US Open predictions, September 2, 2026: Shelton vs Hurkacz, Lehecka vs Samuel

Ben Shelton and Hubert Hurkacz meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Ben Shelton is 8-2 across recent matches. Hubert Hurkacz has won 5 in a row and 8 of the last 10 overall.

The underlying stats are tight across the board — this is a matchup decided by a handful of points. The edge belongs to Shelton — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Jiri Lehecka and Toby Samuel meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Jiri Lehecka has won 6 of the last 10. Toby Samuel comes in at 7 wins from the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Lehecka has been winning 72.8% of first-serve points to Samuel's 68.7%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Lehecka is exactly that — a lean.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Alex Michelsen against Brandon Nakashima on hard. Brandon Nakashima has won 8 of the last 10. Alex Michelsen is 7-3 across recent matches.

Nakashima's 74.5% behind the first serve (against 69.9% for Michelsen) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Nakashima is exactly that — a lean.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Andrey Rublev goes up against Daniel Merida Aguilar in the US Open round of 64. Andrey Rublev has won 7 of the last 10. Daniel Merida Aguilar has won 7 of the last 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Rublev has been winning 74.2% of first-serve points to Aguilar's 64.4%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Rublev fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Denis Shapovalov goes up against Luca Van Assche in the US Open round of 64. Denis Shapovalov is 7-3 across recent matches. Luca Van Assche comes in at 7 wins from the last ten.

The serve is where this match separates: Shapovalov has been winning 74.7% of first-serve points to Assche's 66.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. Little separates them; Shapovalov gets the nod on the finest of margins.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Alexander Zverev goes up against Lorenzo Sonego in the US Open first round. Alexander Zverev is 7-3 across recent matches. Lorenzo Sonego is 5-5 across recent matches.

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

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Arthur Rinderknech against Jaume Munar on hard. Arthur Rinderknech comes in at 5 wins from the last ten. Jaume Munar has won 5 of the last 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Rinderknech has been winning 74.9% of first-serve points to Munar's 68.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Rinderknech is exactly that — a lean.

Kamil Majchrzak and Valentin Vacherot meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Valentin Vacherot has won 4 of the last 10. Kamil Majchrzak has won 4 of the last 10.

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

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Iva Jovic against Magdalena Frech on hard. Iva Jovic is 6-4 across recent matches. Magdalena Frech has won 4 of the last 10.

Iva Jovic simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Jovic fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Lloyd Harris goes up against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the US Open round of 64. Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Lloyd Harris is 5-5 across recent matches.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Tsitsipas should have enough here, though Harris has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Dino Prizmic against Tommy Paul on hard. Tommy Paul is 6-4 across recent matches. Dino Prizmic has won 7 of the last 10.

Tommy Paul simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. The edge belongs to Paul — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Taylah Preston goes up against Taylor Townsend in the US Open round of 64. Taylor Townsend has won 6 of the last 10. Taylah Preston has won 7 of the last 10.

Townsend's 64.3% behind the first serve (against 59.3% for Preston) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. Townsend should have enough here, though Preston has the tools to make the scoreboard uncomfortable.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Diana Shnaider against Karolina Pliskova on hard. Diana Shnaider comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Karolina Pliskova comes in at 6 wins from the last ten.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. The edge belongs to Shnaider — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when James Duckworth goes up against Yibing Wu in the US Open round of 64. Yibing Wu comes in at 3 wins from the last ten. James Duckworth brings a 5-match winning streak into this one, 7-3 across the last ten.

Yibing Wu is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Wu around 50%. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Wu fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Mariano Navone against Matteo Berrettini on hard. Matteo Berrettini is 7-3 across recent matches. Mariano Navone has won 6 of the last 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Berrettini has been winning 76.1% of first-serve points to Navone's 62.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Berrettini.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Fabian Marozsan against Michael Zheng on hard. Fabian Marozsan comes in at 5 wins from the last ten. Michael Zheng is 6-4 across recent matches.

The underlying stats are tight across the board — this is a matchup decided by a handful of points. Little separates them; Marozsan gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Alex De Minaur against Andrea Guerrieri on hard. Alex De Minaur has won 6 of the last 10. Andrea Guerrieri is 6-4 across recent matches.

Minaur's 69% behind the first serve (against 65.5% for Guerrieri) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Minaur.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Leylah Fernandez goes up against Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the US Open round of 64. Leylah Fernandez is 5-5 across recent matches. Mananchaya Sawangkaew is 6-4 across recent matches.

Leylah Fernandez is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Fernandez around 55%. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Fernandez is exactly that — a lean.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Diane Parry goes up against Sorana Cirstea in the US Open round of 64. Sorana Cirstea is 5-5 across recent matches. Diane Parry is rolling — 6 straight wins, 9 of 10 in recent play.

Sorana Cirstea is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Cirstea around 58%. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Cirstea fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Jacob Fearnley and Tomas Martin Etcheverry meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Tomas Martin Etcheverry comes in at 3 wins from the last ten. Jacob Fearnley is 8-2 across recent matches.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. Little separates them; Etcheverry gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Frances Tiafoe and Rei Sakamoto meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Frances Tiafoe has won 7 of the last 10. Rei Sakamoto comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Frances Tiafoe simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. The edge belongs to Tiafoe — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Karolina Muchova goes up against Katie Boulter in the US Open round of 64. Karolina Muchova is 9-1 across recent matches. Katie Boulter has won 4 of the last 10.

