US Open Day 13 Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 11th September)

It is a day of remembrance for people around the world and especially those in the United States and New York City.

The fans will be arriving at Flushing Meadows with many memories of a painful day twenty-five years ago, but New Yorkers felt sporting events resuming back then was a reminder that the City would not be beaten by terrorists.

Friday will be an emotional day from morning until evening and it is perhaps fitting that the all-American Semi Final is going to be played in the Evening Session.

The Men's Final will be set by that second Semi Final featuring Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe and it is going to be a real test for both players to keep themselves in check, which is going to be a key to earning a spot in a first Grand Slam Final for one of them.

Earlier in the day, Alexander Zverev will face Karen Khachanov in the other Semi Final and the top Seed is the favourite to reach his second US Open Final.

Dealing with the intensity of the day will not be easy, but the four players going out on court will also be very keen to give the watching public plenty of entertainment in these two Semi Finals.

Ben Shelton - 1.5 sets v Frances Tiafoe: It is going to be an emotional day in New York City as the entire world will remember the events of 9/11 twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks in the United States.

This City was impacted more than any other and New Yorkers will be remembering those who were lost.

The US Open has two Men's Semi Final matches scheduled to take place on Friday and it is fitting that two popular American players are facing one another in the bid to reach a maiden Grand Slam Final. Fans will come out to support Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe and the two players will be very glad that they have had an extra day of recovery between the Quarter Final and the Semi Final Rounds.

Both Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe came through Quarter Final matches in five sets- the former won a final set tie-breaker against defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz, while Frances Tiafoe came from two sets behind to beat Alex Michelsen.

Frances Tiafoe reached the Cincinnati Masters Final prior to the US Open, and he has always enjoyed playing at this tournament where his most consistent Grand Slam results have been achieved. The belief is clearly in a healthy place as Tiafoe has come through a couple of matches in five sets, while that belief is only enhanced with the amount of big points the World Number 12 has continued to win.

He may also feel he is playing with 'house money' after being a game away from a straights set loss in the Quarter Final before Alex Michelsen blinked and failed to stem the tide of momentum moving against him.

Recovering from that kind of position against Ben Shelton would be a lot more difficult for Frances Tiafoe, although Shelton has to show he can back up what feels like the biggest Grand Slam win of his career. Being able to bounce back from dropping the fourth set in the manner he did and still beating Carlos Alcaraz is as impressive a result as Ben Shelton could have produced and he is serving at a really high level.

Ben Shelton will be the first to admit that his game is based around being dominant on that shot, but he looks to have improved on the return of serve and that will be the key to winning multiple Grand Slams.

He has forced plenty of breaks of serve throughout this run at the US Open and Ben Shelton is the Montreal Champion and experienced enough to have competed in a couple of Grand Slam Semi Finals before. That experience can be a real help for someone looking to back up a big win, although Frances Tiafoe can call upon plenty of that having played in two previous Semi Final matches in New York City.

This is the third time Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are facing each other at the US Open- the first in 2023 was won by Shelton in a big upset, but Frances Tiafoe was the lower Ranked player when beating Ben Shelton in five sets in 2024.

The most recent match saw Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe in straight sets in Washington in 2025, and it does feel like the World Number 9 has improved on this surface this season.

Both will know the key here is to serve well, but Ben Shelton looks to have the edge in that department and he looks the more likely winner. Dismissing Frances Tiafoe's chances would be a mistake and he has had time to recover from the Quarter Final exploits, but Ben Shelton feels like the stronger player right now and he can earn revenge for the Third Round defeat to his compatriot here two years ago.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Karen Khachanov: Despite winning the French Open earlier this year and also having played in a number of other Grand Slam Finals, you can sense there is some tension in the Alexander Zverev game right now. A big opportunity has opened up to quickly pick up another Grand Slam title with the big names all falling around him, but that can also build up pressure knowing such a chance has come up.

He goes into this Semi Final after a relatively comfortable Quarter Final win and Alexander Zverev has not had to exert too much physicality in the last three Rounds after opening up with consecutive five set wins. That should mean there is more than enough left in the tank to win the US Open, but physical issues have long been less of a concern than the mental challenges he faces.

Next up for Alexander Zverev is a match against an opponent who has reached the Quarter Final at all four Grand Slams, but who has never really found the consistency to become a feature of the top ten of the World Rankings.

These days Karen Khachanov is playing as the World Number 50, although the run in New York City is going to push him back into the Seeding spots for future Grand Slam events.

In 2022, Karen Khachanov reached the Semi Final here in New York City, but that is an outlier as to how his tournament has tended to progress at the US Open. In nine other main draw appearances, Karen Khachanov had not been beyond the Third Round, although he is in the final four again in 2026 and can use the experience of four years ago in his bid to go one better.

He lost in four sets to Casper Ruud in 2022 and this is a much tougher test for Karen Khachanov, especially as he had shown no real form ahead of this final Grand Slam of the season. All three hard court matches in the lead up to the US Open had ended in defeat, but Karen Khachanov has upset two top 20 Ranked opponents in his run to the last four.

Learner Tien will really be kicking himself for letting Khachanov off the hook in the Fourth Round, but the latter is unlikely to be given such a helping hand in this match. It also should be noted that the performance level had been declining before facing an injured Alexander Blockx in the Quarter Final and Karen Khachanov is going to have to find a step up in level to earn the upset.

He should take confidence from the fact he beat Alexander Zverev at the Canadian Masters last year, although Karen Khachanov has lost four of the five hard court matches against this opponent around that victory.

