US Open 2026 Players: Full Entry List and Who to Watch
The US Open 2026 players list is led by Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, both world No. 1 and both former champions in New York. The USTA published the entry lists on 21 July.
Carlos Alcaraz defends the men’s title after four months out with a wrist injury. Sabalenka is chasing a third consecutive women’s title, something no player has managed since Serena Williams.
Emma Raducanu, the 2021 champion, has withdrawn.
Quick Facts: US Open 2026 Players
| Main draw size | 128 men, 128 women |
| Direct entries | 104 in each draw |
| Wild cards | 8 in each draw |
| Qualifiers | 16 in each draw |
| Entry list published | 21 July 2026 |
| Seedings set | Monday, 24 August |
| Draw made | Thursday, 27 August |
| Former Grand Slam champions | 17, made up of 11 women and 6 men |
| Former US Open champions | 10 |
| Nation with most entries | United States, 28 direct entries |
| Defending champions | Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka |
Men’s Top 10
Rankings as of 4 August 2026. These move weekly, and the August 24 list decides the seedings.
| Rank | Player | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 2024 US Open champion, won Wimbledon in July for a fifth major |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Defending champion, two-time winner, 2026 Australian Open champion |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | 2026 French Open champion, US Open finalist in 2020 |
| 4 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | Career high, 2021 US Open semifinalist |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic | Four-time champion, 39 years old |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | 2021 US Open champion |
| 7 | Alex de Minaur | |
| 8 | Flavio Cobolli | |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz | 2024 US Open finalist, now American No. 1 |
| 10 | Ben Shelton | 2023 US Open semifinalist |
Alcaraz and Zverev are separated by fewer than 100 points, so the order at the top can change several times before the seedings lock.
Six former Grand Slam champions are in the men’s field.
Women’s Top 10
| Rank | Player | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Champion in 2024 and 2025, chasing a third in a row |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Reigning Australian Open champion |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | 2024 US Open finalist |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | 2023 champion |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva | 2026 French Open champion at 19 |
| 6 | Karolína Muchová | Career high, 2026 Wimbledon runner-up |
| 7 | Linda Nosková | 2026 Wimbledon champion, career high |
| 8 | Iga Swiatek | 2022 US Open champion |
| 9 | Amanda Anisimova | 2025 US Open finalist |
| 10 | Elina Svitolina |
Eleven former Grand Slam champions are in the women’s field. Three former US Open winners besides Sabalenka are entered: Gauff in 2023, Swiatek in 2022 and Naomi Osaka in 2018 and 2020. Osaka is currently No. 13 and Madison Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, sits at No. 22.
For round dates and TV times, see the US Open 2026 schedule.
The Alcaraz Question
Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion and the biggest unknown in the draw.
He won the Australian Open in January, completing the career Grand Slam at 22. He then took a medical timeout during a first-round win at the Barcelona Open in April, withdrew before his next match, and has not competed since. He missed both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
He is on the US Open entry list and is set to return at the Cincinnati Open, with reports in late July suggesting the wrist has fully healed.
The ranking stakes are unusual. Alcaraz won both Cincinnati and the US Open in 2025, so he defends 3,000 points across the next month having not played competitively since April. He is back at world No. 2 only because Zverev’s Canadian Open points came off. A slow return could drop him several places before seedings are set on August 24.
An entry list is not a guarantee of participation. Cincinnati will tell you more than anything else between now and the draw.
Sabalenka and the Three-Peat
Aryna Sabalenka has won the last two US Open titles, beating Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 final.
A third in a row would make her the first woman to achieve it since Serena Williams, who won three straight from 2012 to 2014.
She arrives as world No. 1 and, unlike Alcaraz, with no fitness questions. Her last match was on 5 July, a fourth-round loss to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon.
US Open 2026 Withdrawals
Emma Raducanu is the significant one. The 2021 champion confirmed on Monday, 3 August that she will miss the tournament with a grade four stress fracture in her lower right leg. The injury developed during the grass-court season and also forced a late withdrawal from Wimbledon, making this the second consecutive major she has missed.
