Day 5, 2026 US Open Featuring Alexandra Eala and other fan favorites like Naomi Osaka on the match card. Committee members provide their views and Predictions For each men’s and women’s singles match on Thursday.
Alexandra Eala vs Oleksandra Oliynykova
Top: Olenikova enters with a 1-0 head-to-head advantage and with new confidence after beating Brantmeyer in the opener, but this looks like a very different test on hard courts. Eala’s flatter, more aggressive strokes should translate much better on New York’s faster surface than Strasbourg’s clay, making the in-form Filipino the favorite to level the series.
prediction: Alaa in 2
sixty: Every match Eala plays features a rowdy crowd these days, and she is now 32-19 at tour level this season. Oliynykova is at nearly a career high and moves to 23-17 this season. This should be a competitive matchup, but Eala is the bigger hitter and the momentum is behind her in New York.
prediction: Alaa in 2
Madison Keys vs. Anna Bondar
Top: Madison Keys overcame a difficult opening match against 19-year-old Alina Korneeva, scoring 21 successful hits to win 7-5, 6-4 despite losing her serve four times. Now she will look to step up her serving game against Anna Bondar, who edged past Lucie Havliková. Keys leads the Hungarian 1-0, having beaten her in Charleston last April, and will fancy her chances of turning up the pressure on Bondar’s serve again.
prediction: Keys in 2
sixty: Keys has already surpassed 30 wins this season and has been a solid player. Bondar has 21 wins at her level and has her best results as a pro, but that is still below Keys on most days.
prediction: Keys in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Nadia Podoroska
Top: Iga Swiątek’s heavy core must anchor Podoroska deep and expose her laterals on hard courts, leading to frequent service breaks. Expect a quick and lopsided win for Swiątek.
prediction: Sweatk in
sixty: 34-13 on the season and reached the semifinals in Cincinnati, Swiatek He should be one of the top favorites to win the US Open. Podoroska was another mainstay on the WTA Tour in 2024 and should be overtaken here.
prediction: Sweatk in
Qinwen Cheng vs. Yulia Putintseva
Top: Cheng’s brute firepower and 80% winning momentum should be enough to break through Putintseva’s counter punches, so expect the Kazakh to extend this one before surrendering. Zheng’s performance at the US Open has her playing on a different level now, and that is the difference maker in her history on clay.
prediction: Cheng Fei 2
sixty: Cheng has made it through and is showing shades of the elite player she once was. Putintseva, 31, has gone a consistent 16-15 this season. She’s reliable most days, but Zheng has more to come and needs to step up.
prediction: Cheng Fei 2
Main image credit: Jeff Burke-Imagine images