Alexander Zverev had not exactly piled up the wins in preparation for the US Open, but he will be happy enough with this match up and his level has been a lot more consistent than Karen Khachanov's in this tournament.

Out of the two players, Alexander Zverev may be the one who can rely on his serve a little more than Karen Khachanov, while the World Number 2 has been the superior return player. These are factors that should end up giving Alexander Zverev the decisive edge needed in this Semi Final and the French Open Champion can reach a second US Open Final with a relatively convincing victory when all is said and done.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 31-21, + 7.72 Units (104 Units Staked, + 7.42% Yield)

European Tour 13- Flanders Darts Trophy Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 11th September)

Another European Tour event begins on the PDC Tour and that means Qualification for the European Championship Finals is beginning to be on the forefront of the player's minds.

Despite that, a number of top names have withdrawn from the Flanders Darts Trophy as they prepare for the World Series of Darts Finals to be played at the end of next week.

Of course this means a big opportunity for those who have travelled for this event.

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Chris Landman: Goldfinger won a couple of matches last week at the European Tour 12 event and he is almost certainly going to be playing at the European Championship Finals.

Andrew Gilding should have enough consistency to move past Chris Landman at this latest European Tour event.

He has been playing at a level that suggests that will be the case and Chris Landman has been beaten in five of the last six matches played. The World Number 115 has won the most recent meeting between the players, but Andrew Gilding will be confident he can turn that result around.

The real concern for Chris Landman is that he has not been competitive in recent matches and Andrew Gilding can exploit any doubts that the underdog may have.

Ryan Joyce - 1.5 legs v Stephen Burton: A win in the opening Round of the European Tour 12 event will have given Stephen Burton a boost in confidence, but he was beaten in the next Round and that has prevented any momentum being built up.

Stephen Burton has been struggling with his form for weeks and that makes it very tough to expect him to put a strong run together.

The First Round match at the Flanders Darts Trophy against Ryan Joyce looks really difficult for Stephen Burton.

Relentless is one of those players that will just tick along and do what he is supposed to and that consistency should be enough to see Ryan Joyce edge through to the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ryan Joyce - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

US Open Day 12 Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 10th September)

One of my personal criticisms of recent years on the Tour in relation to the WTA half has been that there have not been the standout dominant players who have made a significant separation from the pack.

It has meant Grand Slams have felt very open for any player to come through with a solid two week run to earn a Major, which can be a positive once in a while, but not for every tournament.

2026 feels different and that is underlined by the top four Ranked players all reaching the Semi Final at the US Open.

Both Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova reached the Quarter Final and will feel they should have beaten higher Ranked players, but those runs are also a positive seeing as the two youngsters won the French Open and Wimbledon respectively. Instead of being a 'flash in the pan' like some recent Grand Slam Winners have felt, both Andreeva and Noskova look like they will be playing amongst the elite of the Tour for many years to come and are almost certainly going to add to the Slams already won.

Three of the four Semi Finalists at the US Open will be searching for at least a third Grand Slam title with the exception being Jessica Pegula.

An all-American Final can still be the outcome on Saturday, but the two big hitting World Number 1 and World Number 2 stand in the way and those having tickets for the Evening Session are going to be in for a fun day on the grounds.

Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: Both of these Semi Finalists are going to feel they showed plenty of character to come through awkward moments in the Quarter Final and that should give them confidence as the US Open begins to reach its climax.

The top Seed in the draw has officially lost the World Number 1 Ranking, but Aryna Sabalenka likely made peace with that happening considering how the Ranking Points were shaking out. Instead the only focus for the Belarusian is winning a Grand Slam title in 2026 and she will simply be glad to still be involved in New York City after the narrow win in the Quarter Final.

To be fair to Aryna Sabalenka, she had been the better player in the match against Linda Noskova, but the two time defending US Open Champion did not play the big points as well as she would have liked, at least not until the final set tie-breaker. The Noskova serve made a big impact at the big moments, but Aryna Sabalenka will be aware that her opponent in this Semi Final is not going to serve as big as the Wimbledon Champion.

Another year looked to be passing Jessica Pegula by as she trailed in the US Open Quarter Final and her hopes of winning a first Grand Slam would have faded a little more.

Before it was too late, Pegula started to find some of her best tennis, but she will be the first to admit that the last three Rounds have not been good enough from a serving perspective. Jessica Pegula is a very good return player, which has made up for the serving problems, but she cannot hope to get away with such a drop in standard against someone who serves as well as Aryna Sabalenka does.

There is also the mental obstacle of having been beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the last two years at the US Open.

Those losses have been in the 2024 Final and the 2025 Semi Final and Jessica Pegula will believe that she should have the last of those matches. However, she ultimately did come up short and has now lost five of the last six hard court matches between these players since August 2024.

The last three of those matches have needed a third set decider, while Jessica Pegula beat Aryna Sabalenka on the grass courts of Berlin in the sole match played between these top WTA players in 2026.

It is a win that will give her confidence, but Jessica Pegula is going to have to dig in and find another level if she is going to beat Aryna Sabalenka on this court.

The service numbers have fallen away dramatically in the last three Rounds and it is very difficult to see how Jessica Pegula can find her way into another US Open Final without improving that part of her game dramatically. That feels unlikely right now and Aryna Sabalenka can take advantage of that to tip the scales in her favour in this big match.

