2026 US Open Men's & Women's Singles Second Round - Day 2

Men’s Singles :

Zverev vs Halys :

Sonego has played some of his best tennis in the past few weeks and he finished it off by almost snagging Zverev in the first round here. It was a spirited performance and I think it actually helps Zverev for a few reasons. One, he is a fool, so having to focus and dig in early in the event is likely to make him play a little bit better going forward. Two, having a near miss can give you a very big “phew” feeling, and that can allow you to play a bit freer going forward. Sonego getting to 5 makes Halys is a scary prospect, but there is no guarantee that a player will be flat two rounds in a row, and Halys will have a difficult time on defense. I expect this to involve a lot of heavy hitting as both have big power, and given Halys’ level of offensive production I would say Zverev wins in 4.

Popyrin vs Tabilo :

Popyrin playing well is a welcome thing for the tour, but Dimitrov really wasn’t himself. He served poorly and he made a lot of errors on offensive attempts. It makes this a tricky contest to call. Tabilo is playing well but he isn’t exactly a wall on hardcourt. Popyrin has the offense to hang even but he tends to play too far back and if he moves forward he makes a lot of timing errors off both wings. Tabilo in 5. This is very much a “whoever plays steadier wins” spot because both rely heavily on their serve, but Tabilo seems a bit more durable in neutral rallies and Popyrin’s backhand can be a target so Alejandro being lefty makes that a small vulnerability.

Darderi vs Svrcina :

Dalibor is inevitable, but I don’t think that continues here. There is a lot of buzz around him coming into this, and Darderi is not the best on hardcourt at all, but he can grind out long points and he does tend to play all out until the match is over. I think Svrcina’s serve is too small to keep Darderi’s forehand from getting involved. This should feature long rallies and a lot of breaks of serve, but Luciano’s delivery is bigger and he’s been operating at a higher level on tour. Darderi in 4.

Sweeny vs Musetti :

Nice draw for Sweeny getting an injured Moutet. Having it known you are injured and then withdrawing is not a good look, but the majors have just been paying out with no fines lately so Corentin probably just has to worry about his recovery. To me, Sweeny can only score here with his forehand, and Musetti is fast enough to be able to run down most of what Dane offers. Musetti in 3.

Bu vs Zheng :

Gambling is usually a net-loss for humanity, but there are occasionally interesting things in the markets so I will occasionally include them here. Jodar opened up at -600 against Bu after Kokkinakis dropped out. Fine, but this is actually a very low price. Put it this way. After Bu lost to Cina in qualifying, who is heading into the books to bet on him against Jodar? 6 to 1 odds are very big for a sporting event between two professionals, but there is no way the books would balance the money at that price. Within a few hours, Jodar’s odds had risen to -1400. I don’t know where they close, but what’s interesting to me is that someone somewhere knew Jodar was in trouble. -600 is at the low end of where you’d price Jodar given his reputation and recent play, so while most of us were very surprised at the result, there may have been some signs in practice or from his team.

I’m wondering after watching Jodar play if he was under the weather or struggling with the heat, because he really didn’t look great today. He sent all his racquets out to be restrung during the first set, and he kept trying but never really found his timing at all. He couldn’t serve, and he missed routine forehands over and over. Bu played exceptional and was sharp and focused throughout, but Jodar seemed like he would have lost to a lot of opponents today. For a player who had entered into the major contender chatter for this event, it’s a very surprising result. My opinion of Jodar right now is that he can play with anyone, but can’t guarantee a win against a large portion of the tour. He wins, but the matches are tight. He almost lost to Shapovalov recently, he had a long match with PCB at Roland Garros, and it feels to me like he’s not physically dominant yet even if he possesses the skill and mind to compete at the top of the tour. Making the second week is something I thought was possible, but the majors seem to be less than automatic for him so far.

Anyway, we move on. Bu played excellent, and it’s hard to discount his level against Zheng. Zheng isn’t a servebot and he doesn’t shut anyone out, so Bu will have a long grind on his hands. For me, Zheng has actually been operating at a higher level, and he won’t provide anywhere near as many unforced errors as Jodar. I think Bu will start off well, and it will take a long time for either player to really grind this out. They both don’t really have huge weapons but they both do everything pretty good. I’d normally like Zheng in 2 in a normal tour event but Bu was returning serve very well. Zheng in 5.

