Novak Djokovic came into the 2026 US Open chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title. He led Mariano Navone by two sets to one and a break in the fourth, in position to cruise through to the second round like he has done at the start of nearly every major for the past two decades. Then his body gave out. Djokovic struggled to move, cramped repeatedly, and was seen vomiting courtside as the heat and humidity took over. Navone completed one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, and the man built to survive five sets on the biggest stages was gone in the first round.

Neither the odds nor the ranking saw it coming. The scoreboard did not care.

That is the pattern worth watching heading into Wednesday. Fitness, heat, and momentum from a tough first round win can matter more than ranking once the second week begins to take shape. Three matches on the schedule for September 2 carry exactly that kind of subplot, and here is what to know about each one before the balls are in the air.

Upcoming Match Analysis of Second Round US Open

Dino Prizmic vs Tommy Paul
Odds: Paul to win, 1.22
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Valentin Vacherot vs Kamil Majchrzak
Odds:
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Denis Shapovalov vs Luca Van Assche
Odds:
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Three different storylines, one shared question. Djokovic looked fine on paper. He did not survive contact with a player who simply wanted it more that day. A five set escape from the round before, like the one Prizmic pulled off against Shevchenko, can leave scars that only show up two days later. Vacherot has already proven that seeding means nothing to him, a Monaco native who won a Masters 1000 title as a complete outsider a year ago. And Van Assche arrives off the biggest win of his career, a straight message that he is not just happy to be here.

Ready to see where the value is before the first ball is struck? Check the full odds and get your bets in before Wednesday’s matches begin.