The U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, has officially kicked off in New York City, with matches already in progress.
In the first match at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium for 2024, Ben Shelton, the 13th-seeded American who reached the semifinals last year, will face Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion who will retire after this season. This match is slated to begin at noon, followed by a clash between Coco Gauff and Varvara Gracheva.
The night session in Ashe starts at 7 p.m. with 2017 champion Sloane Stephens taking on Clara Burel, and later, Novak Djokovic will compete against Radu Albot. Additionally, in Louis Armstrong Stadium, American players Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys will participate during the day, while Aryna Sabalenka and 2022 semifinalist Frances Tiafoe will play in the evening.
Here is the Day 1 schedule for 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 U.S. Open is hosted at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York City, featuring hard courts. Women’s matches are played in best-of-three sets, while men’s matches are best-of-five sets. The tournament spans 14 days, offering separate day and night sessions, with retractable roofs on the two main courts, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The tournament 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
Defending champions include Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title last year at the age of 19, defeating Sabalenka in the final. Djokovic secured his 24th major singles championship in the previous year’s tournament, setting the record for the most titles in history.
With a record $75 million in total player compensation, the prize money has seen a considerable increase, with the singles champions each taking home $3.6 million. First-round singles players will receive $100,000, marking a tournament record for first-round losers.
Key statistics include that nine different women have won the past ten U.S. Open titles, with only Naomi Osaka winning more than once in that span. Djokovic, meanwhile, is tied with Margaret Court for the all-time record in Grand Slam singles titles, with 24.
Notable quotes from players include Gauff stating, “My new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before,” and Djokovic expressing his ongoing drive for success, saying, “I still have the competitive spirit. I still want to make more history.”