Svajda vs Gea :

Svajda played great in round one. He was just cruising around the court, hitting the ball clean, converting anytime Altmaier rushed the net or tried to force the issue, and he served decent also. He gets a player now who has consistently come back to win matches on tour, and that attribute will be necessary again as I expect Gea to be down in the scoreline in this match. Altmaier really struggled to land first serves today which made life easy on Svajda, but I really think what I saw was a very solid level and it was a relatively low-effort day for Zachary. I think he’ll be a little sharper than Gea and a lot fresher since Gea just played 5 sets with Cerundolo. Svajda in 3.

Bergs vs De Jong :

Bergs and De Jong should be a nice battle. Both play a pretty steady brand of tennis. Both have a strong forehand and a defensive backhand. I think the one difference in level is that Bergs is faster around the court, but this is very much up for grabs. I would lean Bergs in 4 simply because he’s a more consistent performer on hardcourt.

Van De Zandschulp vs De Minaur :

De Minaur is as vulnerable as he ever has been, but he’s 4-0 against Botic. Alex exposes Botic’s slightly slow lateral movement, and this is a pretty good formula because players can’t really get faster. I fully expect Botic to win a set or two here because he’s playing excellent ball, but I don’t imagine it’s anything but speed that’s holding him back from snagging ADM. De Minaur in 5.

Auger-Aliassime vs Khachanov :

FAA is the favorite here, but Khachanov played great in his first round. I think all the points where FAA gets forehands inside the baseline will see Khachanov stretched to his limit physically on defense, but Felix will have to bring a much higher level than he did against Hijikata to win. Prior to the first round against Burruchaga, Khachanov had done very little, so I think Felix can still win. It’s a weird matchup that reminds me of Stefanini Paolini. FAA is clearly playing worse, and Karen is playing great (in the first round), but I have a hard time seeing Khachanov scoring points that aren’t aces or FAA errors. He wins in all implosion scenarios, and loses a close on all the times where Felix gets his act together. I’m not sure which will occur, but FAA in 5.

Bonzi vs Buse :

Buse just beat Bonzi in a close three sets last week, so I’d expect a similarly close match. Buse does seem better defensively, but 5 sets with Giron is not exactly inspiring. I think it’s possible that he just too durable for Ben, but Bonzi seems better offensively on a fast hardcourt. I don’t actually know the answer to “when does Buse run out of gas?”, but that would be the big question here. Buse in 5.

Mensik vs Rodionov :

Rodionov took advantage of GMP’s slump and got a nice rankings and prize money boost here. His next round probably is the end of the road, but it could be tricky for Mensik to navigate this. Jakun at times starts out slow, and Rodionov has a big offense and a powerful serve. If Mensik plays decent, he wins in 3-4. I just think he’ll have a lot of chances to get back into the match even if he gives up an early break.

Monfils vs Tien :

Gael Monfils absolutely put on a show in round one. I expected him to win the first set and Vallejo to wear him down and win the match, but it was the polar opposite. Early on Monfils couldn’t escape rallies, and forced a lot of errors. Vallejo kept up the steady play for the rest of the match, but Monfils stopped missing. While he stopped missing, he also started hitting the laser forehands that he’s been known for his whole career. It was the type of performance that reminds us all how good of an entertainer he was. I sort of think he got into time violation territory with some of the celebrations, but he’s on his retirement tour and Vallejo has had a good season so it’s not a big deal. 

Up next for La Monf is Tien, who he just lost to in three a few weeks ago. I think Monfils’ level was incredible, but Tien adds a wrinkle to Vallejo’s approach. They both play very consistent, but Tien makes his opponents run constantly. He’s a grinder, but he plays a measured offense. Monfils reminds me a bit of Bu here. He really looked incredible in round one, but I think his next opponent won’t be as susceptible to his tactics. Tien is also likely to stay locked in on Monfils’ backhand which is not nearly as dangerous. I’m expecting an epic clash here, and the Monfils fans can keep an eye on Tien’s arm, which was rumored to be sore over the past month. Tien in 4 is my guess, but Monfils ended last match in rare form so this is one I’d rather watch than predict.

