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)

US Open Day 8 Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 6th September)

It has been one of those weekends when time has been a major factor and so only the selections from Day 8 at the US Open will be placed here and those can be read below.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 William Hill (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

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

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 20-13, + 7.28 Units (66 Units Staked, + 11.03% Yield)

European Tour 12- Czech Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 6th September)

The European Tour 12 event being played in Czechia will be concluded across two Sessions on Sunday with the Third Round all set to be completed during the day.

Big names have moved into the last day and the likes of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will always be the players to beat.

However, the shorter formats of the European Tour means they can be vulnerable and that is what the other players will be hoping to exploit, at least before the Semi Final and Final. Even the best of thirteen and best of fifteen formats are short enough for an upset to occur, but it is all about peaking at the right time on a long day.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Andrew Gilding: All credit has to be given to Andrew Gilding for the performance he put together to beat Nathan Aspinall, but another level may be needed if he is going to get through the Third Round.

Not only is he is facing one of the top players on the Tour, but Luke Humphries put in a strong performance to beat Beau Greaves in the last Round.

Five maximums were thrown in that win and Humphries may do enough to edge the Match Double.

Respect has to be given to Andrew Gilding having thrown four maximums of his own to get the better of Nathan Aspinall, but Luke Humphries won a Players Championship title recently and is producing the kind of form that should see him move through to the Quarter Final behind more maximum hitting.

Jonny Clayton to win & most 180s v Keane Barry: Some of the recent meetings between Jonny Clayton and Keane Barry have been competitive, although it is the Welshman who has held himself together at key moments.

It has been two years since the last of those matches, but Jonny Clayton is playing at a very good level throughout 2026 and will be looking to make a big impact at upcoming Ranking events.

Keane Barry overcame the five maximums Chris Dobey hit against him in the Second Round, but Jonny Clayton is playing with more consistency than the man from the North East of England.

He is likely going to be outscored in that category, but Jonny Clayton's finishing should also be key in getting him through in a competitive outing.

MY PICKS: Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Most 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Czech Darts Open: 3-3, - 0.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 1.50% Yield)

US Open Day 7 Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 5th September)

The US Open continues into the Fourth Round from Sunday, but the Third Round has to be completed before the second week begins.

There will be longer threads in the days ahead, but for now, only the selections will be placed for Day 7, which can be seen below.

MY PICKS; Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iva Jovic @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

US Open Update: 17-11, + 6.26 Units (56 Units Staked, + 11.18% Yield)

European Tour 12- Czech Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 5th September)

The Czech Darts Open continues with the Seeded players joining the tournament... It is a weekend where the personal life has to take over and that means only the Picks from the day.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Czech Darts Open: 1-2, - 1.09 Units (3 Units Staked, - 36.33% Yield)

US Open Day 6 Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 4th September)

The US Open continues into the Third Round over the next couple of days and the tournament is back on track after the rain delays earlier in the week.

Another potentially wet week is coming up, but two courts with a roof should make sure the tournament is completed on time and without too much impact on the schedule of the Singles players hoping to pick up titles next weekend.

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 sets v Valentin Vacherot: Despite two 2026 Grand Slam Champions still being involved in the draw at the US Open, there is still a feeling that the Men's tournament remains wide open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev will be the favourites with the layers, but a number of players have to be competing in New York City filled with belief that they can become a Major Champion.

Both of those players mentioned will receive plenty of support, but the American audience is always ready to get behind the home players and Frances Tiafoe is about as popular as any of his compatriots. The World Number 12 reached the Final at the Cincinnati Masters and has managed to come through the opening two Rounds at the US Open by winning some key points at critical times.

He will appreciate winning the Second Round match in straight sets having needed all five sets to come through the opening match and Frances Tiafoe is comfortable in this setting where his best Grand Slam results have been produced. Two Semi Final runs and a Quarter Final in between will give Frances Tiafoe plenty of confidence even if his 2025 US Open ended at this Third Round stage.

Frances Tiafoe will grind for everything he earns and he will need to dig in against Valentin Vacherot who has produced some solid hard court numbers in the previous two years.

