Novak Djokovic is OUT of the US Open in the first round after a five-set loss to Mariano Navone.

But is this the end for Novak, or simply the beginning of a very different final chapter?

Chris goes solo to unpack what Djokovic’s shock exit means for the 39-year-old, why retirement might still be a long way off, and whether his focus now shifts away from Grand Slams towards selected tournaments, records and a potential final run at the 2028 Olympics.

Also on the episode:

Stefanos Tsitsipas finally breaks his 0-5 record against Arthur Fils, coming from a set down and denying Fils the chance to go two sets to love up. After all the hype around Fils entering New York, was Tsitsipas’ recent improvement overlooked?

Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz cruises through his opener, Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe survive five-set scares, while Alexei Popyrin and James Duckworth lead the Australian charge.

Plus, Draw Watch looks ahead to Ben Shelton v Hubert Hurkacz and Daniel Mérida v Andrey Rublev.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula and Anisimova all make comfortable starts, while Maya Joint leads a promising group of Australians into the next round.

Talkn Tennis Podcast covering all the biggest stories from the 2026 US Open.

You gotta earn your serves.

The 2026 US Open women’s draw is wide open, with Aryna Sabalenka chasing a third straight title in New York and a deep group of contenders looking ready to stop her.

In this episode, Chris and Adam break down all four quarters of the women’s draw and look at the biggest storylines heading into the final Grand Slam of the year.

We discuss:

• Sabalenka’s chances of winning a third consecutive US Open
• Whether her recent form is good enough to survive a tricky top quarter
• Linda Noskova’s chances of continuing her rise
• Jessica Pegula’s pathway through a very manageable section
• Coco Gauff’s momentum after Cincinnati
• Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Sara Bejlek and Alexandra Eala as dangerous names in quarter three
• Iga Swiatek’s return to form
• Elena Rybakina’s injury question
• The loaded final quarter featuring Swiatek, Rybakina, Osaka, Keys and Bencic
• Which player we trust most to come through each quarter
• Sabalenka versus the field

With Gauff, Swiatek, Pegula and Rybakina all bringing different strengths into New York, and a younger generation continuing to push through, the women’s tournament looks extremely difficult to predict.

Follow the Talkn Tennis Podcast on Spotify and X for US Open reactions, previews and coverage throughout the tournament.

You gotta earn your serves.

The 2026 US Open is here, and the men’s draw suddenly feels wide open.

With Jannik Sinner out, Carlos Alcaraz returning after more than four months away, Alexander Zverev installed as the No. 1 seed, and Novak Djokovic still chasing Grand Slam No. 25, there are major questions hanging over almost every favourite.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why Alcaraz’s lack of match play could make him vulnerable early
• Whether Zverev should actually be considered the tournament favourite
• Djokovic’s chances of surviving seven best-of-five matches at 39
• The most dangerous sections of the draw
• Early upset candidates including Alcaraz, Tien, Rublev and Shelton
• Dark horses including Arthur Fils, Brandon Nakashima and Rafael Jodar
• Whether this could finally be the year an American man wins the US Open
• The chances of Shelton, Fritz, Tiafoe and Nakashima
• Our picks for who goes deep and who could crash out early

With Sinner missing and several players arriving in strong North American hard-court form, this could be one of the most unpredictable men’s US Opens in years.

Follow the Talkn Tennis Podcast on Spotify and X for match reactions, previews and plenty more throughout the tournament.

You gotta earn your serves.

The US Open picture has shifted dramatically.

Jannik Sinner is officially out of New York, while Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed his return after months away from the tour. We break down what that means for the men’s draw and whether Alcaraz can realistically contend straight away at a Grand Slam.

Then we head to Cincinnati, where the ATP and WTA fields are down to the final four.

On the men’s side, we look at the runs of Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Arthur Fils and Flavio Cobolli, and how each has navigated the last few rounds.

On the women’s side, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Sara Bejlek are still standing, with Bejlek continuing one of the surprise runs of the tournament.

Plenty of Cincinnati talk, US Open implications and the usual debate from the three of us.

Follow, subscribe and join us as the North American hard-court swing heads towards its biggest stage.

You gotta earn your serves.

Chris goes solo to break down a chaotic day at the Cincinnati Open, where Montreal champion Ben Shelton was dumped out in straight sets by qualifier Jaime Faria and seven seeds disappeared from the bottom half of the men’s draw.

There’s plenty to like from an Australian perspective, with Adam Walton, Christopher O’Connell, Alex de Minaur and Rinky Hijikata all into the round of 32. We also look at Rafael Jodar’s heavy 2026 workload, Frances Tiafoe’s impressive return after hand surgery, and where the men’s draw now stands after another wave of upsets.