No one can say that Aryna Sabalenka has fully convinced at the US Open having had a difficult year overall, but she is playing at a superior level compared with Jessica Pegula. Those back to back US Open wins over the World Number 3 will also give the top Seed that much more belief in the tighter moments of this Semi Final and that may end up being a key reason for Aryna Sabalenka to reach yet another Final at this Grand Slam.

Elena Rybakina v Coco Gauff: The come from behind win in the Quarter Final means Elena Rybakina has secured the World Number 1 Ranking regardless of how this tournament is concluded. However, she looked to be taking in that achievement in her stride and the focus is on backing up the success at the Australian Open by adding this hard court Grand Slam to the collection.

It is fitting that the top four players in the World Rankings are all involved in the final four at the US Open after Coco Gauff also rallied for a Quarter Final win.

The American is one of two former Champions still in the tournament and Coco Gauff continues to dig deep and win matches even when not at her best. This is a strong character trait and even seeing the run of sets won come to an end did not stop Coco Gauff from believing she could turn the Quarter Final back around.

At the same time, Coco Gauff will be the first to admit that she was not at her best in the win on Wednesday and she will have to improve significantly to beat someone in the form of Elena Rybakina.

Both of these players reached the Final of different WTA 1000 tournaments in the lead up to the US Open, although Coco Gauff won the title in Cincinnati and Elena Rybakina came up a little short in Toronto.

However, Elena Rybakina did beat Coco Gauff in her run in Toronto and used her superior serve to earn the edge in that match.

This has to be the approach to this Semi Final and Elena Rybakina has found her easy power working very well on the New York City hard courts. The performances have been impressive and it is a real surprise that she had not been beyond the Fourth Round at the US Open previously, but Elena Rybakina has looked more comfortable here this year and it is the serve that is going to set things up for her.

Coco Gauff has been serving pretty well herself, but was put under a lot of pressure by Mirra Andreeva in the Quarter Final before turning things around. There is little time between the Quarter Final and Semi Final to make big adjustments and it could be another difficult day for the American with the pressure that Elena Rybakina can create with her own delivery.

The fans are going to give Gauff a boost and this is a player that never knows when they are beaten, which makes her dangerous.

In saying that, Coco Gauff will know she needs to improve significantly on the performance produced against Elena Rybakina last month in Toronto and the future World Number 1 looks the right play. The money has come in on Rybakina which has shifted her from an opening 2.20 outsider to a 1.85 favourite, but she does look to be the right player to back even if Coco Gauff is a fighter who is unlikely to wilt under the lights.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 29-21, + 4.58 Units (100 Units Staked, + 4.58% Yield)

NFL Week 1 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 9th September-Monday 14th September)

Super Bowl LV is in the books and six months have passed in the off-season, which means it is time to go again in the NFL in 2026.

Last season was a strange one with so many of the top teams being held back as injuries piled up, while a number of those involved in the Playoffs can be considered as surprise contenders.

You'd have been hard pressed to find too many people tipping up the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots as the teams that would reach the Super Bowl and that means these teams will be playing under very different pressures in 2026.

Further to those two teams, you could argue that Divisional Winners Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars were all surprising teams to go along with Seattle and New England and all of those mentioned will have to contend with raised expectations.

Going into 2026, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are some of the leading names that will look for a big bounce back season, especially if they can benefit from better health to key players.

Changes have been made by those like the Buffalo Bills who have felt they have hit the ceiling under previous Head Coaches and they are very much one of a number of teams in Super Bowl or Bust mode. You could add the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers to that list!

As has been stated every year, making Super Bowl selections in September can look very foolish by December when injuries and other factors come into play.

The expectation is that it will be a season that is not as impacted by the kind of injuries we saw in 2025 and that should make it another memorable one.

If they can stay healthy, Baltimore Ravens look like a team that could go far, but they are another making a move from a long-term Head Coach like the Buffalo Bills.

Teams like the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans could grow having had Playoff experience, while this might finally be the season when a good looking Dallas Cowboys team can put it all together.

Much like some of the top teams in the NFL, 2025 was a disappointing year for the NFL Picks and so a bounce back is required for the pages as well as for those players heading to the field.

Picks from Week 1 will be added to this thread over the next few days with the rare Wednesday start to the season perhaps catching some unaware. There is a full round of games from Wednesday through to Monday and hopefully this is the start of a very good season both on these pages and across all the Stadiums that will be used heading towards Super Bowl LXI which will be hosted at Sofi Stadium.

Both Los Angeles teams will be hoping to be involved in that Super Bowl in the home Stadium, but the season will begin at the home of the defending Champions.

New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks Pick: Almost exactly six months have passed since the Seattle Seahawks crushed the New England Patriots at Super Bowl LX and the two teams will meet again in Week 1 of the 2026 season.

In a very rare situation, Week 1 will get underway on Wednesday rather than the traditional Thursday, but that is not going to be an excuse for either of these teams that have been retooled for another crack at the Championship.

Despite being the defending Champions, the Seattle Seahawks have to be extremely frustrated that all of the talk ahead of this season has been about NFC West rivals Los Angeles Rams. Big moves have been made by the Rams to try and get past Seattle, and the rest of the NFL, but the Seahawks beat them twice in three games last season and keeping hold of the majority of the Offensive unit has to be a confidence booster.

One who has departed is Super Bowl LV MVP Kenneth Walker III, but the Seahawks are still going to be confident they can run the ball effectively enough to open up the passing game for Sam Darnold at Quarter Back. That was certainly the case in the Super Bowl win, although the Seattle Seahawks will be hoping they have ironed out any lingering issues in converting drives into Touchdowns rather than having to settle for Field Goals.