Injury has been a factor in the slight slide out of the top 20 in the World Rankings, but Valentin Vacherot has won a couple of matches at the US Open to pick up some vital Ranking Points ahead of a big defence of the Shanghai Masters title won last year. This run has been relatively unexpected considering Vacherot had lost his opening match at both Montreal and Cincinnati and he is going to have to find a way to get himself into return games to see if he can put pressure on the home player.

Valentin Vacherot's two wins in this tournament have been against players Ranked 84 and 73 and this is a big step up compared to that level of opponent.

He has a serve that can cause problems for any opponent as everyone found out in Shanghai last year, but Frances Tiafoe can battle and dig and eventually he should have enough to move through in three or four sets in this Third Round match.

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 sets v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Earlier this season, Jiri Lehecka reached the Miami Masters Final, but he has not had a lot of consistent success on the hard courts in 2026. Even in the build up to the US Open, Jiri Lehecka reached the Fourth Round in Montreal and was beaten in the Third Round in Cincinnati, but the World Number 19 has won his two matches in New York City without being pushed too hard.

With that said, Jiri Lehecka will know that the next opponent may be Ranked outside of the top 50, but one who has reached the Semi Final on three different occasions at the Australian Open.

Unfortunately for Stefanos Tsitsipas, his hard court Grand Slam level at the US Open is considerably poorer than the one he has managed to put together in Melbourne, and reaching the Third Round is as good as it has gotten in New York City.

He is back in the Third Round after an upset over Arthur Fils and then being able to back that up by beating Lloyd Harris in the Second Round. Stefanos Tsitsipas is another who had been struggling for consistent form in the build up to the US Open, although his issues have been season-long which has contributed to the slip down the World Rankings.

Both Jiri Lehecka and Stefanos Tsitsipas are going to be well aware that they need to serve well in this match- this has been the basis of any hard court success they have had this season.

However, the key to the outcome of this match is whether Stefanos Tsitsipas can maintain a solid return game, which has been a struggle all year. The win over Arthur Fils will give him confidence, but Tsitsipas has only broken in 13% of return games played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before this tournament began.

Jiri Lehecka has an aggressive return game and he should have the edge on the return, while the last two meetings between these two players were back in 2024 when Stefanos Tsitsipas was Ranked considerably higher.

Those Rankings have flipped now and Jiri Lehecka will take confidence from having won the previous two matches against Stefanos Tsitsipas and doing so in pretty dominant style.

Pressure will have ramped up with a place in the second week on the line, but Jiri Lehecka can find a way to edge through some tight sets and eventually move into the Fourth Round with a win in three or four sets.

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 games v Yibing Wu: It is never going to be easy facing someone who has such a big game as Jaime Faria and Yibing Wu will know exactly how Carlos Alcaraz was feeling seeing as he lost a Second Qualifying Round match against Faria at the Cincinnati Masters.

The defending Champion took a bit of time to find his feet, but he cruised through the next three sets having dropped the opener and Carlos Alcaraz looks about as good as could be hoped after the long layoff from the Tour.

He will also be pretty happy that this little section of the draw has opened up and Carlos Alcaraz is going to be a big favourite to win this Third Round match. Playing at a high level at a Grand Slam event is something we have become very accustomed to seeing from the Spaniard and he has won the last two hard court Majors and that will give Alcaraz real aura any time he steps onto the court.

Yibing Wu has won back to back matches in straight sets, which will have given him a huge amount of confidence, although he will note that this is a significantly tougher challenge than those faced in the previous two Rounds. Neither opponent beaten has been Ranked inside the top 70, although both above Wu himself, and now the World Number 113 has to step up and take on a multiple time Slam Winner.

He had shown little form ahead of the US Open with a Second Round run in a Challenger event and then failing to Qualify for the Cincinnati Masters. An opening Round defeat in Winston Salem has just underlined where Yibing Wu is with his tennis and it is going to take a special effort to keep this one competitive.

Some heart can be taken from the fact that Yibing Wu pushed Carlos Alcaraz when they met at the Shanghai Masters in 2024, but there will be a different intensity about meeting the World Number 3 in a Grand Slam event.

Yibing Wu has struggled to earn breaks of serve when facing some of the top players on the Tour on the hard courts and his own serve. has not been nearly as effective as he would have hoped.

