US Open 2026: Men’s 1st Round | Tips & Preview

Earlier in his career, Zverev was prone to having an underwhelming performance in the early round of the majors but he has developed into one of the most consistent players on tour at this level. Wimbledon is an excellent indicator of this as he had previously never made it past the 4th Round of The Championships until this year where he made the final (lost to Sinner). He begins his US Open campaign as the top seed against a player that he has dominated in the past. Zverev holds a 6-0 advantage in this series including a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win in their most recent meeting in Beijing last year. Of the 12 sets won by Zverev in this matchup, all but two of them have been by a clear break of serve so we will be backing him to cover the games handicap.

Best Bet
Zverev -6.5 ($1.90)

Injuries continue to plague the career of Kokkinakis but one thing we are assured of when the Aussie takes part in a Grand Slam is a long and entertaining match. He lost in 5 sets to Draper at the Australian Open and against Bublik at Wimbledon. His win in the opening round of the French Open versus Atmane was in five sets and he was at a set a piece with Carreno Busta before being forced to retire in the 2nd round. This is Jodar’s first appearance at the US Open which means we could see him struggle to find his feet early in the match. Expecting at least one breaker and 4 if not 5 sets. The Over is a great play. 

Best Bet
Over 33.5 games ($1.88) 

Expecting Auger-Aliassime to make a very deep run as he did a year ago and this is a dream matchup to begin the tournament with. Hijikata does not have a big game and does not hold serve easily enough to challenge a player of the Canadian’s quality. He played in Winston-Salem last week and after a tight three-set win over Collignon won a total of only two games the following day. Can see Auger-Aliassime winning at least one set by a double-break which will allow him to cover the handicap with ease. This is one of the best bets of the opening round!

Best Bet
Auger-Aliassime -6.5 ($1.83)

Shocked to see the price on offer for Tien as I believe he should be significantly shorter than the $1.52 being offered. The recent respectable for of Borges is the reason why but what they have forgotten to account for is the complete dominance of Tien in this series. The pair have met two times, both in the last year, with Tien winning in straight sets on each occasion. Borges had accounted for Auger-Aliassime and Jordan Thompson before running into Tien in the 3rd Round of the Australian Open but their battle wasn’t close with the American posting a 7-6 6-4 6-2 win. He got better as the match went on and will have the benefit of the crowd in this one. Tien will not be losing more than one set.

Best Bet
Tien -1.5 Sets ($1.92)

Experience meets youth in this all-American battle but 18-year-old Darwin Blanch will not pose any problems for Fritz. The teenager has lost his last 7 competitive matches across all levels and has failed to win a single set in his last 4. A 6 foot 4 lefty should have some level of advantage but we are yet to see it on the prop tour. He struggled to break to serve of Hijikata in his last match which tells us he will need a small miracle to generate any breaks of serve against Fritz. It may be short at $1.42 but Blach will not be winning a set and this can be used as a banker in all multi bets.

Best Bet
Blanch To Win A Set – NO ($1.42)

A run to the final of the French Open followed by a quarter final showing in Wimbledon and a semi finals appearance in Cincinnati has seen Cobolli climb to no.6 in the world. The Italian has consistently been able to find ways to win matches and this was the case in Cincinnati where he won four consecutive three-set matches (Kecmanovic, Blockx, Jodar and Paul) before losing to Fils. The one and only previous meeting between these two was won by Cobolli and it also went to a deciding set. With this in mind, the prediction is Cobolli to win in four sets.

Best Bet
Sets Cobolli 3-1 ($3.60)

This is one of multiple all-American battles in the opening round with Damm and Tiafoe facing off at the US Open for the second year in a row. Last year they faced off in the 2nd Round with Tiafoe emerging victorious 6-4 7-5 6-7 7-5. The score suggests it was a very tight contest but it is worth noting that Damm was unable to generate a single break of serve in four lengthy sets played. Tiafoe is also in much better form this time around having finished runner-up to Fils at the Cincinnati Masters and is playing with extreme confidence. If Damm is to win a set it will be via a tiebreaker so we can back Tiafoe -4.5 with confidence as he could lose a set and still be in a great position to win by a margin of 5+ games. Tiafoe in the H2H market can also be used for all multis.

