US Open Tennis 2026: Dates, Schedule, TV Coverage and Tickets
US Open Tennis 2026 is under way at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Main draw singles begin Sunday, August 30. The women’s final is Saturday, September 12 and the men’s final Sunday, September 13. ESPN and ABC carry every match in the United States.
This is the 146th US Open, the longest ever staged at 22 days, and the richest tournament in tennis history at $108 million.
Quick Facts
| Edition | 146th |
| Full event | Aug 23 to Sep 13, 2026 (22 days) |
| Main draw singles | Aug 30 to Sep 13 (15 days) |
| Women’s final | Saturday, September 12 |
| Men’s final | Sunday, September 13 |
| Venue | USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York |
| Surface | Outdoor hard court, Laykold |
| Singles draw | 128 players, 32 seeds |
| Top seeds | Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka |
| Defending champions | Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka |
| US TV | ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Deportes |
| Prize money | $108 million, a tennis record |
Match of the Day
Aryna Sabalenka
Camila OsorioUS Open Tennis 2026 Schedule and Key Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Aug 23 to 29 | Fan Week, qualifying and the Mixed Doubles Championship. Free grounds entry (completed) |
| Thu, Aug 27 | Main draw ceremony. Seeds set from the August 24 rankings |
| Aug 30 to Sep 1 | First round |
| Sep 2 to 3 | Second round |
| Sep 4 to 5 | Third round |
| Sep 6 to 7 | Round of 16, Labor Day weekend |
| Sep 8 to 9 | Quarterfinals |
| Thu, Sep 10 | Women’s semifinals. Open for All Day, free grounds entry |
| Fri, Sep 11 | Men’s semifinals |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Women’s final |
| Sun, Sep 13 | Men’s final |
Outer courts and the Grandstand start at 11 a.m. ET. Arthur Ashe Stadium starts at 11:30 a.m. ET on most days, and at noon on opening Sunday. Night sessions in Ashe and Louis Armstrong begin at 7 p.m. ET. The USTA posts the next day’s order of play each evening.
Day by day detail, TV windows and local start times: US Open 2026 schedule.
What Is New in 2026
Record $108 million purse. Prize money jumped 20 percent on 2025. This is the first Grand Slam to pass $100 million in player compensation.
Longest edition ever. Fan Week opened August 23 with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day leading off for the first time, giving 22 competition days.
USTA now produces the world feed. ESPN held that job from 2015 to 2025. Your local channel is unchanged.
RedZone comes to tennis. ESPN streams point to point coverage across all 16 courts from August 30 through September 4, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, a first for ESPN tennis coverage.
Arthur Ashe rebuilt. Phase two of the $800 million project reworked the lower bowl and suite levels. Courtside seating grew from 3,000 to 5,000, the concourses are 40 percent wider, and capacity now stands at 23,933. The full redesign lands before the 2027 US Open.
Europe streams every court. Warner Bros. Discovery carries all matches live on HBO Max across 45 European markets for the first time, alongside Eurosport.
Seeds and Players to Watch
| Seed | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Zverev | Aryna Sabalenka |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Elena Rybakina |
| 3 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | Jessica Pegula |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Coco Gauff |
| 5 | Flavio Cobolli | Mirra Andreeva |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur | Linda Nosková |
| 7 | Daniil Medvedev | Karolína Muchová |
| 8 | Ben Shelton | Iga Świątek |
Jannik Sinner is out. The world No. 1 beat Zverev to win Wimbledon in July for his fifth major, then withdrew on August 21 with a right knee injury. It is the first Grand Slam he has missed since Wimbledon 2019.
Carlos Alcaraz defends his title on almost no match play. Seeded second, he plays Roman Safiullin in the first round, his first singles match since a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. He won the Australian Open in January to complete the career Grand Slam at 22, the youngest man ever to do it, then missed Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Montreal and Cincinnati. He did play mixed doubles here with Serena Williams, losing in the quarterfinals.
Alexander Zverev is top seed at a major for the first time. He won his maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final. He is also the first man to be a major’s No. 1 seed without ever having been world No. 1. He opens against Lorenzo Sonego.
Aryna Sabalenka chases a three peat. She won in 2024 and 2025. No woman has taken three straight US Opens since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014. She opens against Camila Osorio.
