James Duckworth has lost seven of his last eight ATP second-round matches, a genuinely striking trend for a player about to face another second-round test.

He has also dropped the first set in each of his last six ATP main draw matches at the US Open. Those two numbers, taken from his own recent match history, are the foundation for this preview.

Quick Picks

• Our Pick : James Duckworth to lose, backing Duckworth's second-round woes to continue
• Same Game Multi (our combination) : Yibing Wu to win at least one set + James Duckworth to win at least one set, built from Duckworth's habit of dropping the first set in six straight US Open main draw matches and his shaky second-round record, which points to a contested match rather than a straightforward sweep
• Alternative Pick : Yibing Wu to win the first set

Second Round Sinks Duckworth Again

Duckworth's problem is not just losing, it is losing early. Seven defeats in his last eight second-round appearances is a specific, recent pattern rather than a one-off slump, and it lines up neatly with his slow-start issue at this very tournament, where he has dropped set one in six consecutive main draw matches.

Wu comes into the second round ranked around ATP 113 as a wildcard, having beaten Adam Walton 7-6(2), 6-2, 7-5 in the first round. Duckworth, ranked in the mid-80s, is the higher-ranked player and is arriving on a run of form after making the Winston-Salem semifinals last week.

Put those trends together and Wu is stepping into a match against an opponent whose own numbers are working against him at exactly this stage.

How to watch Duckworth vs Wu in Australia

The 2026 US Open is broadcast in Australia on Stan Sport, with select matches also on Nine and 9Now.

A Stan Sport subscription is the safest bet if you want the full second-round schedule rather than just the marquee matches on free-to-air. For the full breakdown of streaming options, free-to-air coverage and the cheapest way in, see our guide to watching the US Open in Australia.

Duckworth vs Wu Prediction

Duckworth's second-round record is the standout number here: seven losses in his last eight matches at this stage is too pronounced to ignore, and it is compounded by a pattern of losing the opening set in six straight US Open main draw appearances.

Together, those trends make a Duckworth loss the more logical lean based purely on his own match history in this exact context.

Duckworth has, however, covered the game handicap in each of his last seven completed main draw matches, so even in defeat he has tended to stay competitive rather than get blown off the court, and that consistency is the one risk to this pick, since a truly one-sided result is not guaranteed by his recent trend.

If you are new to the markets on offer here, our guide to how to bet on the US Open walks through the options.

For a full look at how the two players are priced across the various markets, check the latest Men's US Open betting odds before you settle on a play.