Best Bet
Tiafoe -4.5 ($1.90)

It has been 12 years since Cilic won his one and only Grand Slam title here and the end is near for the soon to be 38-year-old. Rublev have won 4 of the 7 previous clashes but it is Cilic who has emerged with the win in the last two – both of which were at Grand Slam level (Australian Open and French Open in 2022). It may have been more than four years since they last met but Cilic is not the only one who has declined with Rublev having lost in the opening round in 3 of his last 9 major appearances. The Over is 3-0 in their last 3 meetings and this one should follow that script.

Best Bet
Over 39.5 games ($1.88)

Due to some terrible decision-making from the USTA we almost weren’t going to get a chance to farewell Wawrinka on the biggest stage. Initially, the 2016 US Open champion was not granted a wildcard but this decision was changed following backlash and the withdrawal of Kypson creating s a spare slot. It means that Stan will get to play one last major before he retires at the end of the season and what a matchup it will be when he takes on Berrettini. They have split the two prior meetings (1-1) but their battle at Wimbledon earlier this year is of most significance. The match went four sets with four tiebreakers including one in the second set which the Italian took out 18-16! There was a total of only two breaks of serve in the match and we can expect something similar in this one. Overs!

Best Bet
Over 40.5 games ($1.92)

For the second consecutive season Shelton enters the US Open having won the Canadian Masters Series event. It accounted for little 12 months ago when he was forced to retired in the fifth set of his 3rd Round clash against Mannarino. An opening round loss in Cincinnati following his success at the Canadian Open almost seems deliberate to remain fresh and ready to fire at the tournament that matters. Griekspoor will not be a walk in the park as the Dutchman beat Sonego, Zverev and Arnaldi in Canada. The American is far from the most effective returner on the men’s tennis with lengthy sets and tiebreakers being a common occurrence in his matches. Despite having lost in the opening round of his last 5 major appearances, Griekspoor has a set in him.

Best Bet
Over 38.5 games ($1.90)

When looking for the next potential major champion, Arthur Fils has put his name close to the top of that list. He crushed the field in Cincinnati to win his maiden Masters Series title and is a genuine threat over the next two weeks. Tsitsipas may look like a tough draw on paper being a two-time Grand Slam finalist but the Frenchman has had ZERO issues with him in the past. Fils holds a commanding 5-0 lead in the H2H and earlier this year embarrassed Tsitsipas 6-0 6-1. To top things off, Tsitsipas has a horrific record at the US Open with a 7-8 lifetime record having never made it beyond the 3rd Round. Stack the chips up and push them in on Fils -5.5.

Best Bet
Fils -5.5 ($1.88)

Despite playing a very limited schedule, Djokovic continues to make deep runs at the majors. Has not won a Grand Slam title since his success here in 2023 but has but has made the semi finals or better in 8 of his 11 Grand Slam appearances since including two finals. Accounted for Fritz and Tien among others at least year’s US Open before getting rolled by Alcaraz. Cannot write him off – especially in a draw that lacks depth and quality. Navone did claim his first win over a top 10 players earlier this year (Auger-Aliassime at Rome Masters) but does not possess the game to trouble Djokovic. That said, Djokovic has dropped at least one set in each of his last two opening round matches at the majors and has won only 1 of his last 12 Grand Slam matches in straight sets.

Best Bet
Navone To Win A Set – YES ($1.73)

What should we expect from Alcaraz in his first match since April??? There is no questioning the talent and ability of the defending champion but it is a long time away from the game and Safiullin is more than just capable. In fact, the H2H reads 1-1 with Safiullin beating the Spaniard in straight sets on a fast indoor court in Paris in 2023. Moreover, Safiullin made the 4th Round of Wimbledon earlier this year as a qualifier – beating Fonseca in the 3rd Round and taking a set off Novak in defeat. Alcaraz will work his way through the match but Safiullin to win a set is the bet.

Best Bet
Safiullin To Win A Set – YES ($1.83)