The US Open 2025 unveiled the men’s singles draw on Thursday, August 21. All eyes were on where Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner landed in the draw. The Italian, who’s the defending champion, anchors the top half, while the other two headline the bottom half of the draw.
Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz are also the past three players to win the US Open. The Serb is bidding to win his record 25th Major title, as well as his fifth in New York. Sinner is aiming to become the first player since Roger Federer in 2008 to defend the US Open.
While the tour’s three most dominant players are aiming for more glory, not all of them have the benefit of an easy draw. Here’s a look at how their respective draws stack up against each other:
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Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic won't have a minute to test the waters, with his first-round opponent being rising American teen Learner Tien. The 19-year-old has a 4-1 record against top 10 players this year, beating the likes of Daniil Medevev, Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev. That's a tough opener for sure.
The second round should be winnable for Djokovic, with a qualifier/lucky loser awaiting him. The third round could be tricky with a potential date with either 28th seed Alex Michelsen or Sebastian Korda.
While 11th seed Holger Rune is Djokovic's projected fourth-round opponent, he has never advanced beyond the third round here. 17th seed Frances Tiafoe, who made the US Open semifinals twice in the past three editions, could be the Serb's likely opponent.
Either 16th seed Jakub Mensik, who beat Djokovic in the Miami Open final this year, could be his quarterfinal opponent, or last year's runner-up Taylor Fritz. The former World No. 1 will be keen to meet the American, given his 10-0 record against him.
Either Carlos Alcaraz or Ben Shelton could be his potential semifinal opponents. Djokovic beat Shelton in the semifinals here two years ago. He also leads Alcaraz 3-0 on hardcourts, and previously beat him at the Australian Open at the start of the season.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner is likely to stand between Djokovic and the trophy. The Italian has won their last five meetings, so it will be an uphill battle for him to beat one of the most dominant players at the moment. This is a tough draw for him, with only one easy round against six tricky encounters.
Carlos Alcaraz
The US Open marked a big turning point in Carlos Alcaraz's career. He captured his maiden Major title here in 2022, and ascended to the top of the rankings thanks to his win. He will begin his quest for a second title in New York against Reilly Opelka. The big-serving American could make this a dicey encounter for the 22-year-old.
The next two rounds won't be as difficult as his opening round contest. Neither Mattia Bellucci nor Shang Juncheng should pose a threat in the second round, while 32nd seed Luciano Darderi's 2-7 record on hardcourts this year makes him an easy target in the third round for the Spaniard.
Daniil Medvedev, who won the US Open in 2021, could await Alcaraz in the fourth round. However, the Russian has lost in the first round of the last two Majors, and hasn't been at his best for most of the season. 18th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina could instead be a possible candidate to deal with in the fourth round.
Sixth seed Ben Shelton will be Alcaraz's most likely opponent in the quarterfinals. The American won the Canadian Open earlier this month, and now that he's playing on his home turf, he could pull off an upset. It won't get easier for Alcaraz after that, with Djokovic awaiting him in the semifinals. He has never beaten the Serb on hardcourts.
Alcaraz could meet Sinner in the final yet again, which would be their third Major final this year. The former saved three championship points to win the French Open, while the latter had the last laugh at Wimbledon. While the Spaniard's draw is easier than Djokovic's, it's tougher than Sinner's.
Jannik Sinner
Lady luck has favored Jannik Sinner, who ended up with the easiest draw at the US Open. He's a lock to reach the semifinals on account of most players in his part of the draw being in poor form or returning from an injury, or both. He will begin his title defense against Vit Kopriva, who has a 1-3 record on hardcourts this year.
Alexei Popyrin, Sinner's expected second-round opponent, has won back-to-back matches on hardcourts just once this year. 27th seed Denis Shapovalov has been quite inconsistent this year. He recently won the Los Cabos Open, and hasn't won a match since then. Should he run into Sinner in the third round, his volatility could cost him.
14th seed Tommy Paul is Sinner's projected fourth-round opponent. However, the American's season has been turned on its head since his injury at the French Open. His expected quarterfinal opponents, fifth seed Jack Draper and 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti, are in the same boat.
Draper hasn't played a singles match since losing in the second round of Wimbledon due to an injury. Musetti retired from his semifinal contest at the French Open due to an injury, and has struggled to win matches ever since.
Sinner is expected to meet third seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, a match he will be favored to win. Either Alcaraz or Djokovic are likely to be his opponents in the final. While it's tough to predict the outcome of the final, the Italian will be expected to be in the summit clash based on his rather generous draw.
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