The main draw ceremony for the 2026 US Open is set for later today, expected around 6:00 PM CEST following the tournament’s usual pattern, though it won’t be broadcast live. We’ll only see the actual bracket once it’s officially released. In the meantime, here’s what’s already confirmed heading into the draw.

Confirmed Top Names in the Field

The men’s draw will still carry serious star power despite this year’s absences. Carlos Alcaraz headlines the field, joined by Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev.

Confirmed Withdrawals

The men’s draw takes a real hit at the top, with Jannik Sinner among the confirmed withdrawals, alongside Sebastian Korda, Emilio Nava, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Ethan Quinn and Gabriel Diallo. On the women’s side, the withdrawal list includes Victoria Mboko, Hailey Baptiste, Varvara Gracheva, Ajla Tomljanovic, Irina Begu, Emma Raducanu, Laura Siegemund, Jaqueline Cristian and Jil Teichmann. Sinner’s absence in particular reshapes the entire top half of the men’s draw before a single ball is even hit.

Confirmed Wild Cards

On the men’s side, wild card entries include Michael Zheng, Jeffrey John Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny, Jack Kennedy, Gael Monfils and Dane Sweeny. The women’s wild card list is headlined by Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, alongside Carol Youngsuh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, Thea Frodin, Leolia Jeanjean and Taylah Preston. Williams’ inclusion is the standout story here, a reminder of just how long her career has stretched at this event.

How Seeding Works This Year

The top 32 players in both the men’s and women’s draws will be seeded, which guarantees they can’t meet before the third round. Because the draw ceremony falls just three days before the rankings would normally update again, seeding for this tournament is based on the rankings from August 24th rather than the day of the ceremony itself.

The Piece Still Missing

Not everything will be known even once the draw ceremony happens. The 32 qualifiers, 16 men and 16 women, who earn their way through this week’s qualifying rounds won’t be confirmed until Thursday, the same day as the draw itself. That means a portion of the bracket is being finalized in real time, right up until the moment the draw is made.

What This Means Heading Into the Ceremony

Between the headline withdrawals and the wave of wild cards, this year’s draw is shaping up to look noticeably different from the depth chart tennis fans are used to seeing at the top of a Grand Slam field. Once the bracket is released, the real analysis begins.