The U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tennis event of the year, has begun in New York City with matches taking place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
The opening match in Arthur Ashe Stadium features Ben Shelton, the 13th-seeded American and last year’s semifinalist, facing off against Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion who will retire after this season. This match is set to start at noon, followed by Coco Gauff, the 3rd seed, competing against Varvara Gracheva.
The night session on the first day in Ashe will commence at 7 p.m. with 2017 champion Sloane Stephens going up against Clara Burel, followed by a match between Novak Djokovic, the 2nd seed, and Radu Albot. Louis Armstrong Stadium will host matches featuring American players Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys during the day, and Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 semifinalist Frances Tiafoe at night.
Here is the schedule for Day 1 of the U.S. Open:
Arthur Ashe Stadium
12 p.m. ET
– Ben Shelton (13) vs. Dominic Thiem
– Coco Gauff (3) vs. Varvara Gracheva
7 p.m. ET
– Sloane Stephens vs. Clara Burel
– Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Radu Albot
Louis Armstrong Stadium
11 a.m. ET
– Qinwen Zheng (8) vs. Amanda Amisimova
– Taylor Fritz (12) vs. Camilo Ugo Carabelli
– Madison Keys (19) vs. Katerina Siniakova
7 p.m. ET
– Frances Tiafoe (20) vs. Aleksandar Kovacevic
– Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs. Priscilla Hon
The tournament features matches played on hard courts, with women competing in best-of-three sets and men in best-of-five sets. The event runs for 14 days, accommodating separate day and night sessions, and includes retractable roofs on the two main courts.
The U.S. Open schedule is as follows:
– Monday-Tuesday: 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
Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic enter the tournament as the defending champions. Gauff captured her first Grand Slam title last year at the age of 19 after defeating Aryna Sabalenka, while Djokovic clinched his 24th major singles title by overcoming Daniil Medvedev in the final.
This year’s U.S. Open features a record total player compensation of $75 million, an increase of $10 million from the previous year. Both singles champions will receive $3.6 million, up from $3 million, and first-round singles participants will earn $100,000, a tournament record.
Djokovic, who has stated his desire to continue making history on tour, and Gauff, who aims to defend her title, are among the players to watch as the tournament unfolds.