The 2026 US Open main draw starts Sunday, August 30 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, and this year’s edition is defined as much by who’s missing as who’s playing. Jannik Sinner — winner of five Grand Slam titles and half of the sport’s defining rivalry — is out with a knee injury, per the BBC. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returns from four months off with a wrist problem and immediately drew what The Athletic calls a “jump scare” first-rounder. The women’s field could crown a new world No. 1 even if she loses. And 44-year-old Serena Williams is back, teaming with Venus in doubles for the first time at a major since 2022. Record money is on the line: $108 million in total player compensation, with $5.5 million to each singles champion, per the WTA.
Key Takeaways
- Main draw runs August 30–September 13; the women's final is September 12, the men's final September 13 on ABC.
- Jannik Sinner is out with a knee injury; defending champion Carlos Alcaraz opens against dangerous Roman Safiullin after four months off.
- A record $108 million purse pays $5.5 million to each singles champion.
- Serena and Venus Williams play doubles together at a major for the first time since 2022.
The dates that matter
The tournament runs 15 days on hard courts, according to the BBC and WTA:
- First round: August 30 – September 1
- Second round: September 2–3
- Third round: September 4–5
- Fourth round: September 6–7
- Quarterfinals: September 8–9
- Women’s semifinals: September 10; men’s semifinals: September 11
- Women’s final: Saturday, September 12 (4 p.m. ET)
- Men’s final: Sunday, September 13 (2 p.m. ET)
The mixed doubles — now a standalone two-day event — already wrapped: Czech pair Jakub Mensik and Karolina Muchova took the title and its $1 million prize, per the BBC.
How to watch in the US
ESPN has exclusive coverage across its networks, with the women’s final on ESPN and the men’s final on ABC, per ESPN. Notable this year: for the first time, ESPN is bringing a RedZone-style whip-around experience to the US Open — “RedZone at the US Open” runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET daily through September 4 in the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, who also get every match from all 16 courts and a Multiview mode showing up to four matches at once. Disney+ subscribers get select Day 1 action inside that app.
The Alcaraz problem: a nightmare named Safiullin
Alcaraz enters as defending champion — he beat Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in last year’s final, per the BBC — but he hasn’t played singles since a wrist injury knocked him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon. His only competitive action since: a mixed-doubles run to the quarterfinals alongside Serena Williams last week.
His reward for coming back? Roman Safiullin, whom The Athletic describes as “just about the worst category of player for Alcaraz to meet after four months out.” Safiullin was last seen at a Grand Slam knocking out Andrey Rublev and João Fonseca before troubling Novak Djokovic, and his ferocious serve and all-out attacking style deny a rusty opponent exactly the runway he needs. If Alcaraz survives, The Athletic maps the danger ahead: Tommy Paul in his eighth of the draw, Ben Shelton in his quarter, and Djokovic — chasing a standalone-record 25th Grand Slam title, per the BBC — in his half.
With Sinner sidelined, the men’s tournament is effectively an open invitation. Sinner hasn’t competed since winning Wimbledon in July, and the BBC notes the Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry — the pair split all eight majors across 2024 and 2025 — hasn’t produced a meeting at a Slam since January’s Australian Open.
The women’s draw: Sabalenka defends under pressure
Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed for the eighth consecutive Grand Slam and the two-time defending champion, having beaten Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) in last year’s final, per the WTA. The BBC frames her goal starkly: become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win the US Open three years running.
But The Athletic asks a pointed question: when has a defending champion and top seed ever felt this vulnerable? Sabalenka has reached just one semifinal in her past seven tournaments, and her draw is thorny — a possible third-rounder against two-time major champion Barbora Krejčíková, then Maja Chwalińska or Diana Shnaider (who won a 6-0 third set against her in Paris), with Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková or Marta Kostyuk looming in the quarters.
The ranking math adds spice. Per the BBC, Elena Rybakina takes the No. 1 ranking if she reaches the semifinals regardless of other results — and can even become No. 1 without winning a match, provided Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff all fall short of the title. The catch: The Athletic reports Rybakina’s left Achilles is a genuine doubt, and her potential absence would hand a huge opening to resurgent 2022 champion Iga Świątek, who sits in her quarter.
The Williams sisters, one more time
The emotional center of this tournament is a wildcard: Serena and Venus Williams will play women’s doubles together at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open, per the WTA — the pairing owns 14 Grand Slam doubles titles. Venus, 46, will also play singles, according to the BBC. The singles wildcard list is stacked with familiar names too: 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin, and 17-year-old Thea Frodin — who, The Athletic notes, played a young Venus in the film “King Richard” and could face Rybakina in the first round.
The money
The $108 million purse is a 20 percent jump from 2025’s $90 million, per the WTA. The breakdown for singles: $190,000 just for playing the first round, $780,000 for a quarterfinal, $2.8 million for the runner-up, and $5.5 million for the champion. Even losing in the first round of qualifying paid $32,000.
What happens next
The first round runs Sunday through Tuesday, and the opening days carry the tournament’s biggest questions: Alcaraz–Safiullin headlines Sunday’s slate (Alcaraz opens against him, Sabalenka against Colombia’s Camila Osorio, per the BBC), and Rybakina’s Achilles gets its first test. The Athletic’s early matches to watch include Coco Gauff against Zeynep Sönmez and Stefanos Tsitsipas against Arthur Fils. From there, the brackets tighten toward a September 12–13 championship weekend. The most likely narratives: either Alcaraz consolidates the year the rivalry paused, Djokovic finally lands No. 25, or the wide-open women’s draw produces a fourth different No. 1 storyline by the semifinals. In New York, betting on chaos is usually the smart play. It all unfolds across Labor Day weekend, sharing the holiday stage with college football’s opening week.
Quick poll
With Sinner out, who lifts the men's trophy on September 13?
For the record: Alcaraz beat Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in last year's final, per the BBC — but he hasn't played singles in four months.
FAQ
When does the US Open 2026 start and end? Main-draw play begins Sunday, August 30 and ends with the men’s final on Sunday, September 13. The women’s final is Saturday, September 12.
Why isn’t Jannik Sinner playing the US Open? A knee injury ruled him out, per the BBC. He hasn’t competed since winning Wimbledon in July. Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also withdrawn with injuries.
How can I watch the US Open in the US? ESPN’s networks carry it exclusively, with the men’s final on ABC. ESPN Unlimited subscribers get every court, four-match Multiview, and the new “RedZone at the US Open” whip-around feed; Disney+ includes select Day 1 coverage.
How much do US Open champions win in 2026? $5.5 million each for the men’s and women’s singles champions, out of a record $108 million in total player compensation — up 20 percent from 2025, per the WTA.
Are Serena and Venus Williams really playing? Yes — they received a doubles wildcard and will team at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open. Venus, 46, is also in the singles draw.
