US Open 2026 Predictions, Odds & Preview: Men's and Women's Favourites

The season's final Grand Slam is here, and Flushing Meadows sets up as a coronation — with just enough chaos to keep it honest. Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka head to New York as the clear betting favourites, but the US Open 2026 has more than one plot: a defending men's champion racing his own fitness, a woman chasing a rare three-peat, and a chasing pack good enough to punish any slip. Here is our full US Open 2026 preview, with the men's and women's odds, the contenders and our predictions.

US Open 2026 men's odds

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is the man to beat, and the market knows it. Here is the top of the men's outright board:

• Jannik Sinner — 4/7. The hard-court machine. He arrives on a 55-5 cement record over the past year and has swept his recent Masters 1000 events, including the Indian Wells–Miami "Sunshine Double."
• Carlos Alcaraz — 2/1. The defending champion — but with a question mark. He returns from nearly four months out with a wrist injury, using Cincinnati to shake off the rust.
• The chasing pack. French Open champion Alexander Zverev, four-time US Open winner Novak Djokovic and big-serving American Ben Shelton head the next tier.

The read is simple: this is Sinner's title to lose. But a defending champion at 2/1 who happens to be the most electric hard-courter on the planet is exactly the kind of price that tempts. Alcaraz's fitness is the swing factor for the whole men's draw.

The men's stories that matter

Sinner is the metronome — first-strike tennis, no free points, and a hard-court baseline game that simply does not blink. If he serves as expected, beating him over five sets requires a near-perfect fortnight. Alcaraz is the counter-argument: when healthy, his athleticism, return and shot-making are the one combination that can drag Sinner out of his comfort zone. The wrist is the only doubt.

Behind the big two, the veterans and the hungry circle. Novak Djokovic knows this court better than anyone and only needs one hot week to rewrite the history books again. Zverev is still hunting a maiden major breakthrough on the sport's biggest hard-court stage, and Shelton carries the home crowd and a serve that can shorten any match. One of them makes a semi-final; the question is whether any can go the distance against the top two.

US Open 2026 women's odds

Aryna Sabalenka is the queen of Flushing Meadows, and she is priced like it as she chases a third straight title:

• Aryna Sabalenka — 2/1. The two-time defending champion, 39-4 on hard courts over the last year and the most powerful ball-striker in the field.
• Iga Swiatek — 11/2. The 2022 champion and the most likely player to derail the three-peat if her hard-court level clicks.
• Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina & Mirra Andreeva — 8/1. The 2023 champion (and home favourite), a former Wimbledon winner with the game to trouble anyone, and the fast-rising French Open titlist round out the top tier.

The women's stories that matter

A three-peat would put Sabalenka in rare company, and on hard courts she remains the benchmark — first-strike power that overwhelms most match-ups. The threats are clear. Iga Swiatek's ceiling is the highest in the field; when her serve and forehand are on, nobody dictates like she does. Coco Gauff has the New York crowd, the movement and the belief of a former champion. And keep an eye on Mirra Andreeva — the teenager's rise has been relentless, and a big hard-court run feels like a matter of when, not if.

Key dates and format

The US Open is staged at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The main draw runs across the last week of August and into September, building to the women's and men's singles finals, with the men's title decided on September 13. Two weeks, best-of-five for the men and best-of-three for the women, on the DecoTurf hard courts that reward power and nerve in equal measure.

Our US Open 2026 predictions

Here is where our early lean sits before the draw is made:

• Men's champion: Jannik Sinner. Until someone proves they can take him down over five sets on a hard court, he is the pick.
• Men's dark horse: Carlos Alcaraz, if the wrist holds. At 2/1 the defending champion is the value play of the fortnight.
• Women's champion: Aryna Sabalenka. The three-peat is on, and no one hits through the court like she does.
• Women's dark horse: Mirra Andreeva. The teenager has the game and the fearlessness for a deep run.
• Finals we'd love: Sinner–Alcaraz and Sabalenka–Swiatek — the four names the whole tournament revolves around.

These are our pre-draw calls, and a Slam can turn on one bad afternoon or a kind bracket. We follow the tour all season long — dive into our tennis predictions hub for more, or track the tours directly on our ATP and WTA pages.

Odds correct at time of writing and subject to change. 18+ | Please gamble responsibly.