US Open 2025: Top Five Men’s Favourites for the Title

The 2025 US Open begins with a historic Sunday start, closing the Grand Slam calendar with two weeks of high drama in New York. Known as the most gruelling Major, it demands both endurance and form at the tail end of a punishing season. Here are the five leading contenders for the men’s singles crown.

5. Novak Djokovic

At 38, Novak Djokovic may no longer be the overwhelming favourite, yet he remains a threat at any Major. The Serb has reached the semi-finals or better at each of the first three Slams this season, and only Jannik Sinner has beaten him in a completed Grand Slam match this year. With 24 Majors to his name and a mental edge few can match, Djokovic cannot be discounted.

4. Taylor Fritz

Taylor Fritz arrives as the most experienced American in the draw and fresh from his maiden Grand Slam final at last year’s US Open, where he fell to Sinner. Now firmly established in the world’s Top 5, the Californian’s steady rise has been built on incremental progress. To finally lift a Major, however, Fritz must make the leap from contender to champion — and belief will be crucial.

3. Ben Shelton

The US Open has a history of producing breakthrough champions, and Ben Shelton could be next. The 22-year-old American made his Slam breakthrough here in 2023, reaching the semi-finals, and has since surged into the Top 10 after capturing his first Masters 1000 in Canada this month. With a booming serve, raw energy, and the backing of a partisan New York crowd, Shelton may end a 22-year wait for a homegrown men’s champion.

2. Carlos Alcaraz

Champion in 2022, Carlos Alcaraz remains a formidable force in New York. Though he suffered an early exit last year, the Spaniard is still considered the main challenger to Sinner. He is also the last man to beat the Italian on hard courts (Beijing 2024) and in a Grand Slam (French Open 2025). If he finds top form, Alcaraz has every chance of reclaiming the title.

1. Jannik Sinner

The clear favourite is Jannik Sinner. The 24-year-old has swept the last three hard-court Majors and held an unbeaten streak on the surface for nearly a year before a recent retirement in Cincinnati. His dominance has drawn comparisons with Roger Federer, who was the last man to defend the US Open title — 17 years ago. Sinner now has the chance to match that achievement and cement his status as the sport’s new hard-court king.