The U.S. Open second round begins on Wednesday with plenty of star power in action.
The latest: Novak Djokovic is on the hunt for a fifth title at Flushing Meadows, but a tough opening match has raised questions about the all-time great’s fitness. Wild-card entrant Zachary Svajda is tasked with pulling off a massive upset against the Serbian.
Check out my U.S. Open best bets for Aug. 27 below, featuring a pick on Gabriel Diallo and Jaume Munar.
US Open best bets: Aug. 27
Best bet: Diallo -2.5 games (-112)
Diallo’s first-round win was far from comfortable, as the Canadian needed four sets and a tiebreak to knock off Damir Dzumhur, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5.
But I was impressed by his grit and dialled-in serve, as Diallo smashed 17 aces versus just two double faults.
That serve is Diallo’s not-so-secret weapon. The 6-foot-8 rookie ranks 19th in service rating on the ATP Tour, and if he can stay hot, he could go on a run in this event.
Diallo isn’t in “top form” right now, going 5-5 across his last 10 matches. But four of those losses came against Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz (twice) and Jannik Sinner. That I can forgive. If we look at his matches against players outside of the top-20, the results are much prettier:
- 8-2 in his last 10
- 13-3 in his last 16
- A win at the 2025 Libema Open
Munar, ranked ATP No. 44, has struggled on hard courts with a 50.67% career win rate. The Spaniard is also 0-2 against Diallo, failing to cover this spread in both matchups.
Key stat: Diallo beat Munar at the U.S. Open last year by four games.
Best bet: Djokovic vs. Svajda
Svajda +7.5 games (-127): Do I think Djokovic will lose this match? No, but I believe Svajda will put up a strong enough fight to cover this massive number.
In his first round battle against Learner Tien — and his first competitive match in six weeks — Djokovic laboured physically and had to receive treatment following the second set.
“Well, I started great,” Djokovic told reporters. “Then some long games in the second set … I was really surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically … I don’t have an injury or anything. I just struggled to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.”
Djokovic made 20 unforced errors in the second set alone but still got past his 19-year-old opponent, who seemed nervous in his own right.
Svajda cruised through qualifying without dropping a set and then won his opening-round match 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. The American is now 17-2 in his last 19 matches with a pair of Challenger Tour wins.
Obviously, Djokovic represents a monstrous step up in talent. But Svajda’s confidence should be sky-high, and I expect him to make the 24-time major champion work.
U.S. Open betting picks made at 10:33 a.m. on 08/26/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.