The 2026 US Open singles tournament is underway without the No. 1 ranked men’s player, as Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury more than a week before the tournament began on Sunday, Aug. 30.
But according to seven-time Grand Slam winner and ESPN analyst John McEnroe, although Sinner’s absence is disappointing, it also ramps up the intrigue for the rest of the men’s field including defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Speaking to USA TODAY Sports days before the US Open draw was revealed, McEnroe pegged Alcaraz as one of his favorites to win the title. The 23-year-old Spaniard, ranked No. 2 in the world, is returning to competitive play for the first time since he injured his wrist in April.
“He’s just electric, he’s incredible,” McEnroe said. “It’s unfortunate that when he finally comes back now Sinner’s hurt, so it does open the door for 10 other guys, potentially, because you have to be a little bit concerned about Carlos because he hasn’t played in four months. So does he have the endurance to go all the way? If anyone could pull it off, it’d be him.”
Alcaraz plays his first-round match against Russian Roman Safiullin on Monday, Aug. 31 at 11:30 a.m. ET in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
If not Alcaraz, though, McEnroe listed Novak Djokovic, Arthur Fils, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe as contenders for the men’s title. And McEnroe is picking Shelton as the player most likely to end the American men’s 23-year Grand Slam singles title drought.
“Ben is as well positioned as he’s ever been,” McEnroe said. “He’s got one of the biggest serves in the history of the game. He’s got charisma. To me, that would be the ideal scenario for us. He represents what I believe we should be doing as kids growing up: didn’t attend any academy, playing other sports for a time, going to college. So that would be the best story and I think he’s overall the most … he’s got an incredible amount of talent.”
McEnroe won four of his seven Grand Slam singles titles at the US Open, but perhaps his most infamous moment occurred at Wimbledon in 1981. While disputing a line call during his first-round match against Tom Gullikson, McEnroe yelled at the chair umpire, “You cannot be serious!” The quote became the title of his 2022 autobiography and, according to McEnroe, is still mentioned in the majority of his interactions with tennis fans.
“My late great dad, he told me to patent it — and I believe that he did, because he was a lawyer,” McEnroe said. “But I still haven’t gotten a cent for it, because every time people say it I go, ‘That’ll be $2.'”
He’s finally seeing a profit. McEnroe says the line in his new commercial for Dunkin’ Donuts, which is promoting a limited-time tennis-themed menu. In the ad, someone knocks McEnroe’s iced coffee out his hands, prompting an outburst and the notorious quote.
McEnroe, who said in his playing days he occasionally downed a pre-match coffee for an extra jolt, enjoys the playful callback.
“You sort of have to embrace it,” McEnroe said. “I said that once in my 15-year career at Wimbledon and there’s not a day that goes by that people don’t come up to me and say it. And when I played the seniors tour for 20 years, I half kid that I didn’t get paid unless I did say it at least once during a match. So, talk about a full-circle moment, you know, still being part of my life. It’s pretty unbelievable.”