Coco Gauff is the form player. She beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the Cincinnati final for her second title there and lands as fourth seed. She faces Zeynep Sönmez first.
Elena Rybakina is the question mark. The second seed beat Sabalenka to win the Australian Open, then retired from her Cincinnati quarterfinal and pulled out of mixed doubles. She is in the draw and plays wild card Thea Frodin on Monday, August 31.
Novak Djokovic opens the night session. The four time champion, seeded fourth and chasing a record 25th major, faces Mariano Navone at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30. Venus Williams, 46, plays Sofia Kenin straight after.
Three different women hold the 2026 majors. Rybakina took Melbourne, Mirra Andreeva won Roland Garros at 19, and Linda Nosková won Wimbledon at 21.
Also worth tracking: Arthur Fils, fresh from a first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, plus Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Iga Świątek, Naomi Osaka and Alexandra Eala, whose 17th seeding is the highest ever for a Filipino player at a major. Serena and Venus Williams hold a women’s doubles wild card, their first US Open together since 2022. Stan Wawrinka is playing the last Grand Slam of his career on a wild card.
Missing alongside Sinner: João Fonseca, Holger Rune, Jack Draper, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Emma Raducanu and Victoria Mboko.
Full field and section by section analysis: players guide and draw breakdown.
How to Watch US Open Tennis 2026 Live
ESPN holds exclusive US rights through 2037. Coverage runs across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App. ABC carries all three Sundays, including the men’s final at 2 p.m. ET on September 13. The women’s final is Saturday, September 12 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
The streaming plans confuse a lot of people. ESPN+ still exists, but only as the content library inside the ESPN Select plan, and Select does not carry the ESPN linear channels. To stream all 16 courts, Multiview and the new RedZone feed, you need ESPN Unlimited.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN Select | $12.99 a month, $13.99 from Sep 17 | ESPN+ library only, no linear channels |
| ESPN Unlimited | $29.99 a month, $31.99 from Sep 17 | Every match, all 16 courts, RedZone, Multiview |
Anyone signing up after August 20 already pays the higher rate. The Disney+ and Hulu bundle stays at $36 a month.
| Country | Where to watch |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Unlimited |
| UK and Ireland | Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Go, NOW |
| Canada | TSN, RDS, TSN Direct, TSN+ |
| Australia | Nine and 9Now free, Stan Sport for every court |
| Europe (45 markets) | Eurosport, plus every court on HBO Max |
| India and South Asia | Star Sports, JioHotstar |
| South Africa | SuperSport, DStv Stream |
| New Zealand | ESPN via Disney+ or Sky Sport |
| MENA | beIN Sports |
| Japan | WOWOW |
Australia has the best free option anywhere. Nine airs selected matches free to air and 9Now streams them at no cost. Travelling? Your home service checks your location and will block you.
Prices, apps and local detail for every market: live stream guide.
Tickets and the Last Free Day
Face value sold out within hours of going on sale in late May. Grounds passes were $65 and Arthur Ashe seats started at $43, so resale is what most fans now pay. As of late August the average get in price sat near $260 to $310, and opening day grounds passes topped $360. Rounds two, three and four are cheaper than opening day, which is where the value sits.
Buy through usopen.org or Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner. Official resale runs through the Official Ticket Marketplace, powered by Ticketmaster. Use those sources only.
Fan Week gave seven free days from August 23 to 29. One free day is left: Open for All Day on Thursday, September 10. Grounds admission is free and the outer courts stage doubles, juniors and wheelchair matches. The women’s semifinals in Arthur Ashe that evening still need a ticket. Adults 18 and over need the free digital Fan Access Pass from the US Open app.
Sessions, prices and seating advice: tickets guide.
Prize Money
The 2026 US Open pays out $108 million, up 20 percent on the $90 million record set in 2025. Men and women earn identical amounts at every round.
| Result | Singles payout |
|---|---|
| Champion | $5,500,000 |
| Runner up | $2,800,000 |
| Semifinalist | $1,450,000 |
| Quarterfinalist | $780,000 |
| Round of 16 | $480,000 |
| Third round | $290,000 |
| Second round | $190,000 |
| First round | $140,000 |
Doubles and mixed doubles champions each take $1 million per team. The first round cheque rose 27 percent, the biggest jump of any round and a direct answer to player pressure over pay at the base of the draw.
