Alexander Zverev Is the Number One Seed at Flushing Meadows Because Jannik Sinner's Knee Kept Him at Home
The 2026 US Open main draw begins on Sunday 30 August. Sinner is out injured, Zverev is seeded first, Alcaraz second, and Alexandra Eala is seeded seventeenth.
The 2026 US Open main draw starts on Sunday 30 August, and the world number one is not in it. Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, which makes Alexander Zverev the number one seed and Carlos Alcaraz the number two. The singles draw was made on Thursday 27 August at midday New York time.
Men's seeding, top ten
| Seed | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Zverev |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz |
| 3 | Felix Auger-Aliassime |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur |
| 7 | Daniil Medvedev |
| 8 | Ben Shelton |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz |
| 10 | Arthur Fils |
Women's seeding, top ten
| Seed | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula |
| 4 | Coco Gauff |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva |
| 6 | Linda Noskova |
| 7 | Karolina Muchova |
| 8 | Iga Swiatek |
| 9 | Elina Svitolina |
| 10 | Amanda Anisimova |
Sabalenka, Rybakina, Pegula and Gauff are all in range of the WTA number one ranking depending on how the fortnight goes, which is the more interesting women's subplot than the seeding order itself.
The seeding that matters in Southeast Asia
Alexandra Eala is seeded seventeenth. A seed in the top thirty-two means she cannot draw a top player before the third round, which is the practical difference between a seeding and a ranking. For a region whose tennis coverage has historically been about qualifying draws, a Filipina seed at a Grand Slam is the headline.
Dates
The main draw runs from Sunday 30 August. The women's final is on 12 September and the men's final on 13 September. The total purse is 108 million dollars, up 21 per cent on 2025, with 5.5 million to each singles champion and 2.8 million to each runner-up.
Where it sits on Playdash
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Seedings, draw date, prize money and Sinner's withdrawal as reported in US Open draw coverage published 27 August 2026. Seedings can change up to the start of play if a seed withdraws late. Correct at the time of writing on 29 August 2026.