Alexander Zverev US Open: No. 1 Seed After Sinner Out

Alexander Zverev US Open seeding is the first line on a list that did not exist until Jannik Sinner walked away. Tennis Temple published the men's singles seed list Monday, Aug. 24, reshaped by the world No. 1's right-knee withdrawal. Zverev is the No. 1 seed. Carlos Alcaraz is No. 2, the defending champion, back from a wrist that cost him Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. Felix Auger-Aliassime is No. 3. Novak Djokovic is No. 4. That is the top of the board Tennis Temple and the AP Sinner story both pointed at.

The draw ceremony is Thursday, Aug. 27. The main draw starts Sunday, Aug. 30. Sinner's Friday note did this. He is still the ranking No. 1, ESPN wrote, more than 5,000 points clear. He is not in the draw. Zverev is the player the bracket now treats as the man to beat on paper. Alcaraz is the champion in the building.

Alexander Zverev US Open: the seeded names Tennis Temple listed

Behind the top four, Tennis Temple had Flavio Cobolli at No. 5, then Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and Ben Shelton. Taylor Fritz and Arthur Fils round out the top 10. Fils is the 10th seed after winning Cincinnati, the first Masters 1000 of his career, a 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 final over Frances Tiafoe. Tennis Temple put him at a career-high around No. 11 in the world and called him France's lead name in New York.

That is the sourced top 10. Do not read a full 32 onto this page. Tennis Temple also flagged Rafael Jodar, Learner Tien, Jakub Mensik, and Joao Fonseca further down, plus Arthur Rinderknech at 27 and Ugo Humbert at 28 among the French seeds. The names that matter Monday are Zverev, Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime, Djokovic, and Fils walking in hot.

Alcaraz's wrist, Sinner's knee, an open two weeks

Alcaraz has not played a tour match since April. He missed the French Open and Wimbledon with the wrist, skipped Cincinnati, and still sits as the No. 2 seed and the man who beat Sinner in last year's final. The Jannik Sinner injury withdrawal is the other half of that sentence. One rival is coming back from four months. The other is gone until the knee says so.

Zverev lost to Sinner in the Wimbledon final last month. He now has the top line in New York for the first time in a Slam seed list built without the Italian. Tennis Temple called the draw wide open on paper. Thursday's ceremony will put names in boxes. Monday's list already put Zverev in the first box.

Alexander Zverev US Open FAQ

Who is the US Open 2026 men's No. 1 seed? Alexander Zverev, after Jannik Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury, per Tennis Temple's Aug. 24 seed list and the AP Sinner story.

What is the US Open 2026 men's top four? Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Novak Djokovic, Tennis Temple listed. Cobolli is fifth. Fritz and Fils close the top 10.

When is the US Open 2026 draw? Thursday, Aug. 27. Main-draw play begins Sunday, Aug. 30. Fils arrives as the 10th seed after winning Cincinnati.