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US Open Predictions & Picks — August 30, 2026

By The Maiden Desk · August 30, 2026

Every number below was fixed before the match and graded against the official result.

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12 matches are on Sunday's card at US Open, and we have a pick for every one of them. The headline act: Ekaterina Alexandrova against Mccartney Kessler in the first round. Our calls: Alexandrova over Kessler, Pegula over Ruse, Preston over Parks, Vekic over Gibson, Pliskova over Vandewinkel, Kostyuk over Hunter, and 6 more.

Jasmine Paolini vs. Veronika Erjavec

✓ Pick rightThis one lands on the correct side of the ledger: 67% on Jasmine Paolini, who won 6-3 3-6 6-4.

Pick: Paolini

Win probability: 67% Paolini · Market: -533 · Sets: 2 (68%) · most likely score 2-0 (47%)

A spot in the next round is at stake on Sunday, when Jasmine Paolini goes up against Veronika Erjavec in the US Open first round. Jasmine Paolini is 6-4 across recent matches. Veronika Erjavec has dropped 5 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten.

Jasmine Paolini simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. Paolini should have enough here, though Erjavec has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

Barbora Krejcikova vs. Kamilla Rakhimova

✗ Pick wrongMissed it. We had Barbora Krejcikova at 62%, but Kamilla Rakhimova won 7-6 6-2.

Pick: Krejcikova

Win probability: 62% Krejcikova · Market: -281 · Sets: 2 (65%) · most likely score 2-0 (42%)

Barbora Krejcikova and Kamilla Rakhimova meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Barbora Krejcikova is searching for form, having lost 3 in a row (6 of the last 10). Kamilla Rakhimova is 5-5 across recent matches.

The serve is where this match separates: Krejcikova has been winning 65.9% of first-serve points to Rakhimova's 62.4%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Krejcikova.

Donna Vekic vs. Talia Gibson

✓ Pick rightWe got this one right. Donna Vekic was our 51% pick, and won 6-2 4-6 6-3.

Pick: Vekic

Win probability: 51% Vekic · Market: -109 · Sets: 2 (65%) · most likely score 2-0 (33%)

A spot in the next round is at stake on Sunday, when Donna Vekic goes up against Talia Gibson in the US Open first round. Donna Vekic limps in on a 5-match losing skid, just 5 wins in 10. Talia Gibson has dropped 2 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Vekic has been winning 68.7% of first-serve points to Gibson's 63.8%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. Little separates them; Vekic gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Elena Gabriela Ruse vs. Jessica Pegula

✓ Pick rightThis one lands on the correct side of the ledger: 71% on Jessica Pegula, who won 6-3 6-2.

Pick: Pegula

Win probability: 71% Pegula · Market: -606 · Sets: 2 (70%) · most likely score 2-0 (52%)

Elena Gabriela Ruse and Jessica Pegula meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Jessica Pegula has won 7 of the last 10. Elena Gabriela Ruse comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Jessica Pegula is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Pegula around 71%. The edge belongs to Pegula — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Leylah Fernandez vs. Shuai Zhang

✓ Pick rightThis one lands on the correct side of the ledger: 57% on Leylah Fernandez, who won 6-3 6-2.

Pick: Fernandez

Win probability: 57% Fernandez · Market: -205 · Sets: 2 (68%) · most likely score 2-0 (40%)

A spot in the next round is at stake on Sunday, when Leylah Fernandez goes up against Shuai Zhang in the US Open first round. Leylah Fernandez has dropped 2 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten. Shuai Zhang is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (3 of the last 10).

Hold strength tells the story — 64.8% versus 59.7% on first-serve points in Fernandez's favor. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Fernandez fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Marta Kostyuk vs. Storm Hunter

✓ Pick rightWe got this one right. Marta Kostyuk was our 71% pick, and won 6-4 6-1.

Pick: Kostyuk

Win probability: 71% Kostyuk · Market: -676 · Sets: 2 (73%) · most likely score 2-0 (53%)

Sunday's US Open first round pits Marta Kostyuk against Storm Hunter on hard. Marta Kostyuk comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Storm Hunter is 6-4 across recent matches.

