sinner – Wimbledon 2026 winner

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who won Wimbledon 2026, has withdrawn from the US Open tournament after his knee injury just days before the start of the tournament. His absence is historic as it marks the first time since 1999 that the men’s world number one has missed the US Open, dramatically opening up the top half of the draw.

His withdrawal has elevated Alexander Zverev to the number one seed and removed the biggest obstacle from several contenders’ paths.

Alexander Zverev – French Open winner

Fresh off his maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros is Alexander Zverev, who has arrived in New York for carrying a different kind of pressure as the tournament’s top seed. His campaign nearly ended before it began as he survived Lorenzo Sonego in a five-set opening-round thriller that lasted almost five hours. His path to the final is demanding, as he will now be facing Quentin Halys.

With Sinner absent, Zverev’s half appears lighter. However, the upcoming matches could still test his chances of becoming the US Open champion.

Carlos Alcaraz – Australian Open winner

Third on the list is the 2026 Australian Open champion and the US Open defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, whose preparation has been far from ideal as he has missed nearly five months with a wrist injury, and this led to him missing the Wimbledon 2026 as well. But he has now returned in time as the number two seed in the US Open.

Alcaraz will now face Jaime Faria after easing past Safiullin in a previous match-up.

The absence of Sinner has transformed the men’s event into one of the most unpredictable Grand Slams of the year, and Zverev now carries the expectations of a top seed while Alcaraz must negotiate a brutal bottom-half to successfully defend his crown.

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