Fritz vs Bellucci :

Fritz has managed to be less prominent here in the title chatter which I think suits him just fine. He’s playing good ball and his knee issue seems okay. Bellucci is finally returning to the form that made him dangerous on tour, and I think his speed and offensive shotmaking (especially his ability to go down the line with his forehand) will create some slight issues. I like Fritz in 3-4 here. Bellucci is sort of back, but Fritz plays very solid and his serve can carry him through most matches.

Struff vs Cerundolo :

Misolic hadn’t played in 6 months, but still gave Cerundolo a bit of trouble in the first round. Cerundolo is a hard player to predict because the results are very much up to him. He has always had huge power and great physical ability, but he has often not really dug in when his game is a little off. He doesn’t back off the pace, and he crashes out in straight sets when things are bad. Struff is a similar player, but he doesn’t really have the ability to play defense so his commitment to smashing away and rushing the net kinda maxes out his results. Struff can win this match if Cerundolo brings the level he did against Misolic, and Cerundolo can win this match if he really wants to. I know that sounds silly to say as if he controls it all, but Cerundolo is that good. This slump is pretty consistent so I will take Struff in 5.

Blockx vs Trungelliti :

Shang and Trungelliti had a very strange match which featured Trungelliti losing 6-0, 6-7,6-1 before turning the match around post-rain delay. The rain delays have brought on some very wild shifts in momentum, but credit to Marco he fought hard even while getting his boots smoked. Blockx and Trungelliti should be a good match; I like Blockx’s upside here and I think he’s not even close to maxed out on tour. He had a huge serve, good athleticism, and he seems able to hit complicated shots in pressure moments without decelerating or snatching at the ball. Blockx in 4.

Schoolkate vs Cobolli :

Cobolli spent the first half of the Comesana match really struggling on his forehand wing. He was making poor contact and leaving the ball halfway up the net. Cobolli without consistent forehand production is really vulnerable, but he has the ability to grind (similar to Darderi) until the ball goes through the hoop. If he starts off poor against Schoolkate can beat him, but I expect Flavio to hit the practice courts and come out at a better level. Schoolkate is really solid and reminds me of a miniature safemode Jannik Sinner, but he’s not blowing anyone off the court and Cobolli’s serving should be a big weapon. Cobolli in 4.

Women’s Singles :

Andreeva vs Lys :

Solid win for Lys, but this is a huge step up. Andreeva in 2.

Bartunkova vs Maria :

Interesting. The Maria test is a time honored tour tradition. The volume of slices can absolutely unravel any player. The project I worked on this week had a few professional tennis coaches on hand, and they attested to how little rhythm you have against a player like Maria. Maria had a tough grind against Ostapenko, and she’ll have another one here. Bartunkova is coming in in great form, and she had a very simple warmup match. Her serve is big enough to get her short replies, and this is all about her consistency and her execution. I do like her footwork and her forehand, but I do not think her backhand is up to the task here so Maria has a shot. I expect Bartunkova to get broken a bit, but for her to be able to break back as well. Bartunkova in 2-3.

Potapova vs Jeanjean :

Rus had a ton of looks in her match against Jeanjean, but just couldn’t come up with the winners on big points. Jeanjean has made excellent use of her wildcard, and I usually am pretty happy with a wildcard win because it makes the award seem well placed. Potapova isn’t playing great on hardcourt this month, but this is a winnable match for her. She’s more durable and powerful off both wings than Rus, and moves a little bit better. Potapova in 3. This could be straight sets but she really hasn’t played well yet.

Tagger vs Anisimova :

Great matchup here for fans. Tagger is shaping up to be one of the better prospects on tour, and she’s just entered the top 50 only a year after she first appeared on tour. Her one-hander is really effective, and she’s made huge strides in her serving this season. She’ll be able to score on Anisimova with her first serve delivery, but Amanda’s returning is really sharp on second serves and she’s been competing at the top of the tour over the last month with wins against Noskova, Eala, and Bartunkova. Anisimova in 2.

