The US Open is the 4th and final Grand Slam of the tennis season. In 2026, it’s scheduled to run from 30 August to 13 September in New York. It’s held annually at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens. Played on outdoor hard courts, the US Open brings in top men’s and women’s players looking to close out the year strong.
As befits a Grand Slam, the tournament has a huge draw. Expect men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles alongside wheelchair and junior events. Since it’s spread across a fortnight of main-draw play plus a preceding week of qualifying, getting to know the schedule and order of play is crucial to a true fan experience. Below is a breakdown of the full round-by-round schedule, an explanation of the order of play and all key info to watch the action from the UK.
US Open Schedule
The US Open schedule follows the expanded Grand Slam 15-day main-draw format. After qualifying, the main draw begins on Sunday, 30 August and runs through to the Men’s final on Sunday, 13 September. Qualifying and Fan Week precede the main tournament. Here’s a breakdown of the 2026 US Open’s schedule!
| Stage | Date (2026) | Details |
| Fan Week & Qualifying | Mon 24 – Thu 27 August | Singles qualifying and the mixed doubles championship |
| Main Draw begins / First Round | Sun 30 August | 1st round singles matches, day and night |
| First Round (continued) | 30 Aug – 1 September | The full 1st round is completed over three days |
| Second Round | 2 – 3 September | The singles fields are halved |
| Third Round | 4 – 5 September | Seeds and qualifiers meet going into the middle weekend |
| Round of 16 | 6 – 8 September | The last 16 in both singles draws |
| Quarter-finals | 9 – 10 September | The last 8 in both singles competitions |
| Semi-finals | 11 – 12 September | The final 4 in both singles draws |
| Women’s Singles Final | Sat 12 September | The women’s singles champion is crowned |
| Men’s Singles Final | Sun 13 September | The men’s singles final closes the tournament |
A few things are worth noting about the 2026 US Open schedule and structure.
First – the main draw was expanded to 15 days last year. The 1st round is now spread across 3 days, instead of 2, giving players more recovery time.
Second – the mixed doubles championship has been moved into Fan Weeks and is played before the singles tournaments.
Third – both singles draws host 128 players.
Finally – New York’s late-summer weather can affect the schedule. Heat, humidity and the occasional storm are common, especially during the opening week. While Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums both have retractable roofs to keep the show courts running, matches on the outside courts can still be delayed or moved. Keep published times as a reference point, not as a spot on schedule.
US Open Order of Play
The US Open order of play is the daily schedule which sets out which matches are played, on which court and in what order. Just like with any major tennis tournament, only the first match gets a fixed start time, instead of every single one. The US Open order of play lists all matches in sequence, but because weather changes, tie-break-heavy matches, or other stoppages are possible, only one match has a firm start time.
Order of Play Publishing Time
Organisers usually publish the order of play the evening before next day’s play. They need to confirm previous day’s results to confirm who has advanced.
Marquee matchups and home favourites are usually assigned to the show courts – Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong and the Grandstand. The rest of the card is spread across numerous outside venues. Once matches get underway, odds update continuously on our in-play betting page, so you can follow a match alongside the wide variety of moving market prices.
Day & Night Sessions
This is a distinctive element of the US Open. Arthur Ashe Stadium has two separate ticketed sessions each day:
- Day session – typically begins around 11 AM local time
- Night session – typically kicks off around 7 PM local time and runs late into the night
The night sessions in front of a raucous NYC crowd and under the bright lights are one of the US Open’s signatures. For UK viewers, these night sessions fall into early morning hours.
Where to Find the US Open Order of Play?
There are a few reliable sources. The first one to mention is the official tournament’s website – usopen.org, along with the official US Open app. Plus, some scheduling info and the draw should be made available on the US Open’s social media.
If you’re interested in men’s or women’s draws specifically, the ATP and WTA sites carry respective daily schedules, too.
Finally, you can follow the scheduling and find the order of play on the 7bet tennis betting page. It lists outright and match-by-match markets.
British Players to Watch
From the confirmed list of men’s and women’s singles players expected to feature in the US Open, British names to watch are below.
