Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas took their talents to the Winston-Salem Open this week to prepare for the US Open.
It wasn’t a successful trip for either player, though, as Medvedev lost his opening match and Tsitsipas failed to reach the quarter-finals.
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However, they still had time to make their US Open predictions during media day.
Daniil Medvedev backs Alexander Zverev to win his first US Open title in 2026
In a video posted on the Winston-Salem Open’s official X account, several players were asked to predict who would win the US Open and who would make a surprisingly deep run.
“To win the whole tournament, I would go with Sascha Zverev; he’s been in great shape this year,” said Medvedev.
“Surprise run, let’s go with Roman Safiullin.”
“Well, Carlos Alcaraz has a few Grand Slams, so I guess him!” said Tsitsipas.
“I would go with Flavio Cobolli as the unexpected one.”
Winston-Salem Open stars make US Open predictions
| Player | Winner | Surprising run |
| Daniil Medvedev | Alexander Zverev | Roman Safiullin |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Carlos Alcaraz | Flavio Cobolli |
| Arthur Fery | Arthur Fils | Brandon Nakashima |
| Cruz Hewitt | Alex de Minaur | Rafael Jodar |
Medvedev backed Alexander Zverev, the top seed to win the title, while Tsitsipas picked Alcaraz, the defending champion and second seed.
Arthur Fery and Cruz Hewitt went left-field with their predictions, selecting Arthur Fils and Alex de Minaur respectively.
The players were split, but who do the fans think will win this year’s US Open?
We asked our fans on TalkingPoints to predict the winner, and the answer was clear.
US Open winner – TalkingPoints vote share
| Player | TalkingPoints vote share | US Open seed |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 33% | 2nd |
| Alexander Zverev | 17% | 1st |
| Novak Djokovic | 16% | 4th |
| Arthur Fils | 12% | 10th |
| Ben Shelton | 8% | 8th |
| Other | 7% | – |
| Rafael Jodar | 6% | 12th |
Alcaraz won 33% of the vote, ahead of Zverev (17%), Novak Djokovic (16%), and Arthur Fils (12%).
Ben Shelton earned 8% of the vote share, 7% of fans voted for ‘other’, and 6% backed Alcaraz’s countryman, Rafael Jodar.
So, our fans and Tsitsipas think Alcaraz has what it takes to win his third US Open title in 2026.
Whether he can do so remains to be seen.
Why Carlos Alcaraz deserves to be the US Open favourite
The main reason why some hesitate to name Alcaraz as the favourite is that he has only just returned from a long-term injury.
He suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April and returned earlier this week at the US Open mixed doubles event.
It’s a lot to ask for a player to win a Grand Slam, competing in their first tournament in four months, but Alcaraz is no ordinary player.
The 23-year-old is a seven-time major champion, and has already won the US Open twice.
Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open record (24-3)
- 2021 – Lost in QF to Felix Auger-Aliassime
- 2022 – Champion
- 2023 – Lost in SF to Daniil Medvedev
- 2024 – Lost in 2R to Botic van de Zandschulp
- 2025 – Champion
If he is anywhere close to full fitness, he will walk on court for his first-round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium as the favourite to win a third US Open title.
Especially considering his greatest rival, Jannik Sinner, won’t be there to thwart his title challenge, having withdrawn due to a right knee injury.
However, if Alcaraz isn’t fit enough to win a two-week Grand Slam event, several others will be quick to capitalise.
Zverev and Djokovic are the two most likely contenders, but the American contingent of Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and the in-form Brandon Nakashima are also worth watching.
And speaking of ‘in-form’ players, the newly-crowned Cincinnati Open champion, Fils, could also challenge for the title.
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious at Flushing Meadows, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The first round of matches will begin on Sunday, August 30.
