US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium: a night session in which the third round changes the rhythm of the tournament
The US Open in New York enters, on September 4, a phase in which there is no longer much room for a slow start. The evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium begins at 7:00 PM local time and belongs to the third round of the men's and women's singles tournaments. Gates for the evening session open at 6:00 PM. The names of the players for that specific time slot cannot yet be responsibly stated: the court schedule will depend on the results of the first two rounds and the subsequent publication of the order of play.
That is an important distinction for anyone buying a ticket in advance. The ticket is tied to the session and the stadium, not to a tennis player guaranteed in advance. But the third round already naturally concentrates quality. Players who make it to Friday have come through two main-draw matches, the court and conditions are no longer new, and the next victory leads into the last 16.
That is precisely why an evening session in the third round can offer an interesting combination of established seeds and players who have found an unexpectedly good rhythm during the first week. Tickets for this event are in demand.
What is confirmed for this evening session
The published 2026 tournament schedule places Session 12 on Friday, September 4, with play beginning at 7:00 PM. The program that evening consists of third-round matches in the men's and women's singles. The day session on the same day starts earlier and also includes doubles and the junior qualifying program, while the evening Arthur Ashe focus shifts to singles competition.
The third round has a different psychology from the very beginning of a Grand Slam. In the first round, a favorite may still be searching for a feel for the court, conditions and ball. By the third round, such explanations largely disappear. The serve has to produce enough easy points, the return must constantly create pressure, and baseline play has to withstand longer rallies against an opponent who has already won twice.
For the men, the best-of-five-set format adds extra weight. A poor twenty minutes does not have to decide the match, but the physical and mental price of coming back from a deficit can be felt several hours later. In the women's tournament, best-of-three leaves less time to repair a poor start to the match. One lost service game or several poor decisions in a tie-break can completely change the evening.
Men's draw: Alcaraz returns, Zverev arrives as the top seed
The men's tournament underwent an important change even before the start of the main draw. Jannik Sinner withdrew because of a problem with his right knee, so Alexander Zverev took over the position of top seed. Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, is the second seed in the bottom half of the draw, together with Novak Djokovic. The two can meet only in the semifinals if both overcome all the previous obstacles.
Alcaraz is one of the tournament's biggest unknowns precisely because of his highly unusual preparation. His final five tournament appearances before New York give a clear picture of the interruption in continuity: he won Doha, reached the semifinals of Indian Wells, lost in the third round of Miami, played the Monte-Carlo final and then won his first match in Barcelona before withdrawing because of a wrist injury. After that, he did not play competitive singles for four months. He enters the US Open with a 22-3 season record, but without the rhythm usually built through the North American hard-court tournaments.
That makes his game particularly interesting to follow during the first week. At his best, Alcaraz switches very quickly from defense to attack, changes the height and speed of the ball and is willing to finish points at the net. After a long break, however, the question is not simply whether he can produce world-class shots. More important is how consistently he can repeat that quality over several sets and how well he will respond when points become physical and when an opponent attacks his second serve.
Zverev arrives in New York with a completely different foundation of results. In his final five tournaments before the US Open, he won Roland Garros, reached the semifinals in Halle, the Wimbledon final, then lost in the second round in Montreal and in the round of 16 in Cincinnati. In Cincinnati, Tommy Paul stopped him 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 after Zverev had held match point. Such a run shows both his strength and a certain inconsistency immediately before New York.
On hard court, Zverev's serve particularly strongly determines the rest of his match. When a high first-serve percentage frees up his baseline game, the opponent can wait a long time for a break opportunity. When the second serve becomes a source of pressure, the dynamic can turn. That is exactly the kind of detail that is easier to see at Arthur Ashe Stadium than on television: the returner's positioning, how deep the return lands and how quickly one player takes control of the middle of the court after the return.
Novak Djokovic remains another key figure in the bottom half. The four-time US Open champion and winner of 24 Grand Slam titles reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semifinals this season. In Cincinnati, however, he lost his opening match to Thiago Agustin Tirante in three sets. For a player whose great advantage is his ability to neutralize serves and play his best points under pressure, the early part of the US Open will therefore be an important indicator of form.
None of those players is guaranteed in advance for Session 12. They should be viewed as key figures in the wider draw, not as an announcement of a specific match on September 4.
The women's tournament has more open paths toward the closing stages
Aryna Sabalenka enters the tournament as the two-time defending US Open champion and leads the top half of the draw. Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova are in the same half. The bottom half is led by Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina.
A particularly interesting signal immediately before New York came from Cincinnati. Coco Gauff won the tournament with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jessica Pegula. After losing the first set of her opening match of the tournament, Gauff won the next 12 sets in a row. That kind of consistency on hard court matters precisely because of her style: when the first serve and return work together, she can very quickly turn a defensive point into a situation in which her opponent has to take risks.