On the women’s side, Elina Svitolina somehow survives seven match points against Tereza Valentova, Coco Gauff fights back from a set down, Aryna Sabalenka is pushed hard by Talia Gibson, while Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva move through.

Plus, a look ahead to the next round with de Minaur, Hijikata, Walton, Zverev, Jodar, Eala and Anisimova all in action.

The Canadian swing is wrapped up and attention turns to Cincinnati.

We review Shelton’s dominant Montreal title defence over Nakashima and Swiatek’s return to the winner’s circle after beating Rybakina in Toronto, before breaking down the ATP and WTA Cincinnati draws quarter by quarter.

Sabalenka looks to bounce back, Gauff and Andreeva headline a loaded section, while Zverev, Fritz, De Minaur and Shelton lead an open men’s field.

Plus, with Sinner and Alcaraz absent, does Djokovic have a genuine opportunity to chase another Masters 1000 title, or is Cincinnati simply preparation for his pursuit of Grand Slam No. 25 at the US Open?

The Canadian Masters have reached the quarter-finals and both draws are wide open.

On the ATP side in Montreal, Chris, Adrian and Adam recap the Round of 16 as Shelton ends Fonseca’s run, Mensik continues to fly under the radar, Jodar cruises past Lehecka and Fils survives a late push from Norrie. We break down all four quarter-final match-ups and make our picks for who reaches the final.

Then it’s over to Toronto, where Gauff and Osaka remain unbeaten in sets, Rybakina continues to survive the hard way and Swiatek looks to be finding form at exactly the right time. We look ahead to Osaka v Rybakina, Gauff v Bencic, Swiatek v Shnaider and Alexandrova v Svitolina before predicting the eventual champion.

The Montreal and Toronto Masters 1000 events are reaching the business end, with the Round of 16 set and the quarter-final picture beginning to take shape.

In Montreal, Griekspoor continues his impressive run after taking out the top seed, while Shelton and Fonseca prepare for one of the matches of the round. Jodar keeps building momentum, Lehecka looks dangerous, and Mensik has a huge opportunity in a wide-open section of the draw.

Over in Toronto, Sabalenka and Rybakina are quietly going about their business while Swiatek, Gauff and Osaka continue to impress. Eala remains one of the biggest stories of the tournament, with Bencic now standing in her way.

I break down the key results, the players I’m buying and selling, who looks ready to make a serious run, and preview the biggest Round of 16 matches from both draws.

The National Bank Open has been turned upside down, with Zverev, Fritz, Medvedev and Rublev all making early exits from the men’s draw in Montreal.

Chris goes solo to unpack the biggest upsets, Fonseca and Jodar’s continued rise, and the growing title opportunity for de Minaur and Popyrin.

Over in Toronto, Eala carries her Washington momentum into another victory, while Rybakina survives a chaotic performance, Andreeva dominates and Maya Joint produces another impressive result.

Plus, the Australians to watch and the biggest matches coming over the next 48 hours.

Rain has washed out the Washington finals and we are not waiting around to break it all down. We recap the semi-final performances that got us here, discuss whether the unfinished business in Washington can still produce a surprise, and turn our attention to the biggest hard-court fortnight before the US Open with both the Montreal and Toronto Masters draws now in hand.

In Washington, the women's final between Jessica Pegula and Alexandra Eala is suspended mid-match, while the men's decider between Taylor Fritz and teenage Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar is yet to be played. We look at how each player got there: Fritz grinding past Brandon Nakashima in three sets, Jodar coming from a set down to ove rcome Alejandro Tabilo, Eala delivering a composed and tactically impressive win over Naomi Osaka, and Pegula turning around a 5-2 deficit in the opening set against Diana Shnaider to win in straight sets. The question now is whether Eala can reset and stage a comeback, and whether Jodar has enough to trouble a Fritz who has been one of the form players of the grass and hard-court swing.

In Montreal, Alexander Zverev arrives as the top seed and the bookmakers' favourite with Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz all absent. It is a significant opportunity for the Roland Garros champion, but his hard-court record has been quietly modest of late and Taylor Fritz looms as a genuine danger in the same quarter, with the American holding a remarkable seven wins from nine meetings against Zverev on hard courts. Felix Auger-Aliassime takes the second seed on home soil, while Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca make the second quarter one of the most unpredictable sections of the draw.

In Toronto, world number one Aryna Sabalenka headlines a near full-strength women's field, but Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are ready to push her every step of the way. The bottom quarter draws the eye immediately, with Rybakina projected to meet a resurgent Mirra Andreeva in the last eight, while Naomi Osaka, Leylah Fernandez, Elise Mertens and Barbora Krejcikova make it the most loaded section in the draw. Defending champion Victoria Mboko is absent with a knee injury, leaving the title wide open.

Rain delays, loaded draws and unfinished finals. The hard-court season is heating up.