By Aadi Nair
Aug 26 (Reuters) – The following are some of the other contenders for the men’s singles title at the U.S. Open, which begins on Sunday:
ARTHUR FILS (FRANCE)
* World ranking: 11
Frenchman Arthur Fils defeated Frances Tiafoe to secure his first ATP Masters 1000 title at last week’s Cincinnati Open, establishing himself as one of the leading contenders heading into this year’s final Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old missed much of 2025 with a lower-back stress fracture but since returning to competition in February has reached the quarter-finals of eight tournaments and also won the Barcelona Open in April.
“It was a tough year last year,” Fils told reporters after his victory in Cincinnati.
“When you get injured, you just think about coming back for these moments. It feels very good to have a trophy next to me, especially a Masters 1000. I never won one before. That’s why I play. I knew I could make it.”
TAYLOR FRITZ (UNITED STATES)
* World ranking: 10
For several years now, Taylor Fritz has been among the leading hopes to end the U.S. men’s Grand Slam singles title drought dating back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph in New York.
However, the 28-year-old has not had the most consistent season and after ending a run of four defeats in finals stretching back to last year by winning the Washington Open, he suffered an early exit in Montreal and a quarter-final defeat by compatriot Brandon Nakashima in Cincinnati.
Fritz’s powerful serve remains his greatest weapon and he tops the charts for aces this year with 687. If he is able to produce it under pressure, he could go one further than his run to the 2024 U.S. Open final and clinch a first Grand Slam title.
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME (CANADA)
* World ranking: 4
While Felix Auger-Aliassime has just one title to his name this year, the ATP 250 Montpellier Open, he has largely remained in the top five since April thanks to a string of deep runs in key tournaments, including back-to-back quarter-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
However, his run-up to the U.S. Open has been far from ideal, with a back injury forcing him to withdraw from his home Canadian Open, before he was beaten by eventual finalist Tiafoe in the round of 16 in Cincinnati.
DANIIL MEDVEDEV (RUSSIA)
* World ranking: 8
With Jannik Sinner having withdrawn from the U.S. Open due to a right knee injury and Carlos Alcaraz on shaky ground as he returns from an extended injury absence, the men’s singles field at Flushing Meadows looks quite open this year.
While Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic will be the leading beneficiaries of Sinner’s absence and Alcaraz’s lack of match fitness, 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev also has the pedigree required for an audacious bid at Grand Slam glory.
The Russian has been unconvincing in recent weeks with early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati, but he is a self-proclaimed hardcourt specialist and has already won titles on the surface this year in Brisbane and Dubai.
RAFAEL JODAR (SPAIN)
* World ranking: 13
Rafael Jodar, a former U.S. Open boys’ champion, is at the forefront of the sport’s newest generation of talent and the Spanish teenager will be looking to cap his breakthrough season in style in New York.
The 19-year-old won his first ATP title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco in March and has reached at least the quarter-finals in six of the eight tournaments he has played since then, including a semi-final in Montreal and final in Washington.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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