Men’s
- Arthur Fery – set to play in the main draw for the 1st time
- Jack Draper – qualifying position only after an injury-riddled season
- Cam Norrie – made the semi-finals in Los Cabos and advanced all the way to the 4th round in Montreal
Women’s
On the women’s side, Emma Raducanu has withdrawn because of injury, so we won’t see Britain’s No. 1. Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage, Heather Watson and Katie Swan are the only ones set to make the main draw, while other players will likely head to the qualifiers.
Tournament Information
Here’s a table with a summary of all essential tournament info details for the 2026 US Open:
| Tournament | US Open (2026) — 146th edition |
| Main Draw Dates | 30 August – 13 September 2026 |
| Fan Week & Qualifying | 24 – 27 August 2026 |
| Venue | USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court (Laykold) |
| Category | Grand Slam (4th and final one of the season) |
| Main Court | Arthur Ashe Stadium (capacity: ~23,200) |
| Singles Draw Size | 128 in men’s draw / 128 in women’s draw |
| Doubles | 64 teams in each doubles draw, plus mixed doubles |
| Other Events | Wheelchair and junior competitions |
| Defending Champions from 2025 | Carlos Alcaraz (men) and Aryna Sabalenka (women) |
| Prize money | $108m total, $5.5 million for singles champions each |
Largest Venue in Tennis
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre has been home to the US Open since 1978. The venue has over 20 courts, headlined by Arthur Ashe Stadium – the biggest tennis arena in the world by crowd capacity, accommodating around 23,200 fans. Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand are the other principal show courts, both also used for the biggest matches.
Field size
Just like with any other Grand Slam, each Singles draw fields 128 players, with 64 teams for each Doubles draw. Beyond these events, the US Open schedule also hosts wheelchair and junior (boys’ and girls’) draws.
Surface
This is an outdoor hardcourt tournament. Matches are played on Laykold surface. It’s medium-fast and has defined New York majors for years.
Narratives
As the 4th and final Slam of the year, the US Open is often responsible for concluding the year’s biggest narratives. Year-end rankings, records, rivalry settlements, returns to the top – all are on the line during the fortnight in NYC.
Prize Money
The 2025 edition saw a record prize fund. For 2026, the organisers broke that record and have increased the total prize money by 20%. The total is $108 million. That’s the second year running when organisers have managed to pull off a 20% increase. The Singles winners will receive the largest Grand Slam payments in history – $5.5 million. First-round Singles payouts are set at $140,000.
Both defending champions – Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are set to return, and you can check the latest outright US Open winner odds for both draws once markets open. They’re listed in our US Open hub.
Where to Watch the US Open in the UK?
UK audiences have a few ways to follow the US Open schedule and live action across the fortnight:
- Sky Sports Tennis – exclusive rights holder for live coverage of the tournament in the UK. The dedicated Sky Sports tennis channel carries extensive coverage from all courts, including day & night sessions with commentary as well as both finals.
- NOW – viewers without a full Sky subscription can stream the coverage through a NOW Sports membership, on a day, week or month pass.
- Sky Go – existing Sky customers can watch the tournament live on all devices via the Sky Go app.
- Live Scores – point-by-point live scoring will be available on the official US Open website and app, ATP and WTA platforms, Flashscore and 7bet’s IN-PLAY section.
Keep in mind the time difference from across the Atlantic. New York is 5 hours behind the UK. Day sessions usually start around 4 PM BST, while the marquee night-session matches often begin around midnight in the UK.
FAQ
When Does the US Open Start?
The main draw for the 2026 edition begins on Sunday 30 August. The main tournament culminates with the women’s singles final on Saturday 12 September and the men’s singles final on Sunday 13 September. Qualifying takes place the week before, kicking off on 24 August.
When is the US Open Draw Released?
According to the official information on the tournament’s website, the 2026 US Open women’s and men’s singles draws will be revealed on Thursday, August 27.
Who are the Favourites for the 2026 US Open?
Jannik Sinner is the men’s No. 1, but has had a knee injury recently. Alexander Zverev has had an excellent 2026 so far, and will look to continue. Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champ and returns after a few months on the sidelines. On the women’s side – Aryna Sabalenka will try to defend her crown and regain top form. Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula seem like the biggest threats to the Tigress.
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