There will be a confidence about Seattle thanks to the Offensive unit largely being kept together, but there has been a change in the Offensive Co-Ordinator position and that is something the fans may be feeling a little uncertain about. The previous Co-Ordinator, Klint Kubiak, is now the Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, but Brian Fleury will not want to shake things up too much to ease the transition for the team.

The home team can keep this tough New England Defensive unit guessing about what is coming up, although the Patriots will feel they did enough to try and keep the team in the Super Bowl in February.

Instead the pressure will be on the New England Offense to show what they have learned from the huge struggles in the Super Bowl and that has included giving Drake Maye new weapons in the passing game. AJ Brown is the big player coming in from the Philadelphia Eagles and that gives the Quarter Back a legitimate Number 1 Wide Receiver, while bringing in Romeo Doubs looks a smart piece of business.

The Offensive Line has to be able to give Drake Maye time and it will be remembered that Seattle racked up six Sacks in the Super Bowl win.

All of that began from the fact the Seahawks Defensive Line shut down the run and forced Drake Maye into obvious passing situations, which also meant allowing the pass rushers to get out quickly and put the Quarter Back under pressure. The Patriots Offensive Line is healthier than it was in the Super Bowl, but an inability to establish the run could make this another tough experience for a team having to travel across the country for the road opener.

The Seahawks do have some injuries in the Secondary that can be exploited by the Patriots, but it is never easy throwing from third and long spots and Drake Maye will also be well aware of the pressure that is likely to collapse the pocket around him. The Quarter Back is likely to better than he was in the Super Bowl, but that may not be enough to bridge the double digit gap that the final scoreboard showed in February.

Super Bowl rematches in the following season have been won by the same team that picked up the Championship on nine of twelve occasions it has occurred and Seattle are very good at home.

New England should be better this season as a team, although unlikely to match the regular season record of 2025, but this is a very tough opener and a late play or two made by the Seattle pass rushers may end up being the difference on the day.

The Seahawks finished 8-2 at home in 2025 on the way to the Super Bowl success and they look capable of winning this one by around a Touchdown mark.

Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers Pick: Much like so many other sports, the NFL are continuing to expand their appeal well outside of the North American borders.

In the last several years, it has become common place for the NFL to play a handful of regular season games in Europe with Germany and Spain added to the games played in London.

However, Week 1 will see two NFC West rivals travel around 8000 miles to Melbourne, Australia to open the 2026 season when the Los Angeles Rams 'host' the San Francisco 49ers. The game is going to be played in the morning as far as the local time is concerned, but that will keep this is kick off at around the usual Thursday Night Football time slot as far as those in the United States are concerned.

This is going to be another challenge for experienced Head Coaches who know that Week 1 can be a difficult game regardless, but adding the travel time to Melbourne only makes it that much harder to plan. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers have headed over a few days before Sean McVay and the Rams and it is a game that is going to be as much about acclimatisation as it is about the quality on the field.

Both teams made the post-season in 2025 and that underlines the strong units that both have, although the Rams are the favourites to win the Super Bowl having added Myles Garrett in a trade from the Cleveland Browns and then seeing Aaron Donald come out of retirement to play alongside the top Defensive player in the NFL.

Aaron Donald will not be travelling for this game, but the Los Angeles Rams still look really strong having retained the core of the Offensive starters and added that strength on the Defensive Line. They may be arriving in Melbourne for a short business trip, but the Rams are arriving in pretty good shape and good health is very important for any team that wants to win the Super Bowl.

Injuries have become an ongoing issue for this San Francisco 49ers team that has experience and strong units on both sides of the ball, but also an ageing team that may struggle to shake off those problems. Nick Bosa and George Kittle are returning after serious injuries from the 2025 season, but both are still pretty limited, while the 49ers Defensive Line may not be as strong as hoped in this Week 1 contest.

This could mean the 49ers struggle to prevent the Rams from finding a good balance in the plays being called on the Offensive side of the ball, while veteran Quarter Back Matthew Stafford continues to operate at a really high level. He is certainly not ready to hand over to the surprising First Round Draft Pick made by the Rams when selecting Ty Simpson and the likelihood is that Stafford has a very strong opening game.

San Francisco will be expecting plenty from their own Offensive unit this season as Brock Purdy returns at Quarter Back with a shiny new weapon in Mike Evans at Wide Receiver. However, the news that Ricky Pearsall will miss the season and Christian Kirk is ruled out of Week 1 will have really stung and may just make things a bit more difficult for the 49ers in what could develop into another shootout between these rivals.

Fans will not be happy that the Rams have given up home field advantage for this Divisional clash, but Los Angeles have lost three of the last four when hosting San Francisco, including last season. Three straight road wins over the 49ers suggests it will not be a massive problem for Sean McVay's team and they do deserve the edge as long as the plan to arrive as late as they are does not completely backfire.

Melbourne should enjoy a really good show and one that the Los Angeles  Rams can win with a cover of this handicap number set.

MY PICKS: Seattle Seahawks - 3 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Los Angeles Rams - 3.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

US Open Day 11 Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 9th September)

Day 10 at the US Open proved to be a tough day for the selections, but the tight margins all seemingly went against the Tennis Picks made and that can happen.

Aryna Sabalenka won considerably more points than Linda Noskova, but lost more games than her opponent thanks to some wasteful moments on the Break Points and Jessica Pegula was also guilty of missing big opportunities to control her Quarter Final before eventually pushing through to the last four.

