US OPEN 2026: All you need to know

As the tennis world descends on Flushing Meadows for the final Grand Slam of the season, the 2026 US Open arrives carrying its familiar promise of drama, pressure and opportunity.

The event also marks the largest schedule in tournament history, featuring an expanded Fan Week and a revamped mixed doubles competition.

DATE: 30 Aug – 13 Sep

VENUE: Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York

BROADCAST DETAILS

From Sunday 30 August until Sunday, 13 September, there will be two feeds available on SuperSport:

- from 4:55pm on SS Tennis / Tennis Africa

- from 4:55pm on SS Extra

- Grandstand will regularly feature action from Flushing Meadows.

The quarterfinals start on Tuesday, 8 September, with times altering slightly from there, but all the main matches will be live on SuperSport Tennis.

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

The biggest storyline heading into New York is the absence of world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury. His withdrawal has dramatically altered the competitive landscape and shifted expectations toward a new group of title contenders.

With Sinner sidelined, Carlos Alcaraz enters the spotlight despite concerns surrounding his fitness. The defending champion has been working his way back following a wrist injury that disrupted much of his 2026 campaign.

Alexander Zverev arrives with growing confidence after securing the Wimbledon title earlier this year. The German has consistently been among the sport's elite performers, and with Sinner absent, many believe this could be his best chance yet to add a US Open crown to his résumé.

Then there is Novak Djokovic. Although no longer the dominant force of previous years he cannot be discounted in a best-of-five-set environment where experience often proves decisive.

SABALENKA SEEKS A THREE-PEAT

If the men's field appears open, the women's competition centres around one dominant figure: Aryna Sabalenka.

The Belarusian has won the previous two US Open titles and remains the world No 1 heading into New York. Yet her path to a historic third consecutive championship may be more challenging than ever. 

Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina has emerged as one of Sabalenka's strongest rivals. Her powerful serve and flat hitting are ideally suited to hard courts, and she enters the tournament carrying significant momentum.

Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková also arrives with growing confidence, while established stars Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek remain serious threats.

SERENA TEAMS UP WITH ALCARAZ

Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, and second-ranked Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, a seven-time Slam singles winner, will compete together in US Open mixed doubles.

The US Tennis Association announced mixed doubles pairings topped by 44-year-old American Williams making her return to the US Open for the first time since 2022.

But she won't be playing singles.