Are we in line for another Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open?
The odds, of course, are overwhelmingly in their favor. However, strange this can happen–especially this late in the tennis season. We just saw Sinner retire against Alcaraz in the Cincinnati championship match due to illness. We have seen Alcaraz lose early in New York several times, including to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round last year. As good as “The New 2” are, they are not complete locks to advance.
Here are some my darkhorse, longshot picks to triumph two weeks from now at Flushing Meadows.
Taylor Fritz
There is a lot to like about Fritz at this year’s U.S. Open. The fourth-ranked American was the runner-up to Sinner 12 months ago and he is playing great heading into the 2025 installment. His grass-court swig featured two titles and semifinal showing at Wimbledon. Fritz has a pretty good draw, too, on the opposite side from Sinner. He could run into Djokovic in the quarterfinals, but the 38-year-old Serb is not the Djokovic of old.
Ben Shelton
Shelton loves the big stage–and nowhere is it bigger than at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This event is right up Shelton’s alley, and he is already a U.S. Open semifinalist (2023). Now 22 years old, the American has made his way up the rankings to No. 6. His rise includes a recent Masters 1000 title on the outdoor hard courts of Toronto. With no rest, Shelton followed that up with a semifinal performance in Cincinnati. He finds himself in Alcaraz’s quarter of the bracket, but that’s better than being with Sinner. I would not be shocked to see a Fritz vs. Shelton showdown on semifinal Friday.
Karen Khachanov
If you want to make a serious longshot pick, Khachanov could be your guy. He is a former U.S. Open semifinalist (2022) and he also reached the Australian Open semis in 2023. The Russian thrives on outdoor hard courts and did so again a few weeks ago in Toronto, finishing runner-up to Shelton. Khachanov also advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals earlier this summer. He has a great draw in Alexander Zverev’s section, so there could be an opportunity for him in New York.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.