The Frances Tiafoe comeback began a set too late, but the frustration added up when thinking there was just enough juice in the Carlos Alcaraz performance to put me off backing Ben Shelton in some capacity.

Never mind, these things happen and the key is to try and remain focused and look for better results as the Quarter Finals are completed on Day 11 at the tournament.

A huge opportunity has opened up in the Men's tournament with Alcaraz joining Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner out of this Grand Slam, while the last three days of WTA action should be very special considering the talent and quality that has made it to this stage of the US Open.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Botic Van De Zandschulp: The third set might have been more competitive than the previous two, but Alexander Zverev will simply be pleased to have gotten through the Fourth Round match in straight sets.

That makes it seven straight sets won at the US Open and back to back straight sets wins means Alexander Zverev should have plenty of energy to take into the final few days in New York City. He is a considerable favourite to come through the top half of the draw as the top Seed and Alexander Zverev will be confident he can go one better than previously at the US Open and win a second Grand Slam in 2026.

Conserving some energy in the last couple of Rounds after back to back five setters will really help and the big question around this Quarter Final has to be about the fitness of Botic Van De Zandschulp.

The World Number 70 has had a very different tournament compared with Alexander Zverev.

Botic Van De Zandschulp began with consecutive straight sets wins, but he was 2-1 behind in sets in the Third Round before rallying in over four and a half hours to earn a spot in the Fourth Round. The Dutchman reached the Quarter Final at the US Open in his debut at the tournament in 2021, but Botic Van De Zandschulp has made one Fourth Round since then and had not made that stage of any Grand Slam in sixteen previous attempts.

It made that win in the Third Round really important, but Botic Van De Zandschulp went one better in the Fourth Round by recovering from losing the opening two sets, saving Match Point and breaking serve at the end of the fourth set before eventually completing a huge comeback against Arthur Gea. That Fourth Round match was won in five hours and eighteen minutes and the 30 year old looked absolutely shattered by the end, which makes that question about recovery so important.

Even if he was fully healthy, Botic Van De Zandschulp would be a big underdog against the World Number 2.

His serve can be an important weapon, but Van De Zandschulp has been broken fourteen times in the last two matches and you do have to believe that is partly down to the fatigue building up. The record on the hard courts this summer has been decent without being spectacular, and Botic Van De Zandschulp will have to find something special to overcome the challenger across the other side of the net.

Alexander Zverev looks to be peaking towards the weekend and he is serving well enough to keep the unseeded player under pressure and eventually the French Open Champion should be able to exploit any mental and physical tiredness felt by Botic Van De Zandschulp to earn a solid Quarter Final win.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: Fifteen months ago, Qinwen Zheng was the World Number 4 and the young player looked like being the next first time Grand Slam Winner on the WTA Tour.

Injuries have blighted her progress over that time period since entering the top five and that meant Qinwen Zheng entered the US Open as the World Number 121. She could not use a Protected Ranking after rushing back in 2025 to try and take part in Beijing, and that has meant entering the Qualifiers here at the US Open.

Three matches were won to reach the main draw, but Qinwen Zheng has used that momentum to move through the draw with some stunning wins already behind her. Beating Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek would have been considerable achievements anyway, but doing so having recovered from huge deficits within sets played has only added to the sporting drama.

Qinwen Zheng is a confident player and she cannot be dismissed as a threat to win it all from here.

The 23 year old has always been comfortable on the hard courts and she will take added confidence from the fact she has pushed Elena Rybakina twice this season, even if she ultimately did come up short both times.

There is a huge carrot at the end of this Quarter Final match for Elena Rybakina- a win here and she will be guaranteed to become the new World Number 1, although it still feels a matter of time before she reaches the summit of the WTA Rankings. The World Number 2 has clearly been able to focus on the matches as they have come up at the US Open and Elena Rybakina has shown how capable she is of backing up the Australian Open success by picking up another hard court Grand Slam here in New York City.

Winning the Grand Slam will feel more important than the World Ranking and Elena Rybakina showed against Naomi Osaka how effective she can be against some of the other big hitters on the Tour. The serve is a key weapon to create scoreboard pressure and Rybakina has heavy groundstrokes that can push any opponent back behind the baseline, including Qinwen Zheng.

The latter looked to be running close to empty in the gas tank before rallying for a good win over Iga Swiatek in the Fourth Round, but this is another big test for Qinwen Zheng.

She has shown she can stand up to Elena Rybakina, but the amount of tennis that has been played over the last several days cannot be ignored and the higher Ranked player may end up showing off a superior serve, which can pave the way for a place in the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Mirra Andreeva: The former US Open Champion produced a clinical display to beat a young compatriot in the Fourth Round and Coco Gauff will have eyes on winning the title in New York City for a second time, which may also be enough to secure the World Number 1 Ranking for the first time.

By the time she steps onto the court, the Number 1 Ranking may be beyond her for another week and that may actually help Coco Gauff focus all the more in trying to win this Grand Slam.

It has been a strong year in the Majors with Coco Gauff reaching a third Quarter Final at this level and becoming the youngest American player to do that in over twenty years. Ultimately the ambition is to turn one of these runs into a first Grand Slam title since the French Open in June 2025 and Coco Gauff is playing with a huge amount of confidence right now.

Beating Iva Jovic in straight sets means Coco Gauff has won twenty sets in succession on the hard courts as she looks to back up the Cincinnati title by taking home the big prize in New York City on Saturday afternoon. The numbers have been really impressive throughout her time at the US Open and Coco Gauff is also going to take a huge amount of confidence from the fact she has beaten Mirra Andreeva in all five professional matches.

