US Open 2026: The best first-round matches to watch at tennis’ final Grand Slam

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Taylor Townsend of the United States in action against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Day 6 at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 16, 2026 in Mason, Ohio | Getty Images The first round of the US Open begins Sunday, August 30th, and lasts through Tuesday, September 1st. Here’s a guide to some of the more exciting matches slated: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Roman Safiullin The top young star of men’s tennis is back. After winning his Australian Open this past January—his 7th major title overall—Alcaraz injured his wrist in April, and missed two straight grand slam tournaments. The French Open and Wimbledon simply weren’t the same without his sport-breaking pizzazz. His opponent, Roman Safiullin, is the 135th ranked player on the tour, who peaked at No. 36 a few years ago. He’s never made it further than the second round in New York, so this one’s a can’t-miss not because of what Alcaraz is up against, but because seeing him in a grand slam match is just that good, and it’s been seven long months since that privilege existed. Arthur Fils vs. Stefano Tsitsipas Close followers of the ATP tour have been eyeballing Arthur Fils for years, but he has yet to truly break out at a major tournament. Plagued by injuries, his windows of good health have lasted only through Master’s tournaments, where he’s been a staple in deeper rounds: this year alone, he’s been a quarterfinalist at Indian Wells, a semifinalist in Miami and Madrid, a quarterfinalist in Canada, and most recently, the winner of the Cincinnati Open. It was there that he found and maintained a level of serving and forehand power that no one could match. Should he stay there for the next two weeks, he’ll become a household name. His opponent, Tsitsipas, was in Fils’ shoes several years ago, and has steadily fallen off since, reaching a nadir this summer when he fired his long-time coach: his father. He’ll look to play spoiler in this first-round match out of hypetime. Rafael Jodar vs. Thanasi Tokkinakis Fils is in a broader category of men’s tennis new wavers, hoping to upset the competitive dynasty cemented by Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner since 2023. With him are Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, Flavio Cobolli, and Rafael Jodar. Called Rafa, like a certain Spanish tennis legend before him, Jodar has been rising more quickly than any of them. The 19-year-old has had a scintillating 2026, and is set up nicely to make more noise in New York. He’s a heavy favorite over Kokkinakis, who’s years removed from chance at real contention. Watching this one is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a surging new star. Taylor Townsend vs. Maja Chwalinska Taylor Townsend provided some of the best moments of 2025’s US Open. What has been remembered was the war of manners between her and Jelena Ostapenko: in the second round, en route to a dominant 7-5 6-1 victory, Townsend declined to apologize for a hitting a winning shot that grazed the net; a poisonous faux pas, in Ostapenko’s eyes, who went on to call her “uneducated.” The racial undertones were not lost on anyone. But what got Townsend there, and all the way to the Round of 16, was her dazzling aggression at the net, punctuated by an electric charisma that riled the Queens crowds as powerfully as anyone in the tourney could. She’s back to rediscover that magic against Maja Chwalinska, a grinder who recently shot into the tennis world’s attention with her Cinderella run to the final match at Roland-Garros, where her deep digs and crafty lobs were not quite enough. This is a riveting matchup between two dynamite underdogs. Coco Gauff vs. Zeynep Sonmez Like Fils, Coco Gauff arrives in New York on the heels of a big victory in Ohio. A difficult 2025 for Gauff has evolved into the completion of a coaching transition, which has her playing more biomechanically precise and confident than ever. Even on grass, her worst surface, Coco nearly went the distance at Wimbledon, blitzing to the semifinals with increased net aggression. Back on the hard court, she was a killer in Cincy, winning all but one of her matches in two sets. Sonmez may be a worthy challenger, but this one’s all about the Coco show: watch as she tries to win her first US Open title since 2023 as a 19-year-old. This time, unlike then, she enters the tourney as a strong favorite.

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