Jannik Sinner’s pre-tournament withdrawal with a right knee injury has reshaped the 2026 US Open men’s draw, removing the dominant world No. 1 and shifting implied probabilities sharply toward Carlos Alcaraz. The defending champion has looked sharp in his return from a four-month wrist absence, dropping few games through the third round on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. Top seed Alexander Zverev remains the other primary threat but has faced extended matches early, while Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime exited early. American depth from Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz adds late-round upside in a field now viewed as more open, with the men’s final scheduled for September 13.