The second round of the 2025 US Open continues on Day 5 with many scintillating matchups. No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev looks to keep it going against rising star Jacob Fearnley. Elsewhere across the grounds, we have previews and predictions for Jannik Sinner vs Alexei Popyrin, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Daniel Altmaier, and Tommy Paul vs Nuno Borges. Ateet Shrivastava, Damian Kust, and Nurein Ahmed offer their insights. But who will advance?
US Open Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Karen Khachanov vs Kamil Majchrzak
Ateet
Karen Khachanov is making the most of his good form and not investing much time and energy in matches he can win comfortably. That’s what he did in the first round, and I expect him to remain solid and break Kamil Majchrzak’s game as he did at Wimbledon recently.
Prediction: Khachanov in 4
Damian
Majchrzak is clearly not a fan of the Khachanov matchup, that strong physicality of the Russian making it so tough to push him off the baseline. They had a close match a few years back, but at Wimbledon this year, it was a beatdown. There’s not much to suggest that the Pole can claim it this time.
Prediction: Khachanov in 4
Nurein
It’s commendable to see Majchrzak’s turnaround after serving a doping ban over two years ago. He’s had a decent summer, winning seven out of eight matches on hard courts. But Khachanov has faced much stiffer competition and was a runner-up in one of the warm-up tournaments before the US Open. The gulf in power and confidence will be on display here, and Khachanov will likely progress unscathed.
Prediction: Khachanov in 4
Alex de Minaur vs Shintaro Mochizuki
Ateet
Alex de Minaur took care of his compatriot Christopher O’Connell in straight sets in the opening round and has another easy match on paper against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, who won a match for the first time at a hard-court Slam. Mochizuki doesn’t have a big serve, and the Australian will get a lot of opportunities to rally and assert his dominance.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Damian
Mochizuki has had a great run from qualifying, and one more win would likely have him inside the Top 100. But that one win is against one of the most consistent Grand Slam players of the last few years. De Minaur is very rarely vulnerable to upsets, and this will likely not be the case here either.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Nurein
This is a tough matchup for Mochizuki, who, for all his fine shotmaking, will run into a brick wall against the tireless De Minaur. The Australian feeds off any live ball on the court with his incredible speed. Expect it to be competitive in the early goings before De Minaur pulls clear.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Valentin Royer
Ateet
Denis Shapovalov displayed a clinical performance against a tired-looking Marton Fucsovics in the first round. The Canadian has struggled to string together a bunch of wins, but has a good draw to make the third round. Valentin Royer got his first win at the US Open. However, Shapovalov will be a significant step up in level.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 4
Damian
Shapovalov took advantage of Fucsovics being completely wiped out after his Winston-Salem heroics. Now, we’ll see how real his level from the opening round was. The Canadian has played at close to his peak level at points this year, but it just happens so infrequently and not at the Majors. Royer will punish him if he doesn’t bring it.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Nurein
Shapovalov made light work of Winston-Salem champion Marton Fucsovics in his opening match. The Hungarian was clearly fatigued in that one, but these are the type of matches Shapovalov has let his focus slip in the past. His Grand Slam experience and explosiveness should be felt in this second-round match, although there are no guarantees the Canadian will cruise similarly as he did in his opener.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Alexander Zverev vs Jacob Fearnley
Ateet
No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev is off to a solid start as he defeated Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets. Zverev didn’t need to be at his best, but he will look to improve against Jacob Fearnley, who will pose more of a challenge. I can see the Brit snatching a set if he plays his best, but Zverev should win.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Damian
Fearnley winning against Bautista Agut was pretty huge for him, considering the recent run of form, but this is probably where the fun ends. He’s already played Zverev twice and didn’t come that close with both matches ending in straights. The No. 3 seed has a good draw at the US Open, and this shouldn’t be where he goes out of the tournament.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Nurein
Fearnley impressed in each of his first two Slams, making the third round at the very least. But a first-round defeat to Joao Fonseca at Wimbledon left a bitter taste, with the Briton managing just one win in his next four tournaments before this week. While Fearnley has proven his credentials of being competitive against top players, he is likely to fall short against the experienced Zverev. The German could still be the unexpected Grand Slam champion in this tournament.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – Imagn Images
