Preview: Matteo Berrettini vs. Stanislas Wawrinka - US Open prediction, form, head-to-head

In what might be his final singles match at the US Open, Stanislas Wawrinka will square off with Matteo Berrettini at Flushing Meadows in round one.

The three-time Grand Slam champion earned a wild card invite this year following Patrick Kypson’s withdrawal, while Berrettini is back after sitting out of this event last year due to an abdominal issue.

Match preview

After skipping this event to rehabilitate in 2025, Berrettini is seeking to end the journey of one of the sentimental favourites on the men’s draw this time around.

The Italian has advanced beyond his opening match at the US Open in each of his last six appearances and has not exited that early since 2018.

This upcoming encounter will be his first Grand Slam singles match on a hard court since early 2025, when he reached the second round of the Aussie Open.

A three-time US Open singles quarter-finalist, Berrettini has not lost a singles match at a major tournament this year after winning the opening set.

In 2026, he has advanced from his opening singles match on the hard court in all but one event, losing in three sets to Mariano Navone at the ATP Masters in Montreal at the beginning of this month.

Berrettini has registered a mere 15 double faults on the hard court this year, while winning 87% of his service games on that surface so far.

A decade after conquering this tournament, Stan Wawrinka will hope he has one last great run left in him amid what has been a rough season.

The 41-year-old is 7-17 on tour this season but has an impressive 46-16 lifetime main draw record in this tournament.

With a victory in his opener, Wawrinka would become the oldest man to win a US Open main draw match since Jimmy Connors way back in 1992.

Wawrinka will hope to avoid exiting a major singles tournament in round one for a third successive occasion and make it beyond that stage of this event for only the second time this decade.

A six-time quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows, his only two Grand Slam singles victories this year occurred after losing the opening set, getting to the third round of the Australian Open on the hard court.

On hard courts this year, the Swiss player has won 76% of his first-serve points and 85% of his service points.

Head To Head

Wimbledon (2026) - First Round: Berrettini wins 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (18-16) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5)

These two put on quite the show in their first and only meeting at the All England Club this year, with four epic tiebreaks, as Berrettini came out on top thanks to his 29 aces, while winning 86% of his first serves and Wawrinka claiming 81% of his.

We say: Berrettini to win in five sets

Wawrinka is a fighter and will not make it easy on Berrettini, but the longer this match goes, the more likely the 2016 US Open champion will fade away against the younger Italian, who still boasts an incredibly powerful serve.