Doctors have recommended an eight to sixteen week recovery. She is out of the entire North American swing including Cincinnati, is not in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup squad, and there are doubts over whether she competes again in 2026. Her last match was the Queen’s Club final in June.
Victoria Mboko has pulled out of the whole North American swing after a knee injury at Queen’s Club in June. The Canadian was unable to defend her Canadian Open title.
Hailey Baptiste is out for the season after tearing her left ACL and meniscus at Roland Garros.
Also withdrawn: Varvara Gracheva, Ajla Tomljanović, Irina Begu, and Sebastian Korda following back surgery.
Withdrawn players’ places pass to the next ranked entrants. More are likely before the draw on August 27.
Will a Williams Sister Play?
Venus Williams has entered the Mixed Doubles Championship with Alexander Bublik, a year after partnering Reilly Opelka in the same event.
Serena Williams is not on any entry list, singles or mixed doubles, despite speculation about a possible pairing with Carlos Alcaraz.
Wild cards for the singles draws are announced in the weeks before the tournament. We update this page if either receives one.
The 2026 Season So Far
Three different men and three different women have won the majors this year, which is why the draw is genuinely open.
| Major | Men’s champion | Women’s champion |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | Carlos Alcaraz | Elena Rybakina |
| Roland Garros | Alexander Zverev | Mirra Andreeva |
| Wimbledon | Jannik Sinner | Linda Nosková |
| US Open | To be decided | To be decided |
Zverev and Nosková both won their first majors this year. Andreeva won Roland Garros at 19, the youngest champion in Paris since Monica Seles in 1992, beating qualifier Maja Chwalińska in the final. Chwalińska rose 93 places to a career-high No. 21 as a result.
American Players at the US Open 2026
The United States leads all nations with 28 direct entries, 14 men and 14 women.
The women are led by Jessica Pegula at No. 3, Coco Gauff at No. 4 and Amanda Anisimova at No. 9, all three inside the top 10.
The men are led by Taylor Fritz, who has just overtaken Ben Shelton as American No. 1 after Shelton dropped the points from his maiden Masters 1000 title in Toronto last year.
Home support at Flushing Meadows is unlike anything else in tennis, and the night sessions in Arthur Ashe are where it shows.
How the 128 Places are Filled
| Route | Places |
|---|---|
| Direct entry by ranking | 104 |
| Wild cards | 8 |
| Qualifiers | 16 |
Wild cards go to home players, returning champions and rising juniors, and are announced in the weeks before the tournament. Qualifying runs from August 24 to 27, free to attend during Fan Week.
Seeds are set from the rankings published on Monday, August 24. Full seeding rules and the projected 32 are in our draw guide.
FAQ About US Open 2026 Players
Who is the defending US Open champion?
Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles and Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s. Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the 2025 final, and Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova.
Is Carlos Alcaraz fit to play?
He is on the entry list and is scheduled to return at Cincinnati after four months out with a wrist injury. Late July reports suggested he had fully healed, but Cincinnati will be the real test.
Is Emma Raducanu playing the 2026 US Open?
No. The 2021 champion withdrew on 3 August with a grade four stress fracture in her lower right leg, missing a second consecutive major.
How many players are in the US Open main draw?
128 in each singles draw: 104 direct entries by ranking, eight wild cards and 16 qualifiers.
Is Serena Williams playing?
She is not on any entry list. Venus Williams has entered the mixed doubles with Alexander Bublik.
Who is the American No. 1?
Taylor Fritz on the men’s side, having recently overtaken Ben Shelton. Jessica Pegula leads the American women at world No. 3.
Can the entry list still change?
Yes. Players withdraw through the lead-in events and their places pass to the next ranked entrants. Wild cards and qualifiers are confirmed later in August.
Cincinnati is the last significant tournament before New York, and it decides two things: whether Alcaraz is genuinely back, and where the seedings land.
Rankings are locked on Monday, August 24. The draw is made on Thursday, August 27. We update this page at both points.