Aryna Sabalenka named top seed as US Open field takes shape with Sinner

Aryna Sabalenka has been installed as the top seed for the 2026 US Open. The two-time champion joins Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner at the head of the draw as tennis fans turn their eyes to Flushing Meadows.

What does the top seed mean for Sabalenka?

Sabalenka’s status as the US Open’s top seed gives her the inside lane at the Grand Slam. The Belarusian-now competing as a neutral athlete-will avoid early clashes with other title contenders until at least the quarterfinals. The seeding also locks her into the top half of the draw, setting up a potential clash with Iga Świątek or Coco Gauff before the semifinals. The move follows her 2025 Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, which pushed her ranking to world No. 1 at the start of the North American hard-court swing.

Why Sinner joins Sabalenka at the top

Jannik Sinner claimed the Wimbledon crown in July with a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz. His grass-court surge earned him the second seed in New York, behind only Sabalenka. The Italian’s rise has mirrored Sabalenka’s own climb since 2023, when both broke into the top five. Their combined dominance at the majors this season-three titles between them-has reshaped the men’s and women’s tours into a two-horse race for year-end No. 1.

What comes next for the field?

The US Open begins on August 25 in New York. Sabalenka will open against a qualifier or wild card on Day 1, while Sinner faces a seeded opponent in the second round. The women’s draw features eight seeds inside the top 15, including Aryna Sabalenka’s closest rivals: Świątek, Gauff, and Elena Rybakina. On the men’s side, Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev lurk in the bottom half, waiting for a path to the final. Both Sabalenka and Sinner have injury-free preseasons, though Sabalenka skipped Cincinnati after a light wrist issue in Toronto.

How the seeding stacks up against history

Sabalenka becomes the first Belarusian woman to earn the US Open top seed since Victoria Azarenka in 2013. Her 2025-26 Grand Slam resume now reads two titles and two finals, with a 19-1 record in major semifinals. Sinner, meanwhile, is chasing his first US Open semifinal after a fourth-round exit last year. The draw’s balance favors both top seeds, but the middle Saturday block of the women’s draw-where Świątek and Gauff could meet in the quarterfinals-looms as the tournament’s first true landmine.