First-round action the U.S. Open wraps up on Tuesday, when Rafael Jodar and Lorenzo Musetti take the court. They are going up against Thanasi Kokkinakis and Arthur Fery, respectively, in two of the day’s most intriguing matchups.
(12) Rafael Jodar vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
Heading into the U.S. Open, Jodar has been one of the stars of the hard-court summer so far — cementing himself as one of the favorites for what appears to be a relatively up-for-grabs title. The 19-year-old Spaniard finished runner-up in Washington, D.C., made a semifinal run in Montreal, and reached the fourth round in Cincinnati. Of course, Jodar’s hot streak dates back even farther. The world No. 13 won an ATP title in Marrakech and advanced to at least the quarters of four clay-court tournaments — including Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros.
Up first for Jodar on Tuesday is Kokkinakis, whom he has never faced. When healthy (which is rare), the 30-year-old can still be competitive. He won a five-set French Open thriller against Terence Atmane only to retire in the next round, and he pushed Nuno Borges to a third-set tiebreaker in Cincinnati but wilted physically at the finish line. The bottom line is that Kokkinakis simply cannot be trusted — especially not in a best-of-five situation. And even if his body does hold up, this is a brutal opening-round draw.
Pick: Jodar in 3
Arthur Fery vs. (13) Lorenzo Musetti
Musetti and Fery will also be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers. When healthy, Musetti is quite simply one of the best players on tour. The 24-year-old Italian has climbed as high as fifth in the rankings and has reached at least the quarterfinals at all four majors (including the semis at Roland Garros and Wimbledon). He has been plagued by injuries in 2026 but appears to be healthy at the moment. Musetti is coming off a quarterfinal showing in Cincinnati and he has not lost to anyone ranked lower than No. 30 since Indian Wells in March.
Fery is currently No. 33 and was just one spot away from being seeded when the draw ceremony took place last week. The 24-year-old Brit, who shockingly advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals two months ago, is making a quick turnaround after losing to Ignacio Buse in the Winston-Salem final on Saturday. Fatigue could be a factor — and even if it isn’t, Musetti is the superior player.
Pick: Musetti in 4
Jodar in 4; Musetti in 4
WWW?
Kokk OUT
Already? I wondered if it was his shoulder again and just read he rolled his ankle. The irony. And also the near-continuous bad luck…
Just as an aside here, Jodar going out R1 makes things easier for young Zheng, who’s playing well.
yep, Zheng will beat Bu
It looks like a ton of US men will have an excellent US Open. Zheng is an interesting young player.
More Aussie men getting through R1 than expected but I’m not sure any will get through to R3. Don’t tell my fellow Aussies. There’s much hype but these are tough matchups for them all.
Jodar played like an Amateur.
He is still not the finished product.