Reigning French Open champ Carlos Alcaraz will be riding high after securing his 8th career Masters crown at the recent Cincinnati Open.
2025 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
US Open Tennis
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, New York City (Outdoor Hardcourts)
Selected 1st Round Matches- 24th August
Carlos Alcaraz (2) vs Reily Opelka
Sure, he benefitted hugely from Jannik Sinner’s sudden illness. But it was a nice psychological boost for the maverick shot-maker (especially after that disappointing Wimbledon final defeat to great rival Sinner). The 2022 US Open champ leads the tour in wins and titles this season and will go into this match as a huge favourite. Big-serving Reily Opelka returned to competitive action in July last year, recovering from his latest injury-enforced hiatus. He started this year splendidly, beating Novak Djokovic en route to his first ATP final in three years at the Brisbane International. He has looked in encouraging form in the lead-in events, reaching the 3rd round in Toronto and Cincinnati (beating the likes of Machac and de Minaur in the process). Opelka served 56 aces in three matches in his Cincy run and will lean on that weapon as he squares up against elite mover Alcaraz.
The Verdict: Alcaraz to win in four at – This will be their first career meeting. This could be an interesting challenge for Alcaraz. He has never faced Opelka’s sledgehammer serve and may take a bit of time to adjust to the carnage. Furthermore, Alcaraz does have a tendency to drop a few soft sets in the early stages of slams (it’s almost as if he is probing conditions in the early stages).
Seb Korda vs Cameron Norrie
Part of the esteemed Korda sporting dynasty, Seb Korda will be looking to feed off the New York atmosphere as he mounts his latest Grand Slam challenge. The lanky American enjoyed some solid results in the early hardcourt section of the season, finishing runner-up in Adelaide while reaching the Miami quarters. He struggled on clay and was forced to miss three months of action due to a shin issue. But he has roared back impressively this week, currently scheduled to face Fucsovics in the Winston-Salem Open semifinals. A champ in Washington last year, Korda has the type of in-your-face game that thrives on North-American hardcourts. Brit Cameron Norrie struggled in the early part of the season, memorably flinging a racquet at a spectator in Auckland. I personally think he was feeling the effects of playing too much tennis these last few seasons. Norrie- like de Minaur- doesn’t have a gargantuan weapon that guarantees easy matches. However, he has shown remarkable grit at Grand Slam level, reaching the 4th round of the French Open prior to a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon. He comes into this match on a three-match losing streak and will need to significantly up his level.
The Verdict: Korda to win in five at – Korda leads the head-to-head 3-1, winning their most recent meeting at the 2023 Queen’s Club. Moreover, Norrie has only picked up one set over those four encounters. This has five-set epic written all over it. Norrie is a true grinder who will use his heavy topspin to keep Korda pegged back. However, Korda is serving magnificently in North Carolina and that could give him the edge. Norrie wilted in the Cincy heat and could struggle if that famed New York humidity kicks in.
Jakub Mensik (16) vs Nicolas Jarry
Still just 19 years of age, hard-hitting Jakub Mensik will be hoping for a strong end to his Grand Slam season. The Czech captured the tennis world’s attention with his barnstorming run to this year’s Miami Open title, beating Djokovic in the final to claim a maiden Masters 1000 crown. He has disappointed outside of that landmark win, with a quarterfinal run in Madrid the only real other standout showing. He comes into this event in negligible form, going 2-2 in his North American hardcourt precursors. He will look to serve big and dictate the tempo with that mammoth forehand. Speaking of huge forehands, Chilean Nicolas Jarry will look to play spoiler here. The big-hitting Chilean has largely struggled this season, suffering opening defeat after opening defeat. But he produced some real fireworks at Wimbledon, winning three qualifying matches before reaching the round of 16. He showed his class in his Wimbledon opener, clawing back a two-set deficit against 8th seed Holger Rune.
The Verdict: Mensik to win in four at – This will be their first career meeting. Despite his recent drop-off, I still think that Czech Mensik should have what it takes to see off a struggling Jarry. The Chilean suffers from a severe case of vestibular neuritis, an inner ear condition that causes imbalance and nausea. I think that the clammy New York conditions will not be kind to his struggles.
