Sky Sports panel picks US Open winners in wide-open 2026 field
The Sky Sports Tennis panel sees the 2026 US Open as genuinely wide open: with Jannik Sinner absent and Carlos Alcaraz returning from a long injury layoff, experts split on men's winners from Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic to Alcaraz and Arthur Fils, while Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula lead women's picks at Flushing Meadows.
The final Grand Slam of 2026 begins Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, with UK coverage from 3pm on Sky Sports Tennis. Tim Henman, Laura Robson, Ryan Harrison, Naomi Broady, Martina Navratilova, Marion Bartoli and others weighed in before the fortnight in Queens.
Key Takeaways
- No consensus men's favourite: Zverev, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Fils all received winner votes from the Sky Sports panel.
- Women's picks span Gauff, Swiatek, Sabalenka and Pegula, reflecting an unpredictable women's draw.
- American dark horses Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien could ride home-crowd energy in New York.
- Bookmakers still lean toward Alcaraz at 9-4 despite his four-month layoff since Barcelona in April.
- Defending champion Alcaraz and 24-time major winner Djokovic both sit in a loaded bottom half of the draw.
Who did the Sky Sports panel pick to win the US Open?
On the men's side, opinions diverged sharply. Tim Henman backed Alexander Zverev, citing the German's French Open breakthrough and a field that feels more open without Sinner and with Alcaraz still finding match rhythm. Ryan Harrison and Marion Bartoli both chose Novak Djokovic, pointing to his major pedigree despite uneven Cincinnati form.
Naomi Cavaday and others stayed with Alcaraz as favourite if fit. Arthur Fils drew winner votes from Naomi Broady and Jonathan Overend after his Cincinnati title. Laura Robson and Martina Navratilova both picked Zverev.
Among women, Coco Gauff was the most repeated name, backed by Harrison, Bartoli and Overend after her Cincinnati run and 2023 US Open triumph. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula also received winner nods from Broady, Henman, Cavaday and Robson respectively.
Which dark horses could spring a surprise at Flushing Meadows?
Fils appeared on nearly every dark-horse list, with Henman noting his Cincinnati surge and injury history over seven best-of-five matches. Broady and Overend highlighted home hopes Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, who could feed off Arthur Ashe Stadium energy — the kind of late-summer chaos our Bizarre News & Florida Man desk knows New York can deliver.
Other outside picks included Alex Eala, Learner Tien, Sorana Cirstea, Marta Kostyuk, Ann Li, Thiago Tirante, Madison Keys, Jacob Mensik and Naomi Osaka. Harrison flagged Tien's temperament over long matches and Cirstea's potential farewell-story momentum.
Why does the men's field look so open this year?
Sinner's absence removes the dominant force who beat Alcaraz in last year's final. Alcaraz has not played competitively since Barcelona and opens against Roman Safiullin, with possible tests against Tommy Paul and either Ben Shelton or Arthur Fils before the second week.
Per Racing Post draw analysis, Alcaraz and Djokovic share the bottom half, while Taylor Fritz looks like each-way value at 12-1 in the top half. Zverev enters as French Open champion but has struggled since Wimbledon, losing early in Montreal and Cincinnati.
How can you watch the 2026 US Open?
The main draw runs from Sunday, August 30 through Sunday, September 13. Sky Sports holds UK rights, with streaming via NOW and the Sky Sports app. Day sessions start around 4pm UK time, with night sessions from midnight.
Whether the fortnight crowns a rust-shaken Alcaraz, a resurgent Djokovic or a breakthrough American, the panel agrees on one thing: this US Open is wide open.