Over this format, you have to believe Carlos Alcaraz can turn the screw as he has been able to do in the Second Round and he may just find the breaks needed to secure a cover of this handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik-Tommy Paul Over 39.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 14-7, + 8.76 Units (42 Units Staked, + 20.86% Yield)

European Tour 12- Czech Darts Open Day 1 Picks (Friday 4th September)

Another European Tour success for Ross Smith will have made up for a disappointing couple of efforts in the World Series events played in Australia and New Zealand and this is a player who has big ambitions to join the elite players of the PDC Tour much more regularly next season.

Earning a spot in the Premier League will not be easy, but there are some opportunities coming up in which the players can impress as the Majors round out the calendar year.

Before we get to that, there is another European Tour event to be played this week at the Czech Darts Open and this is a big event that has both Luke Littler and Luke Humphries involved.

Those two are amongst sixteen Seeds that will join the event on Day 2, but the First Round has to be completed before that can happen.

Two Sessions are to be played on Friday and there are some very good names in action as they bid to join the Seeded players in the Second Round.

Last week proved to be a decent tournament for the Darts Picks, but the key is to build momentum between now and the World Championships and try and get the 2026 season turned around.

Joe Cullen - 1.5 legs v Stephen Burton: The disappointment of exiting the last European Tour event in a whitewash defeat should have subsided and Joe Cullen can begin another tournament with a victory in the First Round.

He got the better of Adam Leek last week and Cullen is playing an opponent who has been struggling for any consistency on the floor.

Of course you have to credit Stephen Burton for Qualifying for the Czech Darts Open, but he has lost six of his last seven matches played in the Players Championship events. That will have dented some of the confidence and this is a First Round match that feels all about Joe Cullen and the attitude he brings to the stage.

If that is right, Joe Cullen should have enough to earn his place amongst the Seeds, much like he did last week.

Luke Woodhouse - 1.5 legs v Connor Scutt: No one needs to be reminded of how good Connor Scutt can be on his day, but he had a miserable time on the European Tour last week.

That makes it six losses in the last eight matches played and Connor Scutt was not able to get anything going on the stage in Budapest.

Moving to the Czech Darts Open may give Scutt the change of scenery he needs, but he will also know he will have to be a lot better to compete with Luke Woodhouse.

A European Tour title has been won by Luke Woodhouse this season and he lost a very high quality match last week to Rob Cross. He will be well aware that similar levels will lead to a lot more wins than losses going forward and he may have too much for Connor Scutt who is battling to move through his slump in form.

Beau Greaves to win & most 180s v Daryl Gurney: The winner of this First Round match is going to be facing Luke Humphries in the Second Round on Saturday.

So many will be hoping that Beau Greaves is the player who is facing the World Number 2, but the layers are also anticipating her getting the better of Daryl Gurney on current form.

Beau Greaves is a very good maximum hitter and produced a strong average in losing to Rob Cross last week, and that is the kind of level that can be too much for Daryl Gurney to handle.

The Northern Irishman is going to be highly motivated knowing he is the underdog and he handled the occasion just well enough to edge past Greaves at the World Championship. That was won over a longer format, while Daryl Gurney has not been in the kind of form to believe he will be able to recover from a slow start in this First Round match.

An early defeat last week in Hungary will have hurt and Beau Greaves is capable of completing the Match Double on her path through to the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Joe Cullen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Beau Greaves to Win & Most 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 122-152, - 17.20 Units (271 Units Staked, - 6.35% Yield)

US Open Day 5 Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 3rd September)

After moving a double break ahead in the deciding set and then missing multiple Match Points at 5-3, Elina Svitolina ultimately secured a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win, which meant missing the cover by a single game.

The reality is that she should have covered and that would have made it eight selections and eight winners.

But most would take 7-1 and that is certainly the case here.

It all means the opening four days of the US Open could not have gone much better, but it is only the opening four days.

At Grand Slams earlier this season, strong starts were not maintained as effectively as hoped and building on this foundation is the challenge over the remainder of this tournament.

