The 2026 US Open runs from Sunday, August 30, through Sunday, September 13, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, according to tournament organizers and international sports reports. As the final Grand Slam tournament of the calendar year, the 146th edition of the Flushing Meadows major offers a total prize purse of $108 million, alongside marquee scheduling changes, a wide-open men’s draw featuring defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, and high-stakes battles in the women’s singles bracket.
Tournament Schedule and Key Dates at Flushing Meadows
The main singles draw officially commenced on Sunday, August 30, stretching the first round across three days through Tuesday, September 1.
The tournament timeline progresses through the second round on September 2 and 3, the third round on September 4 and 5, and the round of 16 matches on September 6 and 7. Quarterfinal fixtures occupy September 8 and 9. According to official scheduling updates, the women’s singles semifinals are slated for Thursday, September 10, while the men’s singles semifinals follow on Friday, September 11. The women’s singles final takes place on Saturday, September 12, with the men’s singles final scheduled for Sunday, September 13.
For international fans following from Europe, a six-hour time difference separates New York from metropolitan France. The weekend championship matches feature adjusted broadcast slots, with the women’s final set for 10:00 p.m. local French time on Saturday, September 12, and the men’s final broadcasting at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 13.
Record $108 Million Prize Money and Payout Breakdown
Singles champions in both the men’s and women’s main draws will each collect $5.5 million, marking the largest winner’s check ever awarded at an official tennis tournament and surpassing the $5 million payouts received by Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka a year prior.
Runner-up finishers in the main singles draws earn $2.8 million, while semifinalists take home $1.45 million. Quarterfinalists receive $780,000, players reaching the round of 16 secure $480,000, and third-round exits net $290,000. Competitors eliminated in the second round earn $190,000, and a first-round main draw appearance guarantees $140,000, up from previous years. Additionally, qualifying tournament payouts received a 16% bump, with first-round qualifying losers earning $32,000, and a portion of the total pool is allocated to a support fund covering healthcare, retirement, and maternity leave expenses for athletes.
Title Contenders and Draw Landscape
The men’s singles draw features notable absences and high-profile returns that leave the championship race wide open. Alcaraz enters Flushing Meadows following a four-month layoff due to a right wrist injury that forced his withdrawal from Barcelona in mid-April, causing him to miss Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the entire North American hard-court summer swing.
Despite the lengthy absence, Alcaraz retains top-tier status following an elite start to the season that included capturing his career Grand Slam at the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic, winning the Qatar Open, and reaching the final in Monte-Carlo. Other threats in the men’s bracket include Wimbledon champion Alexander Zverev, who aims to break a semifinal drought at Flushing Meadows dating back to 2021, and veteran Novak Djokovic, who remains a dangerous contender for a record-extending 25th major title following his semifinal run at New York last year.
On the women’s side, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leads the field as she defends her back-to-back New York titles from the past two years, though she is searching for her first major crown of the current season. The 2026 major winners—Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, Mirra Andreeva at the French Open, and Linda Nosková at Wimbledon—all feature in a deep bracket that also includes top contenders Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek.
Broadcast and Television Coverage
In the United States, comprehensive live coverage of the tournament broadcasts across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and the ESPN app, with first-round action starting August 30 and the men’s singles final airing live on ABC for the third consecutive year, according to USA Today. In France, television rights belong to Eurosport, which broadcasts the entirety of the tournament across Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2, alongside digital streaming options via Max and Canal+ platforms integrating Eurosport channels.
As the tournament progresses through the second week toward the championship weekend, fans can follow official tournament updates, scoreboards, and order-of-play announcements directly through the official US Open digital channels. Readers are encouraged to share their predictions or join the discussion in the comments section below.