While Coco Gauff is searching for a first Grand Slam title in 2026, Mirra Andreeva is the French Open Champion taking over that title from the player she is facing in the Quarter Final here.

Mirra Andreeva will be the first to admit that she was not at her best in the Fourth Round and the World Number 5 has yet to find the consistency she would like on the hard courts.

Winning four matches here will have given Mirra Andreeva a boost, but her numbers have been declining in each Round compared with the one before and that is not going to cut it against the beloved American standing across the other side of the net.

Serving well is going to be all important for Mirra Andreeva, but she has lost her last five hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents and she has not been able to get into return games as much as she would have wanted in those matches either.

These two have not met on the hard courts since the 2023 US Open when Coco Gauff showed she still had too much experience for Mirra Andreeva.

It is a gap that has certainly shrunk now, but Coco Gauff may have a bit more consistency out of the serve and that can ultimately pave the way for another Semi Final spot for the World Number 4.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 27-20, + 3.48 Units (94 Units Staked, + 3.70% Yield)

US Open Day 10 Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 8th September)

Once you get into the Quarter Final Round at any Grand Slam, the excitement levels will pick up naturally, but this feels like a very special day for the host nation.

One American Semi Finalist is guaranteed in both the Men's and Women's tournament by the end of the day's schedule and that is going to bring about an intense, exciting atmosphere when both of those Quarter Final matches are played between compatriots.

Those who have tickets for either Session on Arthur Ashe on Day 10 will also have the fortune of seeing either the World Number 1 and two time defending US Open Champion in Aryna Sabalenka taking on the Ladies Champion from Wimbledon or they will have another American player hoping to book a spot at in the final four at the expense of the defending Men's Champion.

This is going to be a truly brilliant day for Tennis fans both in attendance in New York City or tuning in from home.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Linda Noskova: Keeping hold of the World Number 1 position is out of Aryna Sabalenka's hands right now, but the only focus within the team will be winning a first Grand Slam of 2026. That has to be ambition of the Belarusian in every season, but 2026 has proved to be a difficult year in the Majors and that has meant Sabalenka has had to face plenty of questions from the media.

Her frustration has shown at the US Open, but the tennis doing most of the talking and Aryna Sabalenka has made her way through the draw with some confidence.

There is room for improvement considering Aryna Sabalenka has yet to be tested at the tournament, despite moving through to the Quarter Final. Two of the four wins have been against players Ranked outside of the top 100, while the other two wins have been against the World Number 59 and World Number 92.

The losses in Toronto and Cincinnati to players that Aryna Sabalenka would have expected to beat would have really hurt, and the current World Number 1 will be well aware that she has to serve better than she did in the Fourth Round if she is going to win a third straight US Open title.

It is also a fact that the level of opponent is lifted greatly in this Quarter Final when Aryna Sabalenka prepares to face the Wimbledon Champion Linda Noskova.

Not many would be surprised to note that Linda Noskova only had a 2-2 record on the hard courts in the build up to the US Open after skipping much of the summer after the success in London. She opened her bid to win a second Grand Slam by winning consecutive matches in straight sets, but Linda Noskova has needed to go the distance in each of the last two Rounds and the Czech youngster has spent a considerable amount of court in those matches.

Linda Noskova edged past Marta Kostyuk after a battle in the Fourth Round, and she will also feel there is room for improvement in terms of consistency of the serve.

It also feels more important for Linda Noskova to pick up the serving numbers compared with Aryna Sabalenka and that is mainly down to the fact that the former has not been as effective on the return. She has had the stronger wins to make it through to the Quarter Final, especially the win over Marta Kostyuk in the last Round, but Linda Noskova has won 41% of return points played on the hard courts this season and this remains a part of her tennis that does need to be improved.

Earlier this season, Aryna Sabalenka's serve proved to be a key difference in helping her beat Linda Noskova in the Indian Wells Semi Final.

This Quarter Final may also be determined by that aspect of the each other's game and the current World Number 1 may be able to produce her most impressive win of the 2026 US Open by taking out the Wimbledon Champion.

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 games v Emma Navarro: One American is guaranteed to be playing in the US Open Semi Final and it may take something special for that to be Emma Navarro rather than Jessica Pegula.

She may be the oldest player in the top six of the World Rankings, but Jessica Pegula continues to operate at a very good level and she is very, very comfortable on the hard courts. Earlier this season, Jessica Pegula reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open, but she has thrived in the hectic environment of New York City and has been a Finalist here in 2024 and Semi Finalist in 2025.

Jessica Pegula has won the most Grand Slam matches at the US Open and she has dropped a single set to reach the Quarter Final.

Her opening two victories in the tournament came in dominant fashion, but Jessica Pegula has been struggling to get on top of her serve in the last couple of Rounds. Despite that, the return has continued to be a big part of her tennis and Pegula has broken serve four times in each of her four wins.

Emma Navarro had reached the Quarter Final or Semi Final at three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments between July 2024 and January 2025 and it is no surprise that she hit her peak career World Ranking during that period. It has been much tougher for her since then having reached the Fourth Round at one of the last six Grand Slams played before Emma Navarro put this unexpected run together at the US Open.

Her best Grand Slam result was right here in New York City two years ago and Emma Navarro had given Aryna Sabalenka a tough time, but there had been little sign of this kind of success being put together at a Major. Results in the build up to the US Open had been largely disappointing, but Emma Navarro should be credited for showing improvement in each passing Round of this tournament.

