Stefanos Tsitsipas has been handed a challenging first-round draw at the 2026 US Open. The Greek, ranked No. 53 in the world and unseeded in New York, faces a stern test against an in-form Arthur Fils.
Ahead of the clash, Tsitsipas opened up about the challenge awaiting him, while his coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, clarified his comments after backing Fils to make a deep run at the tournament.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Arthur Fils Set for First-Round Clash at US Open 2026
Having spent several months outside the world’s top 75, Tsitsipas appeared to turn a corner in July when he lifted the Swiss Open Gstaad trophy for his 13th career title. Yet the Greek was unable to build on that breakthrough, falling short of deep runs at the Masters 1000 tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati and ultimately missing out on a seeding at the US Open.
The draw, released on Thursday, August 27, handed Tsitsipas a nightmare first-round assignment against tenth seed Fils, who arrives in New York riding a wave of momentum after a Canadian Open quarterfinal run and a maiden Masters 1000 triumph in Cincinnati.
The matchup is especially brutal for the former World No. 3, as he trails 0-5 in their rivalry and suffered a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to the Frenchman at the Miami Open in March. Despite the daunting matchup, Tsitsipas remained positive on X.
“Up for the challenge. Let’s do this,” he wrote.
Up for the challenge. Let’s do this 👊 https://t.co/gWO30bszQL
— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@stefanos) August 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas’ coach, Mouratoglou, weighed in on the top ATP players’ chances of making a deep run in New York. He rated Fils’ chances of reaching the semifinals as “very high” and said the Frenchman “couldn’t have come to the US Open in better form.”
View this post on Instagram
When a fan reacted to the clip by reminding him, “Your job is to make Arthur Fils’ chances go away as he’s facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round,” Mouratoglou responded, “I will do everything to help Stef stop Arthur.”
The French coach, known for his stints with Serena Williams, Holger Rune, Simona Halep, and Naomi Osaka, also clarified that although the post was shared after the draw was made, his assessment had been made before the draw was released.
Mouratoglou joined Tsitsipas’ team during the grass-court swing after the Greek announced that he and his father had ended their coaching partnership. Tsitsipas has since traveled with Thomas Perrin, who also serves as his coach, while Mouratoglou is set to join the team for his campaign at Flushing Meadows.
A difficult task awaits Tsitsipas and his team, with the Greek having historically struggled at the US Open. His best results at Flushing Meadows came in 2020 and 2021, when he reached the third round.
Fils, meanwhile, enters the tournament not only in impressive form but also with an interesting trend in his favor. The previous three Cincinnati Open champions, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, have all gone on to win the final Grand Slam of the season.