Karolina Muchova simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. If Muchova plays anywhere close to a normal level, this ends in relatively comfortable fashion.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Alex Molcan goes up against Benjamin Bonzi in the US Open first round. Benjamin Bonzi has won 6 of the last 10. Alex Molcan comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Hold strength tells the story — 69.9% versus 65.5% on first-serve points in Bonzi's favor. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Bonzi is exactly that — a lean.

Rafael Jodar and Y. Bu meet in the first round at US Open on Wednesday. Rafael Jodar is 7-3 across recent matches. Y. Bu is 5-5 across recent matches.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Bu needs several things to break right at once; the percentages say they usually don't.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Ann Li against Donna Vekic on hard. Ann Li is 5-5 across recent matches. Donna Vekic is 5-5 across recent matches.

Ann Li is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Li around 56%. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Li is exactly that — a lean.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Adrian Mannarino goes up against Alexander Bublik in the US Open round of 64. Alexander Bublik comes in at 7 wins from the last ten. Adrian Mannarino comes in at 4 wins from the last ten.

Bublik's 77.7% behind the first serve (against 70.3% for Mannarino) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. The edge belongs to Bublik — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Daniel Altmaier against Zachary Svajda on hard. Daniel Altmaier is 5-5 across recent matches. Zachary Svajda has dropped 4 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten.

Neither the serve numbers nor the ratings separate these two by much, which is why our number stays close to even. Little separates them; Altmaier gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Caty Mcnally and Emma Navarro meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Caty Mcnally has won 6 of the last 10. Emma Navarro comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Emma Navarro has had the better of this rivalry, winning 2 of 2 against Caty Mcnally. On hard specifically it reads 2-0 Navarro — worth more than the overall number this week.

The underlying stats are tight across the board — this is a matchup decided by a handful of points. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Mcnally is exactly that — a lean.

Kamilla Rakhimova and Oksana Selekhmeteva meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Oksana Selekhmeteva is 5-5 across recent matches. Kamilla Rakhimova is 5-5 across recent matches.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Selekhmeteva fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Francesco Passaro against Jesper De Jong on hard. Jesper De Jong is searching for form, having lost 4 in a row (3 of the last 10). Francesco Passaro has won 4 of the last 10.

Neither the serve numbers nor the ratings separate these two by much, which is why our number stays close to even. Little separates them; Jong gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Daria Kasatkina and Paula Badosa meet in the first round at US Open on Wednesday. Paula Badosa has won 9 of the last 10. Daria Kasatkina is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (3 of the last 10).

Hold strength tells the story — 65% versus 59.1% on first-serve points in Badosa's favor. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Badosa fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Kimberly Birrell meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Ekaterina Alexandrova is 6-4 across recent matches. Kimberly Birrell has won 3 of the last 10.

Ekaterina Alexandrova simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. The edge belongs to Alexandrova — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Ignacio Buse against Marcos Giron on hard. Ignacio Buse brings a 5-match winning streak into this one, 7-3 across the last ten. Marcos Giron limps in on a 4-match losing skid, just 3 wins in 10.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. Little separates them; Buse gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Jessica Pegula against Sofia Kenin on hard. Jessica Pegula comes in at 8 wins from the last ten. Sofia Kenin is 4-6 across recent matches.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Kenin needs several things to break right at once; the percentages say they usually don't.

Botic Van De Zandschulp and Jan Choinski meet in the first round at US Open on Wednesday. Botic Van De Zandschulp is 6-4 across recent matches. Jan Choinski limps in on a 2-match losing skid, just 7 wins in 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Zandschulp has been winning 72% of first-serve points to Choinski's 69%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Zandschulp is exactly that — a lean.

Jelena Ostapenko and Tatjana Maria meet in the first round at US Open on Wednesday. Jelena Ostapenko is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (7 of the last 10). Tatjana Maria has won 7 of the last 10.

Jelena Ostapenko simply rates much higher on hard, and our number follows from it. Little separates them; Ostapenko gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Marta Kostyuk and Sloane Stephens meet in the round of 64 at US Open on Wednesday. Marta Kostyuk has won 7 of the last 10. Sloane Stephens is 4-6 across recent matches.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on hard, and our number follows from it. Anything other than a Kostyuk win would rank among the bigger surprises of the week.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Francesca Jones against Magda Linette on hard. Magda Linette has dropped 2 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten. Francesca Jones is rolling — 10 straight wins, 10 of 10 in recent play.

Magda Linette is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Linette around 59%. Little separates them; Linette gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Mayar Sherif and Nikola Bartunkova meet in the first round at US Open on Wednesday. Nikola Bartunkova comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Mayar Sherif has won 9 of the last 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Bartunkova has been winning 68.4% of first-serve points to Sherif's 58.6%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Bartunkova — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Wednesday's US Open round of 64 pits Jasmine Paolini against Lucrezia Stefanini on hard. Jasmine Paolini has won 7 of the last 10. Lucrezia Stefanini has won 4 of the last 10.

Paolini's 60.4% behind the first serve (against 55% for Stefanini) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. If Paolini plays anywhere close to a normal level, this ends in relatively comfortable fashion.

Wednesday's US Open first round pits Carlos Taberner against Zizou Bergs on hard. Zizou Bergs is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (6 of the last 10). Carlos Taberner is 5-5 across recent matches.

Bergs's 72.7% behind the first serve (against 65.1% for Taberner) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. Expect resistance, but the match-level math tilts clearly toward Bergs.