The U.S. Open Kicks Off: 10 Ambitious Italian Players Dream of Following in Jannik Sinner’s Footsteps

Here we go—the 2026 U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, is about to begin. As is well known, on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows Park world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will be missing. The Italian star is dealing with a knee injury that has forced him to withdraw.

As the 2024 U.S. Open champion (the only Italian to have achieved this), Jannik Sinner will be watching closely to see how the other Italian players in the tournament’s main draw perform. The group is strong and deep. With Cinà (making his second Grand Slam appearance after his debut at Roland Garros) and Passaro qualifying for the main draw, there are now 10 Italian players in the men’s draw.

Clearly, all eyes are on Cobolli and Musetti in particular. Last year, these two Italian talents faced off in the round of 16. This year, they’re expected to take another leap forward, especially since they have the potential to dream big.

Cobolli, the fifth seed, will make his debut against Argentina’s Comesana. Musetti, the 13th seed, will face Fery. There’s confidence in the other Italian players as well. Berrettini will begin his run against Wawrinka, who is playing in the final Grand Slam of his incredible career, while Sonego drew Zverev. The rest will follow, from Bellucci to Arnaldi, including Darderi and Guerrieri. They all share a dream: to try to emulate Sinner and make all Italian fans proud.