The major beneficiaries of Djokovic's defeat at the US Open

The first major surprise of the US Open 2026 has occurred, and the consequences in the men's draw are significant. The fact that Novak Djokovic is out of the tournament has very important historical implications, but it is also worth analyzing the competitive impact this has on the New York Grand Slam, creating a power vacuum in his section of the draw that several players can take advantage of.

It is clear that the name Mariano Navone should be among the candidates to explore his limits and harness the positive momentum from his victory over Djokovic to continue advancing. The Argentine's best result in a Grand Slam is reaching the third round at Roland Garros 2025, and now he will face the winner of the duel between Berrettini and Wawrinka.

Power vacuum in the US Open 2026 draw due to Djokovic's defeat

Any of the three have reasons to dream of something significant, whose journey in New York seemed blocked by Djokovic's presence when the draw was made. Looking ahead to the third round, Tomás Martín Etcheverry and Martín Landaluce were the potential opponents of Novak, so now that the Serbian is eliminated, they are allowed the right to dream of a deeper advance.

Other players who see a window of opportunity with Djokovic's defeat are Brandon Nakashima, whose great level in Montreal and Cincinnati invites optimism regarding his chances of being the survivor from this section to reach the quarter-finals, Andrey Rublev, and even the Spanish player Dani Mérida, who is showing excellent form and is already in the second round.

In short, a very open landscape in a section of the draw that becomes a field of opportunities for various players due to the power vacuum left by Novak Djokovic's elimination. Excitement and spectacle are guaranteed at the US Open 2026.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los grandes beneficiados de la derrota de Djokovic en el US Open