5 top players you should NOT bet on at US Open 2025 ft. Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff

The tennis world is all set for the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, which will be played from August 24 to September 7. Defending champion Jannik Sinner's fans would be worried after he retired from the Cincinnati Open final due to illness on August 18.

Sinner also withdrew from the mixed doubles event in New York. If he recovers, the Italian is the favorite to win his third Major this year, after the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Second seed Carlos Alcaraz may have the best chance, despite a tricky draw. He recently won in Cincinnati and defended his title at the French Open.

On the women's circuit, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka could defend her title, though she hasn't won a tournament since the Madrid Open in May. Iga Swiatek has been in great touch of late, winning three of her last four tournaments, including Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open.

However, there are a few top ATP and WTA players who are likely to struggle at Flushing Meadows. Let's look at five players you should not bet on at the 2025 US Open.

5 top players you should NOT bet on at US Open 2025

#5. Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula at the National Bank Open 2025

Jessica Pegula is the World No. 4 but has been far from her best this season. At the time of writing, the American has a 37-16 win-loss record in 2025. She won a couple of WTA 500 tournaments and a 250-level title, but in the bigger events, Pegula faced early exits on most occasions.

After losing in the third round of the Australian Open and the fourth round of the French Open, Pegula faced a shocking first-round defeat against unseeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto at Wimbledon. She followed it up with another opening-round exit at the Citi Open.

The 31-year-old saw similar results at the Canada Open and in Cincinnati, as she lost in the Round of 32. The home hope, who lost to Aryna Sabalenka in last year's US Open final, will take on unseeded Mayar Sherif of Egypt in the first round. Her recent form may not inspire a lot of confidence in her fans.

#4. Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton at the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025

Although he has yet to reach his first Grand Slam final, Ben Shelton has been improving at a decent pace. He achieved his career-best singles ranking of No. 6 earlier this month, right before winning his maiden Masters 1000 title at the National Bank Open in Montreal.

The American, who has a 35-17 record in 2025, also reached the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, where Alexander Zverev beat him in straight sets. Apart from his relative inexperience and poor record against top players, a major obstacle for Shelton in New York will be his difficult draw.

The 22-year-old American will likely reach the quarterfinals, where he could meet Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev. If he makes it to the last four, Shelton would face one of Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune, or Frances Tiafoe. If the young gun reaches the final, he is likely to clash with either Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev.

#3. Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev at the 2025 US Open practice

A couple of Master 1000 titles in 2024 have helped Alexander Zverev remain in the top five ATP players so far. Although he is the World No. 3, Zverev is over 3,000 points behind second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and over 5,000 points behind the top-ranked Jannik Sinner.

The German has a 43-16 record this year and won his only title at the Bavarian Championships in Munich. Zverev came closest to winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open in 2020, when he won the first two sets, only to lose to Dominic Thiem in the final.

As far as 2025 is concerned, the Olympic gold medalist lost to Sinner in the Australian Open final. Djokovic beat him in the French Open quarterfinals, while he suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon. He recently revealed seeking help to address his mental well-being.

The 28-year-old experienced dizziness and struggled to breathe at the Cincinnati Open last week. He even took a medical timeout during his semifinal match against Carlos Alcaraz, and ultimately lost in straight sets. Zverev will face Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match at the US Open.

#2. Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has a 35-12 win-loss record this season, and her only singles title was a big one. She beat Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final to win her second Major. Her first Grand Slam victory came at the 2023 US Open when she beat Sabalenka in the final.

The American has seen a dip in her form since then. She entered two grasscourt tournaments, the German Open in Berlin and the Wimbledon Championships, and lost in the opening rounds in both. She lost in the fourth round in Montreal and reached the quarterfinals in Cincinnati.

Gauff, who recently made a few changes to her coaching staff, has received a tough draw at the US Open. She will start her campaign against Ajla Tomljanovic and could face either Naomi Osaka or Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round. If the 21-year-old reaches the semifinals, in-form Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, or Elina Svitolina could be waiting.

For her title clash, Gauff might have to fight one of Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, or Victoria Mboko.

#1. Novak Djokovic

How can one count out Novak Djokovic, statistically the greatest player of all time? It's a big gamble, but he hasn't been himself lately. The Serb reached the semifinals of all three Majors so far this year. He retired at the Australian Open against Alexander Zverev, while Jannik Sinner beat him at Roland Garros and SW19.

Djokovic has a 26-9 win-loss record and won his only title at the ATP 250 Geneva Open, his 100th tour title. The majority of the records belong to the former World No. 1, but he still has the desire to continue playing. The 24-time Grand Slam winner withdrew from the Canadian and Cincinnati Open, which means the US Open will be his first tournament since Wimbledon.

Djokovic has been drawn in the same half as in-form Carlos Alcaraz, and the two could clash in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Sinner or Zverev is expected to reach the final from the other half of the draw.

Fitness will play a crucial role in deciding whether Djokovic gets Major No. 25 in New York.