play Live Sign upShow navigation menuplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upEXPLAINERSport|TennisUS Open 2026: All to know about the schedule, top seeds and favouritesCarlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka look to defend their titles as the year’s final Grand Slam begins on Sunday.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoCarlos Alcaraz at the US Open Fan Week, August 25, 2026 [Sarah Yenesel/EPA]By Anushe EngineerPublished On 28 Aug 202628 Aug 2026The season of Honey Deuce cocktails at Flushing Meadows is upon us as the 2026 US Open main draw gets under way in New York this Sunday.
This year’s fourth and final Grand Slam will feature some of the biggest names in tennis and breakout players on the up and up, although there will also be some notable injured absentees.
The mixed doubles title has already been claimed by Czech pair Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik on Wednesday night after defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.
Here’s everything you need to know about the US Open main draw:
All the main draw action from August 30 until September 13 is at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, just outside New York City.
The men’s and women’s quarterfinals begin on September 8 , followed by:
Women’s singles semifinals: September 10
Men’s singles semifinals: September 11
No. The 45-year-old Swiss icon categorically ruled out a Williams-esque return.
His brief on-court appearance in New York this week was for primetime exhibition matches ahead of a trip to Newport, Rhode Island to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.
With Sinner out of contention, Alcaraz has a clear shot at his title defence for a third US Open win.
Wimbledon champion and top seed Alexander Zverev will also be looking to carry momentum from his maiden Slam win in June, although the German was knocked out in the fourth round at last week’s Cincinnati Open.
Arthur Fils, seeded 23rd, could be a surprise contender in the final four after the Frenchman defeated American Frances Tiafoe to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last week.
Over on the women’s side, Gauff will look to defeat top-ranked Sabalenka for a repeat of her maiden US Open title in 2023, although the Belarusian will be eyeing a third consecutive win in New York.
That being said, the 28-year-old has faltered this season after a fourth round defeat in Cincinnati, the Toronto Masters, Wimbledon and a quarterfinal exit at Roland Garros.
World number two Rybakina is hot on Sabalenka’s heels for the top spot with 8,141 points to Sabalenka’s 8,575.
At 32, Jessica Pegula is the oldest top 10 player, but has been a finalist and semifinalist in the past two years and will look to continue that on home soil this year too.
Russian teenager Andreeva bagged her maiden Slam title at the French Open this summer and sits at a career-high world number five, although a fourth round appearance in New York will be her deepest at the US Open.
Alex Eala of the Philippines will be a force to watch after the 21-year-old found her breakthrough with a maiden WTA title this month at the Washington Open.
She received a wildcard for the US Open mixed doubles with Auger-Aliassime, although the duo fell in the first round to husband-and-wife duo of Gael Monfils and Svitolina.
Eala will headline the Stars of the Open exhibition event at Arthur Ashe on Thursday alongside young players Joao Fonseca, Iva Jovic and Learner Tien.
A record $108m prize pot is up for grabs this time:
Winner: $5.5m Finalist: $2.8m Semi-finalist: $1.45m Quarter-finalist: $780,000 Round of 16: $480,000 Round of 32: $290,000 Round of 64: $190,000 Round of 128: $140,000 Qualifying Round of 32: $66,000 Qualifying Round of 64: $48,000 Qualifying Round of 128: $32,000
Winner: $1m Finalist: $500,000 Semi-finalist: $250,000 Quarter-finalist: $125,000 Round of 16: $75,000 Round of 32: $45,000 Round of 64: $30,000
Alongside Sinner, Brazil’s Fonseca (ATP 26th ranking) and Briton Jack Draper (ATP 141st ranking) will be absent from the men’s side.
Emma Raducanu of Britain, world number 15 Victoria Mboko of Canada and Hailey Baptiste of the US, ranked 34rd, are other big names who won’t be in action.
