US Open Draw Pits Alcaraz Against Djokovic in Same Half

The draw for the 2026 US Open men's singles has set the stage for a potentially dramatic tournament, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returning from a long injury layoff and placed in the same half as 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. The event, which begins on August 31, will be contested without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew due to a knee injury, elevating French Open champion Alexander Zverev to the top seed. Alcaraz, seeded second, has not played a competitive singles match since suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in mid-April.