Most of the big names continue to make relatively comfortable progress through the opening Rounds in New York City, although dumb questions from journalists continues to be a huge feature of the sport. While you do get some awkward exchanges in other sports, it seems particularly common in tennis pressers at Grand Slams and that was the case for the likes of Rafael Jodar and Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.

The latter looked incredibly frustrated with the way questions were framed before being posed to her and Aryna Sabalenka had every right to voice that frustration.

At least her tennis on the court is producing as she would like, but there are plenty of challengers scattered in this tournament and many players are going to feel they have the qualities needed to be picking up the Championship trophy in a little over a week from now.

Hopefully by that time, the US Open Picks will be in a really strong position to add a positive number to the season totals as well.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 sets v Karen Khachanov: As the World Number 4 and 2025 US Open Semi Finalist, Felix Auger Aliassime has to arrive in New York City filled with real confidence about what can be achieved here.

However, so much of his game is about the mental attitude being right and Felix Auger Aliassime has been critical of himself for some of the Grand Slam exits suffered and the manner of those exits. There is going to be extra pressure put on himself by himself, but Auger Aliassime has had limited competitive tennis in the lead up to the US Open and needed four sets to get past the World Number 85 in the First Round.

There may have been a hope that Felix Auger Aliassime could work his way into this Grand Slam, but that is not going to be the case in the Second Round when going up against Karen Khachanov.

The 30 year is the World Number 50 entering the US Open, but Karen Khachanov has reached the Semi Final at both the Australian and US Open previously, while he has a couple of Quarter Final appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Any player with that kind of experience has to be given a lot of respect, but Karen Khachanov has been struggling for any form on the hard courts leading up to New York City.

Karen Khachanov had lost all three hard court matches since Wimbledon and he had won a single set in that time, but he dropped just four games in winning his First Round match.

Over the course of this season, Karen Khachanov is just 1-6 in hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and it is the 10% of return games ending in breaks of serve which have proved to be really problematic. It is going to be a big ask to improve on that markedly against a server like Felix Auger Aliassime and the Canadian has shown he has the tennis that gives him every chance of winning this match.

They are 2-2 in the head to head with Karen Khachanov winning the most recent on the grass courts of Halle in 2025, but Felix Auger Aliassime can get revenge on these hard courts and especially on the form the two have produced on the surface this year.

The most recent hard court meeting was won by Felix Auger Aliassime, albeit back in 2021, but the younger man has been the superior player in each of the last three matches against Karen Khachanov and can work his way to a three or four set win.

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 games v Dane Sweeny: This is a very wide spread for any Grand Slam contest, but Lorenzo Musetti came through an awkward First Round match in impressive fashion and can continue his path at the US Open.

After missing some time on the Tour, Lorenzo Musetti returned in the build up to the US Open and reached the Quarter Final in both Washington and Cincinnati. The three losses this summer have been against Rafael Jodar (twice) and Frances Tiafoe, but Lorenzo Musetti has won plenty of matches as well and he should be very happy with this Second Round match up.

Dane Sweeny has to be credited for reaching his career best World Ranking mark at the end of July and he is set for a new career best following this tournament, although the Australian has not cracked the top 100 just yet. He is making use of the Wild Card, but benefited from a draw pairing him with Corentin Moutet in the First Round who has been seriously struggling with an injury and perhaps only arrived in New York City with the prize money on offer a real factor.

Prior to that, Dane Sweeny had been just 1-3 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents this year and his numbers have been a disappointment. Not only is he holding in just 65% of service games played, but Sweeny has struggled to have much of an impact on the return and he is going up against a very solid competitor in Lorenzo Musetti.

The Italian has put together an 8-1 record on the hard courts against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 and Lorenzo Musetti has held in 84% of his service games played in those matches. That alone would not be enough to put such a record together, but Lorenzo Musetti has also broken in 32% of return games played in those nine matches and he is expected to have too much all around know-how for a young player still developing his tennis at a lower level than the one he is facing on Thursday.

Despite all of that, you do have to respect the wide handicap mark set and Lorenzo Musetti is going to need to make a fast start to put himself in a spot to cover.

