**Jannik Sinner's withdrawal due to a right knee injury has opened the 2026 US Open men's draw considerably, removing the dominant world No. 1 and recent Wimbledon champion just before main-draw play begins on August 30.** Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returns after four months sidelined by a right wrist injury without any warm-up matches, creating uncertainty around his early-round sharpness despite his proven hard-court pedigree and two prior New York titles. Alexander Zverev, now the top seed after winning the French Open and reaching recent major finals, enters with strong momentum alongside veterans like Novak Djokovic. American contenders such as Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz gain realistic paths, while rising players including Rafael Jodar and Arthur Fils add depth; draw positioning, recovery status, and hard-court adaptation will heavily influence which seeds and underdogs advance to the quarterfinals.