The final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year has begun, with matches already taking place in New York City.
The opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium features Ben Shelton, the 13th-seeded American and last year’s semifinalist, facing Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion who will retire after this season. This match is set to begin at noon, followed by Coco Gauff taking on Varvara Gracheva.
The night session at Ashe starts at 7 p.m. with 2017 champion Sloane Stephens competing against Clara Burel, followed by Novak Djokovic, ranked second, playing against Radu Albot. Other notable players scheduled for Louis Armstrong Stadium include Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys during the day, with Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 semifinalist Frances Tiafoe in the night session.
The Day 1 schedule for the U.S. Open is as follows:
Arthur Ashe Stadium
12pm ET
– Ben Shelton (13) vs Dominic Thiem
– Coco Gauff (3) vs Varvara Gracheva
7pm ET
– Sloane Stephens vs Clara Burel
– Novak Djokovic (2) vs Radu Albot
Louis Armstrong Stadium
11am ET
– Qinwen Zheng (8) vs Amanda Anisimova
– Taylor Fritz (12) vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
– Madison Keys (19) vs Katerina Siniakova
7pm ET
– Frances Tiafoe (20) vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
– Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Priscilla Hon
The tournament takes place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York City, on hard courts. Women compete in best-of-three-set matches, while men play best-of-five-set matches. The event spans 14 days and has retractable roofs on its two main courts, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The U.S. Open schedule includes:
— 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
Last year’s defending champions are Gauff, who claimed her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open at age 19 by defeating Sabalenka, and Djokovic, who captured his 24th major singles title by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final. Djokovic became the oldest male champion in New York during the Open era at 36.
As the tournament unfolds, players and fans are eager to see who will rise to prominence at the U.S. Open. Total prize money for the event has reached a record $75 million, with singles champions each set to earn $3.6 million.
Key stats at the U.S. Open include the fact that nine different women have won the past ten championships, with only Naomi Osaka winning more than one in that time, and Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam singles titles tying him with Margaret Court for the most in tennis history.
In their own words:
Gauff stated, “My new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before,” while Djokovic expressed his unwavering competitive spirit, saying, “I still feel the drive. I still have the competitive spirit. I still want to make more history and enjoy myself on the tour.”