Qualifying and doubles detail: prize money guide.
Mixed Doubles Result
Karolína Muchová and Jakub Menšík won the Mixed Doubles Championship on August 26, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, 10-6. The all Czech pair split $1 million, the largest mixed doubles prize in tennis.
Sixteen teams played the main draw on August 25 and 26, after a new qualifying day on August 24. Matches used short sets to four games with no-ad scoring and a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set, with the final played to six. Two time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori lost in the first round to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.
Full results and format: mixed doubles guide.
Inside the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Arthur Ashe Stadium now seats 23,933 after the 2026 rebuild, still the largest tennis stadium in the world. Louis Armstrong holds 14,061. Both have retractable roofs, so rain never stops play on those two courts. The Grandstand seats 8,125, has no roof, and gives the closest view on the grounds.
The tournament drew a record 1,144,562 fans in 2025, up 9 percent year on year and the second straight year above one million. Fan Week alone accounted for 239,307 of them.
Getting there is simple. Take the 7 subway train or the Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Branch to Mets Willets Point, a short walk from the gates. The LIRR runs direct from Grand Central Madison and Penn Station in about 19 minutes.
A Short History
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the season, after the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The first US National Championship was played in 1881 at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island. The men’s event moved to Forest Hills in 1915 and the tournament settled at Flushing Meadows in 1978, where it has been played on hard courts ever since.
Explore the Tournament
- Schedule and TV times: round dates, ESPN windows, order of play
- Live stream: every country, service and price
- Tickets: sessions, prices, safe buying
- Draw and matchups: seeds, quarters, projected meetings
- Printable bracket: free sheets to fill in
- Prize money: round by round breakdown
- Mixed doubles: format, teams, results
- Players and seeds: the full field
FAQ about US Open Tennis 2026
When does the US Open 2026 start and end?
The 2026 US Open runs Sunday, August 23 to Sunday, September 13 in New York. Fan Week and qualifying filled the first week. Main draw singles begin Sunday, August 30. The women’s final is Saturday, September 12 and the men’s final Sunday, September 13.
Is Jannik Sinner playing the 2026 US Open?
No. The world No. 1 withdrew on August 21 with a right knee injury, his first missed Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2019. Alexander Zverev is top seed in his place, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz seeded second. Joao Fonseca, Holger Rune, Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu and Victoria Mboko are also out.
How can I watch US Open Tennis 2026?
In the United States, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes carry daily coverage and ABC has all three Sundays including the men’s final. ESPN Unlimited streams all 16 courts at $29.99 a month, rising to $31.99 on September 17. Sky Sports covers the UK, TSN Canada, HBO Max and Eurosport most of Europe, and Nine plus 9Now show free matches in Australia.
How much prize money is at the 2026 US Open?
A record $108 million, up 20 percent on 2025 and the first Grand Slam to pass $100 million. Each singles champion earns $5.5 million, the runner up $2.8 million, a semifinalist $1.45 million. Losing in the first round pays $140,000, a 27 percent rise. Doubles and mixed doubles champions take $1 million per team.
Are there any free days left at the 2026 US Open?
One. Open for All Day falls on Thursday, September 10, when grounds admission is free and the outer courts stage doubles, juniors and wheelchair matches. Adults 18 and over need the free Fan Access Pass from the US Open app. The women’s semifinals in Arthur Ashe that evening still require a ticket.
How do you get to the US Open?
Take the 7 subway train or the Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Branch to Mets Willets Point. The LIRR runs direct from Grand Central Madison and Penn Station in about 19 minutes, and the station sits a short walk from the gates. Parking near Flushing Meadows is limited, especially on New York Mets home dates.
What is the US Open bag policy?
One bag per guest, no larger than 12 inches wide by 12 inches high by 16 inches long. Backpacks are banned except single compartment drawstring bags. Reusable metal or plastic water bottles up to 24 ounces are allowed, glass is not. There is no bag storage inside the grounds, though paid storage is available just outside the Main Entry and Champions’ Gate.
What happens if it rains at the US Open?
Play continues in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, the only two courts with retractable roofs. Matches on the Grandstand and the outer courts are suspended until the courts dry.
We update this US Open Tennis 2026 guide every morning of the tournament with results, start times, TV listings, seed movements and printable brackets, right through to the men’s final on September 13.