Jones vs Jovic :

Jones was up a set before a very long rain delay. Following the storms, she lost the second set 6-1 in just 28 minutes. For a young player to win the third after that is pretty impressive. Jones is playing very well, but Jovic should rally dominate the backhand exchanges. Jovic was really in trouble against Frech and managed to reel her back in, and it’s good to see her getting through these tough spots. Last season and early in this one Jovic seemed like she was always frontrunning, but the last few months have been tricky. Her coming back from a big first set deficit shows me she’s evolving as a player, and being able to dig in at the end of a long season is also a good sign. Jovic in 2.

Oliynikova vs Eala :

Eala should win this in two. Oliynikova is talented but doesn’t have the power to hit through Eala.

Bucsa vs Sakatsume :

Bucsa playing well puts her in contention with most players on tour. She loses to her own errors, but her offense is really impressive when she’s landing the ball in the court. That should make things very tricky for Sakatsume, who has been outlasting opponents so far. An in-form Bucsa can possibly hit through Sakatsume, but it will take some time. I rate Bejlek as a slightly better defender than Sakatsume, so I expect Bucsa in 2 here.

Badosa vs Gauff :

I really like Gauff’s play recently. She’s hitting her forehand well for a good stretch here, and not really stressing over her serving. A calm Gauff is a good Gauff. Badosa has the power to win points here but not the shot tolerance. Gauff is a big test and I expect her to win this in two.

Swiatek vs Podoroska :

Solid use of a protected ranking from Podoroska. Swiatek in 2. I’m not trying to be funny here, this is just too much too soon for Podoroska.

Dart vs Bouzkova :

Dart has won two matches in a row down a set. It’s good for her to get some wins as she has really struggled since the Boisson fiasco. Bouzkova I think is too much of a wall for Dart to score. If she goes down in the scoreline she’ll have to play 90 more minutes to come back, and I think Bouzkova will be able to break her often. Bouzkova in twozkova.

Keys vs Bondar :

Hmm. Keys was decent against Korneeva but not really reliable. Korneeva’s serve proved to be not quite big enough to win a set, but she definitely showed that if you’re hitting a heavy ball with moderate depth, Keys is not sharp. I think Bondar is a bit more consistent on offense than Korneeva, but her backhand is not as reliable on defense. Keys in 2-3. Maybe she’ll roll but the first round level was not her best at all.

Zheng vs Putintseva :

I have a feeling I might get this wrong. Putintseva was down a set and a break and came back against Bencic, but now I’m going to call for her to lose a match against a player I thought might lose in qualifying. Zheng’s win against Liutova had a lot of good signs for her fans. She played better every game and ended at a great level. Putintseva is one of the best defenders on tour, so this is a big test for Zheng. I feel Zheng’s serve might give her the ability to beat Yulia, but Putintseva has won both of their previous meetings (although they were on clay). Zheng in 3 is my guess, but it’s largely based on her previous ceiling on tour and this would be the first time she’s displayed that (aside from the third set against Liutova). For the record I would also have Liutova beating Putinsteva.

Osaka vs Siniakova :

If you rearrange the letters in Siniakova, you get Yini Osaka, which doesn’t mean anything. OR DOES IT. I think I’m done making sense, so I will rush from here. Osaka is playing well, and has adopted a sort of Assassin’s Creed style. Osaka in 2.

Timofeeva vs Mertens :

Mertens just made the finals in Monterrey at an event Timofeeva forfeited the round of 16 in. Mertens should win this in 2.

Sakkari vs Starodubtseva :

Sakkari was down a set and 3-0 so it is very lucky that she got here. I’m not sure what to expect here. Starodubtseva can really hit a good level, and Sakkari can fumble if she has to play long rallies. This might wind up in a third, and then I’m really not sure who is the more reliable player. The problem is that Staro’s level is either very low, or very high. The other problem is that I saw neither of these matches. Starodubtseva in 3.

Bouzas Maneiro vs Rybakina :

Rybakina appeared healthy in round one, so she should win this. Bouzas is playing great behind her backhand right now, but she can struggle on serve. Rybakina in 2.