Hold strength tells the story — 63.5% versus 59.4% on first-serve points in Kostyuk's favor. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Kostyuk.

Elvina Kalieva vs. Lanlana Tararudee

✓ Pick rightNailed it. We had Lanlana Tararudee at 65% before the match, and Lanlana Tararudee won 6-3 6-7 6-2.

Pick: Tararudee

Win probability: 65% Tararudee · Market: -194 · Sets: 2 (64%) · most likely score 2-0 (43%)

A spot in the next round is at stake on Sunday, when Elvina Kalieva goes up against Lanlana Tararudee in the US Open first round. Lanlana Tararudee is 7-3 across recent matches. Elvina Kalieva has dropped 3 straight and sits at 3-7 over the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Tararudee has been winning 66.7% of first-serve points to Kalieva's 63.7%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Tararudee — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Dayana Yastremska vs. Lucrezia Stefanini

✗ Pick wrongMissed it. We had Dayana Yastremska at 65%, but Lucrezia Stefanini won 6-3 4-6 6-1.

Pick: Yastremska

Win probability: 65% Yastremska · Market: -128 · Sets: 2 (67%) · most likely score 2-0 (45%)

Dayana Yastremska and Lucrezia Stefanini meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Dayana Yastremska limps in on a 3-match losing skid, just 4 wins in 10. Lucrezia Stefanini has dropped 3 straight and sits at 3-7 over the last ten.

Hold strength tells the story — 62.3% versus 54.9% on first-serve points in Yastremska's favor. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Yastremska.

Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Mccartney Kessler

✓ Pick rightWe got this one right. Ekaterina Alexandrova was our 54% pick, and won 6-2 6-2.

Pick: Alexandrova

Win probability: 54% Alexandrova · Market: -137 · Sets: 2 (64%) · most likely score 2-0 (35%)

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Mccartney Kessler meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Ekaterina Alexandrova has dropped 2 straight and sits at 6-4 over the last ten. Mccartney Kessler is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (4 of the last 10).

Alexandrova's 67.1% behind the first serve (against 61.9% for Kessler) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Alexandrova is exactly that — a lean.

Hanne Vandewinkel vs. Karolina Pliskova

✓ Pick rightNailed it. We had Karolina Pliskova at 54% before the match, and Karolina Pliskova won 2-6 7-5 6-3.

Pick: Pliskova

Win probability: 54% Pliskova · Market: +102 · Sets: 2 (66%) · most likely score 2-0 (36%)

Hanne Vandewinkel and Karolina Pliskova meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Karolina Pliskova has dropped 2 straight and sits at 5-5 over the last ten. Hanne Vandewinkel has dropped 3 straight and sits at 3-7 over the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Pliskova has been winning 68.5% of first-serve points to Vandewinkel's 65%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Pliskova fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Alycia Parks vs. Taylah Preston

✓ Pick rightNailed it. We had Taylah Preston at 52% before the match, and Taylah Preston won 6-3 6-3.

Pick: Preston

Win probability: 52% Preston · Market: +102 · Sets: 3 (43%) · most likely score 2-0 (29%)

Alycia Parks and Taylah Preston meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Taylah Preston has won 6 of the last 10. Alycia Parks comes in at 4 wins from the last ten.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Preston fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Elina Svitolina vs. Solana Sierra

✓ Pick rightThis one lands on the correct side of the ledger: 70% on Elina Svitolina, who won 6-1 6-2.

Pick: Svitolina

Win probability: 70% Svitolina · Market: -864 · Sets: 2 (68%) · most likely score 2-0 (49%)

Elina Svitolina and Solana Sierra meet in the first round at US Open on Sunday. Elina Svitolina comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Solana Sierra has dropped 2 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten.

Elina Svitolina is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Svitolina around 70%. Svitolina should have enough here, though Sierra has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

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Updated Aug 29, 2026, 3:01 PM UTC. Picks are frozen before first serve and graded on the track record page — this page is never edited after the fact.