Felix Auger Aliassime vs Rinky Hijikata Prediction U.S. Open - New York · Aug 30, 2026

Analysis

Auger-Aliassime is the clear favourite here: his first-strike game, heavy serve and flat forehand are tailor-made for the quick New York hard courts and the best-of-five format, where his physical baseline lets him grind through rough patches. Hijikata arrives with match rhythm after edging Raphael Collignon 2-1 on 25 August, a win that shows his willingness to hang in long rallies and turn matches around. The Australian is a scrappy, compact counterpuncher who returns well and refuses easy points, so he can steal a set if the Canadian's serve percentage dips or the night session slows the ball. Over five sets, though, the gap in raw weapons and service hold reliability should tell, and Auger-Aliassime has the ammunition to break serve at least three times. The most likely shape is a dominant Canadian display with one competitive set for Hijikata, hence a 3-1 projection rather than a straight-sets rout or a full-distance thriller.