The second round of the 2025 US Open kicks off on Day 4 as the bottom half of the men’s draw takes the courts in Flushing. The ever-electric Ben Shelton squares off against Spanish veteran Pablo Carreno Busta. Elsewhere, we offer previews and predictions for Carlos Alcaraz vs Mattia Bellucci, Novak Djokovic vs Zachary Svajda, and Taylor Fritz vs Lloyd Harris. Offering their insights are Ateet Shrivastava, Tope Oke, Damian Kust, and Zain Mustafa. But who will advance?
US Open Day 4 Men’s Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Raphael Collignon
Ateet
Casper Ruud had a tricky first-round opponent, but he looked brilliant in the first two sets and closed out the third set to get one of his best wins recently. He didn’t get broken all match, which will give him confidence going forward. I don’t think Raphael Collignon will pose much of a threat to the Norwegian.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Tope
Casper Ruud dispelled questions about his fitness with a composed straight-sets win over Sebastian Ofner. He will enter this clash against Raphael Collignon as the clear favourite, even though the Belgian debuted with a 3-0 spanking of his own against veteran Daniel Galan Elahi. If Ruud is in optimal condition, there will be only one outcome.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Damian
Ruud was in the final of this tournament three years ago, but that feels pretty far from him right now on hard courts. He hasn’t been at his best since the knee injury in the clay swing and is looking to rebuild his confidence. With a favorable draw against Collignon, who’s just won his first match at a Slam, perhaps he can.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Zain
Casper Ruud had an excellent first round performance, dominating with his forehand at a level we have not seen much of since his run at Madrid earlier this season. He is a former finalist here, and if his game keeps clicking, a deep run might be possible in which Raphael Collignon would be the second casualty.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Jakub Mensik vs Ugo Blanchet
Ateet
Jakub Mensik needed a solid win to get back on track after a disappointing lead-up to the US Open, and he delivered a good performance to take out Nicolas Jarry without dropping a set. Ugo Blanchet upset Fabian Marozsan with a brilliant performance, but he doesn’t have the weapons to cause much trouble to Mensik. If Mensik remains solid, he should win this.
Prediction: Mensik in 4
Tope
Ugo Blanchet is enjoying his time in New York after blitzing through the qualifiers and stunning Fabian Marozsan to make his debut in flying colours. He will need to elevate his game, though, against one of the sport’s rising stars, Jakub Mensik, and his booming serve. If Blanchet can capitalize on the Czechs’ frequent errors, an upset could brew; still, Mensik looks the likelier to advance in a tight but compelling battle.
Prediction: Mensik in 4
Damian
That third set from Marozsan against Blanchet was criminal, but credit to the Frenchman for fighting and taking advantage of his opponent’s errors. He can play some awesome counter-punching tennis with his heavy forehand, it’s just that Mensik seems to be in another league. The Czech should win, barring another incident of Slam nerves he often displays.
Prediction: Mensik in 3
Zain
Having a habit of making life tougher in Slams than required, Jakub Mensik did very well to win his first round in three sets against the big server Nicolas Jarry. Ugo Blanchet can be tricky and has been playing well this tournament, but the overall quality gap between the two is big enough that anything other than a Mensik win would be a major surprise.
Prediction: Mensik in 4
Cameron Norrie vs Francisco Comesana
Ateet
Cameron Norrie continues his spectacular Grand Slam form as he defeated Sebastian Korda, who had to retire in the second set due to injury. The positive for Norrie was that he managed to save all 6 break points and might need the clutch serving again against Francisco Comesana, who got his first Slam win of the season, and he did that as a heavy underdog against Alex Michelsen. I can see this match going the distance.
Prediction: Norrie in 5
Tope
If Comesana was solid in his upset of Alex Michelsen in the first round, Cameron was unyielding against Sebastian Korda. While it may be that their respective opponents weren’t in top shape, based on their performances, quite confident that the Brit will win this comfortably, especially on this surface.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
Damian
Comesana didn’t perform when everybody was looking at him as a potential dark horse at Roland Garros, but he gets plenty of upsets at the other Slams as the underdog. However, the win over Michelsen might be it this time. He fares a bit better when the opponent attacks him upfront than against a more composed player controlling the ball like Norrie.
Prediction: Norrie in 4
Zain
Both players beat Americans in the first round in a matchup where the winner will likely get to face Novak Djokovic as a reward. Francisco Comesana, known more for his clay game, will have to produce a performance that regularly frustrates Cameron Norrie, someone who has seemingly turned a corner and started to get back in form in the second half of the year. Comesana might do that for a set, but over the course of a five set match, the Brit should prevail.
Prediction: Norrie in 4
Ben Shelton vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Ateet
A solid start for Ben Shelton in New York as he looked good as ever on serve and also saved all the break points he faced. Pablo Carreno Busta will be a much tougher challenge for the American, but he is used to rising to the occasion, and the Spaniard is not at his best these days. These met earlier this year at the Australian Open, where Shelton won in four sets. I expect a similar result.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Tope
Ben Shelton’s explosive serve and fearless shot-making are his two most potent weapons, and they’ve dragged him out of several tight situations. Against a patient and experienced Pablo Carreño Busta, who will aim to target the American’s rhythm, Shelton will need to keep his unforced errors in check and ride on the New York crowd to blast through.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Damian
The expectations are a bit higher on Shelton this US Open after the ATP 1000 title in Canada, but he’s so good at handling the big stage that he seems like he might deliver. Best of five format he’s also been excellent in this season, including a win over Carreno Busta in Australia. This probably isn’t a real test for him just yet.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Zain
The number 2 ranked American currently, many believe Ben Shelton will be the one to break the drought of American men’s tennis players winning a major. With expectations this high, and the form that good, Pablo Carreno Busta whose best tennis is likely behind him at this stage should not pose much of a challenge.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
