NEW YORK – Get ready for the U.S. Open before play begins with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the defending champions are and more:
When is the draw for the U.S. Open and when do matches start?
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The draw to set the brackets for the singles fields is Thursday, and matches in the main draw begin next Monday.
How to watch the U.S. Open on TV
—In the U.S.: ESPN
— Other countries are listed here.
Who are the betting favorites for the U.S. Open?
Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are listed as the money-line favorites to win the singles championships at the U.S. Open, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The No. 2-ranked Sabalenka — who has won each of the past two Australian Open titles and was the runner-up in New York last year — is at +250 after taking the trophy at the Cincinnati Open. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek, whose five Grand Slam titles include the 2022 U.S. Open, is next at +350, ahead of defending champion Coco Gauff (+600) and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina (+700). Alcaraz won the U.S. Open in 2022 and is coming off titles at each of the past two major tournaments, the French Open and Wimbledon. He is listed at +160, ahead of defending champion Novak Djokovic and No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner, who are both at +200, with a big dropoff to the next choice, 2020 runner-up Alexander Zverev, who is at +800.
Where is the U.S. Open played?
The site is the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows in New York City. The surface is hard courts. Women play best-of-three-set matches; men play best-of-five-set matches. There are separate day and night sessions. The event lasts 14 days. There are retractable roofs on the two largest courts, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Who are the top seeds at the U.S. Open?
Swiatek will be the top-seeded woman, and Sinner will be the top-seeded man. They are both ranked No. 1, and the seedings reflect the rankings.
What is the U.S. Open schedule?
— Aug. 26-27: First Round (Women and Men)
— Aug. 28-29: Second Round (Women and Men)
— Aug. 30-31: Third Round (Women and Men)
— Sept. 1-2: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
— Sept. 3-4: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
— Sept. 5: Women’s Semifinals
— Sept. 6: Men’s Semifinals
— Sept. 7: Women’s Final
— Sept. 8: Men’s Final
Who are the U.S. Open’s defending champions?
Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at last year's U.S. Open at age 19, defeating Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Gauff became the first American teenager to win the country’s major tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999. Djokovic won his 24th major singles championship — no one in tennis history has more — with a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final. At 36, Djokovic became the oldest male champion in New York in the Open era, which began in 1968.
What do I need to know about tennis and the U.S. Open?
Get caught up:
— Rafael Nadal is sitting out the U.S. Open again
— College champion Alexa Noel is turning pro and making her Slam singles debut at the Open
— Coco Gauff is returning to the site of her first Grand Slam title
— Novak Djokovic finally earned the Olympic gold medal he's long sought
— Carlos Alcaraz is seeking a third major trophy in a row
— Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen is the sport's next young star
— An outside review says the U.S. Tennis Association can do more to protect players
How much prize money is there at the U.S. Open?
Total player compensation at the U.S. Open is rising to a record $75 million — an increase of $10 million from last year. The two singles champions each will receive $3.6 million, up from $3 million. First-round losers in singles will be paid $100,000, a tournament record.
Key stats at the U.S. Open
9 — The number of women who have split the past 10 U.S. Open championships. Only Naomi Osaka has won more than one title in New York in that span.
24 — The number of Grand Slam singles titles won by Djokovic, tied with Margaret Court for the most by anyone in the history of tennis. One more championship will give Djokovic sole possession of the record.
What was said at the U.S. Open?
"Right now I’m just feeling happiness and a very, very small bit of relief. Because, honestly, at this point, I was doing it for myself and not for other people.” — Coco Gauff, a year ago, after winning her first Grand Slam title in New York.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis