Stars of the Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium: an evening that offers a glimpse into a new generation
The US Open in New York does not begin only with the first point of the main draw. Several days before that, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is already operating at full pace through Fan Week, qualifying, practice sessions and special programs, and one of the most interesting slots at Arthur Ashe Stadium is reserved for Stars of the Open. The program begins at 18:00, and eight players who already have significant results on the ATP and WTA Tour will take turns on the court: Amanda Anisimova, Marta Kostyuk, João Fonseca, Learner Tien, Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic, Arthur Fils and Alex Michelsen.
It is important to distinguish this evening immediately from the US Open main-draw matches. Stars of the Open is an exhibition program during Fan Week. Four pairings play one set each, and each match ends when one player wins six games according to the format announced for the event. Precisely because of that, the dynamics can be different from those of a traditional tournament match: there is no time for lengthy adjustment, a poor start is harder to make up for, and one early break can completely change the course of the set.
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Four matchups and eight different tennis stories
The order of play brings together players who know each other well from the Tour and those whose styles have yet to seriously collide on the biggest stages.
- Amanda Anisimova - Marta Kostyuk
- João Fonseca - Learner Tien
- Alexandra Eala - Iva Jovic
- Arthur Fils - Alex Michelsen
This is not merely a list of young names. Anisimova had already reached two Grand Slam finals, Kostyuk reached the latter stages of Roland Garros and Wimbledon during 2026, Fils won Barcelona and again put together deep runs during the North American swing, while Eala, Jovic, Tien and Fonseca have increasingly defeated established opponents over the past two seasons. Michelsen, after problems earlier in the season disrupted his continuity, has once again found results on American hard courts.
Anisimova against Kostyuk: shots that quickly take time away
The first pairing of the evening has the most head-to-head experience. Kostyuk leads 3-1 in their previous meetings, and she won their most recent match before New York on the hard court in Brisbane. Such a record provides a concrete tactical framework, but the one-set exhibition format reduces the value of long-term patterns. If Anisimova immediately finds depth on the return and begins taking the ball early, a few points may be enough to open the set in her direction. Kostyuk, on the other hand, can vary the height and rhythm of her shots and force her opponent to attack from less comfortable positions.
Their form before arriving in New York shows how dense the competition is on the American swing. In her five most recent completed singles matches before this guide, Anisimova defeated Zeynep Sönmez, Alexandra Eala and Linda Nosková, while losing to Elina Svitolina in Toronto and Jessica Pegula in a very tight Cincinnati quarterfinal. Pegula won that match 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4).
During the same period, Kostyuk put together wins over Madison Keys, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens and Mirra Andreeva, along with a loss to Iga Świątek in Toronto. Particularly interesting is how her game transfers to hard courts after very successful Grand Slam performances on clay and grass. For the crowd in Ashe, that means a clash between two players who do not need to wait for long rallies to seize the initiative.
Fonseca against Tien: a 3-0 record that does not tell the whole story
João Fonseca and Learner Tien belong to the same generation that, in a very short time, has stopped being merely a story about the future. Fonseca leads 3-0 in their head-to-head meetings, but during 2026 Tien showed how quickly he can find solutions against different styles. The left-hander defeated Tommy Paul, Thiago Agustín Tirante and Daniel Mérida in Canada before losing to Ben Shelton, and then in Cincinnati he beat Sebastian Báez before Frances Tiafoe stopped him in three sets.
Fonseca's tennis leaves a different impression. When he gets enough time to prepare, his powerful groundstrokes can shorten a point very quickly. In Canada he defeated Casper Ruud and then lost to Shelton. In Cincinnati he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-6(2), after which he withdrew before the match with Christopher O'Connell because of discomfort in the abdominal area. After examinations, his team continued planning for his appearance in New York, while the Stars of the Open program still lists him among the participants. As with all exhibitions in the week immediately before a Grand Slam, the lineup remains subject to change.
Tactically, this may be the most interesting men's pairing of the evening. Fonseca will try to dictate with his serve and first attacking shot, while Tien can use the geometry of his left-handed serve, disciplined return and change of direction to force him to hit one more ball. In a set to six games, there will not be much time to search for a backup plan.
Eala against Jovic: friendship stays outside the baseline
Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic know each other well, but their previous singles meetings have gone the American's way. Jovic won both of their matches, including victories at Roland Garros and on the London grass during 2026, both times without dropping a set.
Eala nevertheless arrives in New York after a season that changed her status on the Tour. In Washington she won her first title at that level and defeated Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the final. In doing so, she became the first Filipina with a WTA singles title. During her run through Toronto she then beat Alycia Parks and Caty McNally before losing to Belinda Bencic, and in Cincinnati she got past Elena-Gabriela Ruse before Anisimova stopped her. In her five most recent completed matches before New York, she has three wins and two losses.
During the year, Jovic reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and entered the Top 20. Her most recent appearances before Stars of the Open were less linear. In Toronto she defeated Magda Linette 6-3, 7-5, then lost to Alina Korneeva 3-6, 4-6. In Cincinnati she beat Tamara Korpatsch, while Marie Bouzková stopped her in two tie-break sets. If the earlier loss to Pegula at Wimbledon is added, her last five completed singles matches bring her two wins and three losses.
For spectators, the contrast in the opening pattern of points is particularly interesting. Eala is left-handed and can use her serve to open the court at angles that right-handed players do not offer, while Jovic recognizes a shorter ball very early and likes to take control from the baseline. Their two previous results give Jovic a psychological reference point, but the short format gives Eala an opportunity to change the balance of power quickly with a more aggressive start.
Fils against Michelsen: serve, explosiveness and the first attacking shot
Arthur Fils arrives in New York with perhaps the strongest current momentum among the men's participants of the evening. After the quarterfinals in Montreal, he continued winning in Cincinnati. He defeated Yannick Hanfmann and Jiří Lehečka, then beat world number eight Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4. After that he also got past Thiago Agustín Tirante and continued toward the closing stages of the tournament. In his five most recent completed matches before this guide, he recorded four wins and one loss.
That continues a season in which he won Barcelona and reached the Madrid semifinals. Fils is physically strong, explosive and capable of moving from defense to attack within the same rally. On hard courts he becomes particularly dangerous when his first serve opens the court for a powerful forehand.
Michelsen had three wins and two losses in his last five singles matches. He defeated Jan-Lennard Struff and Francisco Cerúndolo in Montreal, lost to Daniel Mérida, then in Cincinnati got past Jesper de Jong before losing to Taylor Fritz 3-6, 4-6. His season has not been as stable as Fils's, but hard courts in North America remain an environment in which he feels at home.
In a one-set match, their matchup will probably have a very clear opening theme: the quality of the first serve and control of the first shot after it. Spectators from the higher levels of the stadium will more easily see the width of the court and the way the players create angles. From the lower stands, the impression of serve speed, the sound of contact and the amount of time that players really have between two shots is much more pronounced.
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Hard courts and why this evening matters before the main draw
The US Open is played on hard courts, so Stars of the Open is not merely a separate showcase. The players get an opportunity to experience the largest stadium in the complex, its acoustics, the space behind the baseline and the visual feel that differs from smaller courts. The exhibition result does not carry ranking points, but the experience of entering Arthur Ashe Stadium several days before the main draw is not without value.
The 2026 main singles draw begins on August 30 and runs through September 13. Qualifying is played in the days before that. The men's and women's qualifying tournaments each bring together 128 players competing for 16 places in the main draw, and the qualifying matches take place during Fan Week from August 24 to 27.
That means a visitor arriving at the complex on August 27 is not coming to an empty stadium merely waiting for the Grand Slam to begin. On courts 4-17 that day, the final part of qualifying, practice sessions and other Fan Week programs are taking place, while in the evening the focus moves beneath the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Stars of the Open is scheduled from 18:00, and the daytime Fan Week program offers an opportunity to see a completely different side of professional tennis before the evening exhibition - matches in which players are fighting for entry into the main draw.
Arthur Ashe Stadium: 23,771 seats and a different feeling of tennis
Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 23,771 spectators. A retractable roof was added for the 2016 US Open, allowing the program to continue even when weather conditions above Flushing Meadows become a problem.
During 2026, the stadium is undergoing a major multi-phase modernization that is expected to be completed for the 2027 edition. According to information from the USTA, the work does not interrupt the competition schedule or spectator access during the 2026 US Open, and part of the renovated space is already in use.
For live tennis, one simple rule applies: there is not just one "best" perspective. Lower positions bring spectators closer to the speed of the serve, footwork and the physical power of the shot. Middle and higher levels provide a better view of point construction, the distance between the players and the opening of the court. In pairings such as Fonseca - Tien or Anisimova - Kostyuk, it is precisely from a higher position that one can more clearly see how a quality return changes the geometry of an entire game.
Breaks between games are also part of the rhythm. Tennis does not have continuous action like football or basketball. Tension builds through short bursts, changeovers and moments of silence before the serve. In a one-set format, that rhythm becomes more compact because every service game carries greater relative importance.
How to get to Flushing Meadows
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. For most visitors staying in New York, public transportation is a simpler option than driving, especially because parking capacity around the complex is limited.
- Subway: line 7 runs to Mets-Willets Point station and connects the area with Midtown Manhattan, including Grand Central.
- Rail: the Long Island Rail Road runs to Mets-Willets Point via the Port Washington Branch, with connections from Penn Station, Grand Central Madison and Woodside.
- Car: the GPS destination is USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368.
- Rideshare: the drop-off and pick-up zone is located by the New York Hall of Science, from where there is a walking connection toward the entrance to the complex.
- Bag checks are conducted at both main entrances, so it is worth allowing extra time before the planned entry into the stadium.
If arriving by car, traffic around Flushing Meadows can change significantly depending on other events in that part of Queens. Because of limited parking, organizers recommend public transportation. For visitors arriving the same day from another part of New York, a combination of the LIRR and line 7 provides several different routes without the need to enter the stadium area by car.
How much time to allow for the evening program
The Fan Week schedule lists Stars of the Open from 18:00 to 21:00. Four sets do not mean that the duration of each match can be predicted precisely. A set with an early break can end quickly, while a series of long games at deuce can significantly extend the program. Between matches, time is needed for new players to enter, warm up and for the on-court program to be organized.
That is exactly why it is not advisable to plan departure based on a mathematical estimate of the number of games. Visitors for whom the fourth matchup, Fils - Michelsen, is particularly important should expect its start time to be determined by the duration of the previous three matches. The same applies to the return toward Manhattan or another part of the city after the evening ends.
New York in the days when the tennis center comes to life
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is located in Queens, and the tennis center is in the immediate vicinity of Citi Field and complexes built on the grounds of former world's fairs. For a visitor who comes to New York primarily for tennis, Fan Week has a different character from the second week of the Grand Slam. Players are still practicing, qualifiers are fighting for the final places in the draw, and spectators can move during the same day between courts with very different levels of intensity and match status.
Stars of the Open then acts as a transition from the preparatory part of the week toward the big stage. Anisimova and Kostyuk bring experience from the closing stages of the biggest tournaments. Fonseca and Tien already have a head-to-head history and results against players from the very top. Eala and Jovic represent two different paths into the Top 20. Fils arrives with a series of deep ATP runs, while Michelsen is seeking consistency precisely on the surface on which he has already produced some of his best performances.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
For a spectator who wants to understand why there is so much talk about this generation, the value of the evening does not lie in predicting the winner. It is more interesting to watch the details: how early Anisimova takes the return, how Kostyuk changes the direction of the rally, how Tien uses his left hand to open the court, how quickly Fonseca moves from a neutral shot into full attack, how Eala creates an angle with her serve, how aggressively Jovic attacks a shorter ball, and how little time Fils and Michelsen leave each other after a good first serve.
The next day, the stadium returns to practices and the Fan Week program, and several days later the same court becomes the center of the US Open main draw. It is precisely this proximity to the major tournament that gives the evening a sporting context that a traditional off-season exhibition does not have.
Sources:
- US Open - Stars of the Open: confirmed participants, order of the four singles matches, one-set format, program start time and head-to-head records of individual pairings.
- US Open - Fan Week Schedule of Events and 2026 Tournament Schedule: Fan Week schedule, qualifying, evening program and start of the main draw.
- US Open - Anisimova, Fils, Kostyuk, Michelsen join Stars of the Open lineup: results and seasonal context of the participants.
- US Open - Players to watch: Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic, Arthur Fils and Alex Michelsen: career development, titles and results during 2026.
- ATP Tour and L'Équipe - Montreal and Cincinnati results: current form of Learner Tien, Arthur Fils and other participants on the North American hard courts.
- TennisTick, Tennis.com and 365Scores - current results: most recent singles appearances of Anisimova, Kostyuk, Eala, Jovic, Tien, Fonseca and Michelsen before New York.
- US Open - Transit & Parking and arrival guide: line 7, LIRR, parking, rideshare and the address of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
- USTA National Tennis Center and US Open - Arthur Ashe Stadium information: capacity of 23,771 seats, opening in 1997, retractable roof since 2016 and stadium modernization.