Cobolli favored against Comesana as Djokovic exits US Open early

Cobolli looks to extend a career-best season

Day 3 of the 2026 US Open brings a full slate of first-round matches at Flushing Meadows, including a Tuesday clash on Louis Armstrong Stadium between No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli and Argentina's Francisco Comesana, scheduled for 11:00 EST.

The Italian is having arguably the best season of his career: a final at Roland-Garros, a quarterfinal at Wimbledon, and a semifinal in Cincinnati. His overall 2026 record stands at 14-7, and he holds a 1-0 head-to-head edge over Comesana after beating him in Monte Carlo this spring.

Comesana, by contrast, is struggling on hard courts this year with a 3-8 record and has lost four of his last five matches heading into New York (one recap lists five losses in his last six). Preview writers at Last Word On Sports unanimously back Cobolli — predictions range from a straight-sets win in three to a four-set victory — and betting markets reportedly favor the Italian heavily, with Cobolli winning by a -2.5 set margin cited as a notably confident wager.

Djokovic's shock first-round exit

The tournament had already delivered a jolt before Cobolli's match: 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who appeared unwell and struggled physically during the match, lost in five sets to Argentina's Mariano Navone on Sunday night. Djokovic squandered an early lead in the first set, losing it in a tiebreaker, then rallied to win the next two sets before running out of energy in the fourth, allowing Navone to complete the comeback.

As a result, neither Djokovic nor Jannik Sinner remain in the draw as of September 1. Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, is back in action after a long layoff to recover from a wrist injury.

Other first-round matches on the schedule

Tuesday's card also features Daniel Altmaier against Zachary Svajda, Jesper De Jong versus Francesco Passaro, and Botic van de Zandschulp facing Jan Choinski. Analysts generally favor the more hardcourt-tested players in these matchups, including De Jong — who has already beaten Passaro twice, including in a five-set French Open match — and van de Zandschulp, who leads Choinski 2-1 in their head-to-head series.