Confidence can be taken from how Lorenzo Musetti was performing in the matches he would have expected to win in Montreal and Cincinnati over the last month and the World Number 14 can win a set with a couple of breaks of serve to put him on the way to a cover.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iva Jovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 12-2, + 15.34 Units (28 Units Staked, + 54.79% Yield)

US Open Day 4 Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 2nd September)

The First Round is officially completed at the US Open and the biggest storyline through the opening three days is the exit of Novak Djokovic.

Father Time is unbeaten, but you do have to wonder if Novak Djokovic is going to decide to end his season immediately and try and deal with the issue he has been speaking about for a few weeks. While he has not disclosed the exact nature of the issue, the fact it flares up with the heat and humidity does suggest a stint through Asia and then the indoor hard court tournaments in the lead up to the Tour Finals would make little sense for a player who is all about being in prime condition to take on the Grand Slams.

These issues have come up at a bad time with Jannik Sinner out of the tournament and Carlos Alcaraz having missed four months on the Tour before returning, but Novak Djokovic may yet feel there is one more Grand Slam in him if he can get back to close to full health. It has only been nine months since he led the Australian Open Final before running out of steam and the hope is that the former World Number 1 can find a way to come back strong in 2027.

Most of the other contenders have fought their way through the opening Round, although Alexander Zverev made very hard work of his victory over Lorenzo Sonego.

A Grand Slam is up for grabs as far as those involved in the Women's tournament are concerned, but there is also a very strong race for the World Number 1 spot when this event is wrapped up and the top names chasing that position are all safely through.

Things tend to get much tougher as we move through the Rounds, but we are still in a position where defeats for the top names would be in upset conditions.

Rain has been a disruptor through the opening few days in New York City and this tournament will play very differently if the heat picks up and that all has to be factored into the Tennis Picks, which have made a very good start to this event, but with so much more tennis yet to be played.

Day 4 is easily the busiest for the Tennis Picks so far at the final Grand Slam of the season and that can see the opening successes quickly erased, which means this is a time for focus.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Jaime Faria: Despite a wrist injury that has kept Carlos Alcaraz away from the Tour for four months, the defending US Open Champion's decision to play in New York City meant he was given a short price to win this title.

That was always going to be the case considering Carlos Alcaraz added the Australian Open to his hard court Grand Slam collection earlier this year, but there are going to be question marks around the Spaniard for as long as he is involved in this tournament.

A straight sets win over a dangerous opponent will have given Carlos Alcaraz some confidence, although he will privately be assessing the wrist and see how it responds in the time away from the court. It also should be noted that Carlos Alcaraz was not as convincing behind serve, although that may have something to do with not wanting to push the wrist too quickly, while it should be said that he was still a very solid winner on the day.

As with any Grand Slam, the level of opponent will get more difficult the deeper you move through the draw, but Jaime Faria may not be a big step up from Roman Safiullon if he is considered a step up at all.

The 23 year old has shown solid form on the hard courts, but Jaime Faria is just 1-2 when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface in 2026.

He needed almost four hours to get through the First Round match after Jaime Faria was guilty of throwing away a two set lead before rallying in the decider, while he faced more Break Points than he created. The serve can be a big weapon when at his best, but Jaime Faria may find it difficult to win the rallies once they develop and that time spent on the court is not ideal ahead of a Second Round match against the defending Champion.

Carlos Alcaraz will be someone that all keep a close eye on considering the layoff, but this is perhaps a time when he can show his quality before tougher tests potentially await.

Tommy Paul - 6.5 games v Dino Prizmic: Any player who has reached as high as World Number 8 should be credited for the career that has been put together, but the one criticism you may have of Tommy Paul is that he has never quite been able to put a strong run on the board at the US Open.

The American has reached the Quarter Final at every Grand Slam other than the US Open and reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open and the hard courts used Down Under. A couple of Fourth Round runs is as good as it has gotten in New York City and time is now perhaps running out for Tommy Paul to go a little further.

With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic already out of the tournament and Carlos Alcaraz returning after a long layoff, Tommy Paul may not get a better opportunity to reach the last eight at the US Open than this one in 2026.

He came through the opening Round in relatively cool fashion after winning three sets in a row in style and Tommy Paul is a significant favourite to get the better of Dino Prizmic, who needed virtually four hours to get through his opening match.