Those improved performances have been needed as the competition has ramped up and will give Navarro fans a lot of confidence.

However, Jessica Pegula has not minded this match up and earned a pretty straightforward win over Emma Navarro in Cincinnati last month.

It is the second solid win over her compatriot on the hard courts within the last twelve months and Jessica Pegula has proven to be the superior return player in those head to head contests.

Emma Navarro will point out that she has created plenty of Break Points of her own against the Pegula serve, but it is the World Number 3 who has been able to create a few more opportunities. Ultimately that has proven to be the difference between them, which can be credited to Jessica Pegula being able to protect the second serve with a little more success compared with the World Number 27.

The lower Ranked player has slowed the slide down the World Rankings with her run here, but Jessica Pegula has all of the qualities needed to find a way to control this match and earn her spot in the final four at the 2026 US Open.

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 sets v Alex Michelsen: The Women's tournament is guaranteed to have one American Semi Finalist and the same can be said for the Men's draw with the winner of this one heading into the final four.

Out of the American players on the Tour, you'd have to say that Alex Michelsen being in this position is the surprise.

Like many of his compatriots, Alex Michelsen is more than comfortable on the hard courts, but this is a player who reached the Quarter Final in Washington before relatively early defeats in Montreal and Cincinnati. A Challenger success will have given Alex Michelsen confidence, but he would have been pretty far down the shortlist of American players that could make it through to the final four of the home Grand Slam.

After reaching the Final in Cincinnati, more of a case could be made for Frances Tiafoe who has also enjoyed his time in New York City in the past. The World Number 12 is a two time US Open Semi Finalist and has also reached the Quarter Final here so any run that Frances Tiafoe has been able to put together is far less surprising than the one Alex Michelsen has produced.

There will be the added factor of knowing a win here would take Frances Tiafoe into his career best World Ranking well inside the top ten.

However, the opportunity to win a Grand Slam has to be the main motivator and Frances Tiafoe has beaten the highest Ranked opponent in the run to the Quarter Final when he saw off Daniil Medvedev in the Fourth Round.

Alex Michelsen will not be lacking of confidence with an important win over Brandon Nakashima under his belt and he will certainly feel he is serving well enough to give himself a chance.

The key may be to reverse the negative trajectory of his success on the return, but that will be challenging against someone like Frances Tiafoe who continues to perform above the level that the numbers may state. The higher Ranked of the two American players has been returning with more consistency than Alex Michelsen and that has proven to be the difference when these two have met two previous times on the Tour.

It does feel the return will be key again and Frances Tiafoe will be grateful he got off the court in straight sets in the Fourth Round after a grind. That should give him the time he needs to be refreshed and the expectation is that he can win a few more big points that can be the margin needed for success or failure in what is expected to be a very competitive match.

Win enough of those big points and it can lead to the sets needed and Frances Tiafoe can earn his victory through superior experience and perhaps a tie-breaker or two to avoid having to go really long in this Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 27-17, + 9.48 Units (88 Units Staked, + 10.77% Yield)

US Open Day 9 Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 7th September)

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the tumbling of the Men's Seeds at the US Open, but it has felt like the top of the ATP Tour is dominated by three names right now and with everyone else playing catch up.

Even including Alexander Zverev alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may not be for everyone, but the German is a Grand Slam Champion in 2026 and that deserves respect.

However, below those three players, you could make an argument that very little separates Felix Auger Aliassime in the World Number 4 spot and Jiri Lehecka down in World Number 24.

That leaves those players vulnerable to upsets.

And while you do not want to single players out, Alex De Minaur is someone who has been a feature of the top ten for a while and who is looking to reach the ATP Finals for a third straight year, but who has never played in the Semi Final of any Grand Slam.

That kind of highlights the lack of high quality depth on the Men's Tour, although it does mean the tournaments will feel wide open to a surprise run or two even as the likes of Zverev, Sinner and Alcaraz continue to make their passage through the tournament.

Some may say that is being overcritical, but it has been a criticism aimed at the top of the WTA Tour for a long time.

This year the top names have been more consistent in Grand Slams, although a surprising winner continues to pop up as Linda Noskova showed at Wimbledon.

However, the young Czech player looks like someone who will be aiming to join the elite of the WTA Tour and she remains involved at the US Open having already earned her spot in the Quarter Final.

That means that while five of the top 20 of the Men's Rankings remain in the draw at the final Grand Slam of the season, the Women's tournament has seven of the top nine and nine of the top 20 still fighting it out for the title.

All of the top six in the current World Rankings are still in the tournament and the WTA looks in a good place when noting that five of those players are under 29 years old and it is a list that does not include Iga Swiatek who is 25 years old and the current World Number 9!

The middle of the US Open saw a dip in the early tournament form for the Tennis Picks, but the weekend has produced a recovery to get the number back into a very healthy position.

Nothing has been achieved yet with seven days remaining in New York City, but the momentum is back behind the selections and that is hopefully something that can be built upon as the Quarter Final lineup is confirmed at the end of Monday's play.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Luciano Darderi: If you were to look at the Luciano Darderi record on the hard courts over the last couple of years, you would expect this player to one of the more vulnerable Seeds in the early Rounds at the Australian Open and US Open. He is playing in New York City as the Number 21 Seed, but Luciano Darderi has perhaps surprisingly made the second week at the US Open, which surpasses the run to the Third Round from 2025.