Dino Prizmic is a player with real potential, but he is still developing his game for the professional Tour and matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts have proven to be a little too much for him. He did take a set from Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024, but Dino Prizmic was beaten in straight sets by Andrey Rublev twelve months ago and the energy expended in the First Round is far from ideal.

The younger player does have a serve that can be effective on the hard courts, but his return is going to have to be better against someone like Tommy Paul who has held 91% of his service games played against those Ranked outside the top 50.

It is the returning side of the tennis where Tommy Paul looks like he can exert his experience on this match and the World Number 21 should be able to cover this handicap mark.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Lloyd Harris: Any time a player earns an upset in a Grand Slam, the natural expectation is that they are going to struggle to deal with the new weight of expectation on their shoulders and to match the intensity that was needed to spring the upset.

In 2026, Stefanos Tsitsipas beating Arthur Fils is a big upset and especially on the hard courts and considering the kind of form that both players have shown over the last month.

Arthur Fils won the Cincinnati Masters and looked set for a deep run in New York City, but the young Frenchman has found the pressure of a Grand Slam too much to take.

It has opened the door for Stefanos Tsitsipas who has struggled for any kind of consistency through stops in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati and Winston Salem and the former Australian Open Semi Finalist has never made much of an impact in New York City in his career. An upset has offered up a chance for Tsitsipas to have his best run at the US Open and you have to believe his experience means he can cope with the media interest in the said upset.

Next up is a match against Qualifier Lloyd Harris who is playing as the World Number 139 and who is currently moving through his latest rebuild on the Tour.

Three wins in Qualifying and a straight sets win in the First Round will have filled Lloyd Harris with confidence having won a Challenger title and reached the Semi Final at another in the build up to the US Open.

The only downside to any rebuild period is that Lloyd Harris has not really faced too many of the very top players on the Tour and he is just 1-2 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents this season. All three have been played in the lead up to the US Open and you do have to wonder if Lloyd Harris is ready to beat someone like Stefanos Tsitsipas, even if the latter's current form is hardly all that inspiring.

Lloyd Harris will know his serve needs to more effective than it has been in the matches against top 100 Ranked opponents and it is an area that Stefanos Tsitsipas may feel gives him the edge.

You would never describe the World Number 53 as a really strong return player on this surface, but Stefanos Tsitsipas showed what he can do against Arthur Fils and the expectation is that he can get through this Second Round without needing to get to a deciding set.

Ben Shelton - 1.5 sets v Hubert Hurkacz: Both of these players have moved through the First Round of the US Open after dropping a single set and both have won a title in the build up to the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season.

However, it cannot be ignored that World Number 8 Ben Shelton won his in Montreal at the Canadian Masters, while Hubert Hurkacz won a Challenger event in Cancun.

Hubert Hurkacz will always feel he gives himself a chance to win matches with his booming serve and that is going to have to be important for him in his bid to earn the upset. Despite that serve, Hurkacz has not really been able to have the kind of consistent impact at Grand Slam events that a career high World Number 6 mark suggests he should have.

The Pole has reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon and Quarter Final at the Australian Open, but the Second Round is as good as it has gotten in New York City and Hubert Hurkacz may need an 'off day' from Ben Shelton to win this match.

Ben Shelton has won a couple of hard court titles and reached the Quarter Final in Melbourne earlier this year, while he has found a bit more consistency on his return. The American is always going to have a very dangerous serve, but he has broken in 17% of return games on the hard courts in each of the last two seasons and Ben Shelton has won a few more points on the return compared with 2025.

Putting that together continues to keep Ben Shelton as one of the leading contenders whenever he enters a hard court tournament, even if he has room for improvement to bridge the gap to the absolute elite on the Tour. His performance in the First Round against a dangerous server will give Ben Shelton the belief to take into this tough Second Round match and the fans are likely going to be very loud behind the home player.

All of this looks to be leading to a Ben Shelton win in three or four sets in what should be a serve dominated contest.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tommy Paul - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Unit)

Ben Shelton - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Emma Navarro - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 5-1, + 5.42 Units (12 Units Staked, + 45.17% Yield)