It also comes in the same year in which Luciano Darderi reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open, although there is a real difference in the level of opponent that the Italian has had to beat in Melbourne compared with this tournament.

As the draw has opened up around Luciano Darderi, it has also meant he has not had to beat anyone Ranked inside the top 100 in the opening three Rounds at the US Open. Unsurprisingly he has made pretty comfortable passage through those matches, but it also has to be questioned whether he has had the toughness of challenge to be ready to compete with some of the very best players on the Tour.

The top Seed and French Open Champion Alexander Zverev is next up and the World Number 2 will be very happy to have come through the Third Round match in straight sets. He has already played consecutive five set matches in the first couple of Rounds at the US Open and that accumulation of tennis is always a concern, but Alexander Zverev can make decent recovery if he can back up his Third Round win by putting another comfortable victory on the board.

He is certainly the superior hard court player of the two competing, although Luciano Darderi will take confidence from having beaten Alexander Zverev on the Rome clay courts in the lead up to the French Open.

Scheduling this Fourth Round match for the second of the Night Session matches on Arthur Ashe may actually suit Luciano Darderi with the court likely to play a little slower than it would do in the heat of the day.

That has to be a concern for those backing Alexander Zverev, but he should be the more comfortable in the match and the performance in the Third Round is encouraging. The serving numbers on the hard courts can be a big difference in favour of the top Seed in the Men's draw and there is an expectation that the German may end up finding the breaks of serve needed to cover this handicap.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: When these two compatriots met on the clay courts of Linz earlier this year, Anastasia Potapova made a very fast start and too the first set, but Mirra Andreeva recovered to win that match in three sets.

That was a tournament played in the build up to the French Open, which was eventually won by Mirra Andreeva, and the World Number 5 has yet to drop a set on her way to the Fourth Round of the US Open for the first time. The first five sets have all been won in dominant fashion, but Mirra Andreeva had to hold herself together to win a tie-breaker to avoid a third deciding set in the Third Round win.

No one can really complain about the numbers being produced by Mirra Andreeva on the hard courts, although she has struggled against the elite players. To win another Grand Slam, that will have to change, but Mirra Andreeva will take a lot of confidence into this Fourth Round match knowing she has an 18-3 record on the hard courts against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

The first serve has been really effective in those matches and Mirra Andreeva wins 50% of return points played, which will always give her a chance if producing that kind of form again.

Further confidence will be taken from the fact that Andreeva has beaten Anastasia Potapova twice in Grand Slam events at Wimbledon in 2023 and, more notably, here at the US Open last year. That was a match that ended 6-1, 6-3 in favour of Mirra Andreeva, although Anastasia Potapova has been able to move from World Number 53 twelve months ago into World Number 25 at the 2026 US Open.

Anastasia Potapova has not been at her consistent best on the hard courts this year and had a losing record on the surface before the US Open began, but three wins have turned that around. The opening two wins were against opponents Ranked outside of the top 100, but it is the Potapova win over Amanda Anisimova in the Third Round that will have provided a huge shot of confidence.

Before the win over Anisimova, Anastasia Potapova had lost all four matches against top 20 Ranked opponents and the last three defeats had seen her crumble away on the scoreboard.

Diana Shnaider beat Anastasia Potapova for the loss of three games in Washington, but Elina Svitolina was even more dominant having dropped two games in Toronto.

Serving well is going to be absolutely key for Anastasia Potapova, but she will do well to keep Mirra Andreeva at bay and that will mean pressure on the former to pick up her levels on the return.

It all looks unlikely though and Mirra Andreeva can win and cover this handicap mark.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Iva Jovic: After coming through an intense Third Round match, Iva Jovic will be hoping the experience will be something that can aid the development of her career.

At 18 years old, Iva Jovic is already playing at a peak career World Ranking mark just outside of the top 10 and it has been a strong year for the teenager. Results at Grand Slams will stick out the most and Iva Jovic has reached the Quarter Final at the Australian Open, Third Round at the French Open and Fourth Round at Wimbledon before moving into the second week here at the US Open.

There is so much to like about the Iva Jovic game, but the exciting part of her future is that there are also clear areas to improve.

The serve will naturally develop as she continues to grow, while Jovic will be looking to show she can compete consistently with top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. Iva Jovic does have a 2-3 record in those matches after beating Alexandra Eala in the Third Round, but those matches have been challenging for the youngster and there is also a question about whether she will have the time to recover from an exhausting win in the last Round.

Experience is something that Coco Gauff is not lacking and the World Number 4 cannot really ask to come into this Fourth Round match in much better form.

Not only has she won nine matches in a row, which includes winning the Cincinnati Masters, but Coco Gauff has won eighteen sets in succession. The three wins produced at the US Open have been comfortable enough, but Coco Gauff is also yet to have peaked and that makes her dangerous at a Grand Slam where she has had so much success previously.

Coco Gauff is a former Champion in New York City, although back to back Fourth Round defeats is something of a concern.

Playing to open up the Night Session on Arthur Ashe should suit Coco Gauff and there is a feeling she should be the fresher of the two players.

They have faced one another in Rome on the clay courts and Iva Jovic did give Coco Gauff as good as she got before fading in the final set decider.

As long as Coco Gauff is not overthinking her record at the US Open over the last two years, the higher Ranked of these two young compatriots can edge over Iva Jovic and do just enough to cover this handicap mark laid out. 

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

US Open Update: 25-14, + 12.60 Units (78 Units Staked, + 16.15% Yield)