Pegula lost that final, but her run before the US Open is also very strong. Across Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati she played 13 matches with a 10-3 record, reached the finals in Washington and Cincinnati and the round of 16 in Toronto. That is almost the opposite kind of entry into the tournament from Alcaraz's: many matches, plenty of time on North American hard courts and repeated experience of playing the closing stages of tournaments.
In potential meetings between the best players, the difference often begins on return. Sabalenka and Rybakina can immediately shorten a point with their serve, while Gauff, with her movement and defensive range, forces the opponent to hit one more quality ball. Pegula often looks for early contact and a flat, deep ball that takes time away. Swiatek, when she succeeds in imposing her footwork and forehand from the middle of the court, can completely change the geometry of the rally.
The third round is just early enough for major stylistic contrasts still to be possible, but late enough that every remaining player already has proof of form at this tournament.
Hard court rewards the balance between serve and return
The US Open is played on hard court. For spectators, that means it is useful not to follow only the final winner, but also the way the point was built two or three shots earlier.
A strong first serve can open up the court, but at this level it is not enough on its own. The best returners often stand deep enough to neutralize the pace and then try to send the ball back through the middle, preventing the server from immediately attacking the open angle. That is why one of the most interesting patterns to watch live becomes the first shot after the serve.
With players who attack from the baseline, it is also worth watching foot position. When a player stands inside or directly beside the baseline, they are trying to take time away from the opponent. When they move several steps back, they gain more time for the swing and defense but concede space. Over the course of a long match, that position often changes depending on the score, confidence and quality of the opponent's serve.
Arthur Ashe further increases the sense of tactical battle. From the higher sections of the stands, it is easier to see the entire geometry of the court - where the player stands on return, how much they shift toward the backhand side and when they leave the baseline. Closer to the court, the impression of ball speed, the sound of contact and the physical effort during a rally are much more pronounced.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
Arthur Ashe Stadium changes the way tennis is experienced live
Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997 and holds more than 23,000 spectators. Its size means the same match can be experienced very differently depending on the seating level. Lower positions emphasize serve speed and footwork, while from the loge and promenade sections the structure of the point and the positioning of players across the court can be seen more clearly.
The stadium has a retractable roof that allows the organizer to continue play when weather conditions require it to be closed. The structure closes in approximately six and a half minutes. For the audience, what follows the closing matters more: the sound becomes more compact, the reactions of the stands remain inside the structure, and the feeling of an evening match becomes more intense.
Visitors in 2026 also arrive during a major modernization of the stadium. A new seating-bowl configuration has been completed for this year's tournament, while the promenade concourse area has been increased by 40 percent. The full reconstruction is planned for the 2027 US Open, so this year's visit offers a look at the stadium in the middle of a multi-phase transformation, but without disruption to the competition schedule.
Live tennis also has a rhythm different from sports with a fixed duration. There is no guaranteed finishing time. A match in three short sets and a match extending through a series of tie-breaks produce completely different evenings. In men's singles, additional sets can push the schedule deep into the night. It is therefore useful to plan the return to the hotel or another part of New York with enough time in reserve.
Practical plan for arriving at the evening session
For Session 12, entry to the complex begins at 6:00 PM, with play scheduled from 7:00 PM. Security screening and the large number of spectators mean that arriving exactly before the first serve is not an ideal plan.
- Entry: evening tickets allow entry to the grounds from 6:00 PM. The schedule and opening time may change, so the schedule should be checked again on the day of the visit.
- Access to courts: an Arthur Ashe Stadium ticket includes a reserved seat in that stadium for the corresponding session as well as access to other courts and stadiums in general-admission areas, subject to availability.
- Subway: Line 7 runs to Mets-Willets Point station. It is one of the simplest options for arriving from parts of Manhattan connected to Line 7.
- Long Island Rail Road: Mets-Willets Point is also connected by rail, with additional transfer options via Woodside. Visitors who need a fully accessible route should check the specific instructions because the LIRR Mets-Willets Point station is not accessible in the same way as the subway route.
- Parking: parking arrangements change depending on whether the New York Mets are playing a home game. On days without a home game, Mets Stadium Parking and the Yellow Zone are used, while on conflicting dates traffic is redirected toward the Blue and Orange zones.
- Bags: one bag per person is permitted, with maximum dimensions of 12 x 12 x 16 inches, approximately 30.5 x 30.5 x 40.6 cm. Backpacks are generally not permitted, with certain exceptions, and all bags are subject to inspection.
- Water: reusable metal or plastic water bottles of up to 24 oz, or approximately 710 ml, are permitted. Glass bottles and cans are not permitted.
For international visitors, a practical advantage of the location is its rail connection with the rest of New York. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and Mets-Willets Point serves both the sports complex and surrounding facilities. After the end of a late match, public transportation is often a simpler choice than trying to leave by car from an area where thousands of spectators are departing at the same time.
How to follow the match when you are in the stands
The best way to watch live tennis is not to try to follow only the ball. Watch the pattern. On serve, look at where the returner stands. After a second serve, watch whether they immediately attack the server's weaker side. In a long rally, look at who first manages to move closer to the baseline and force the other player into a defensive step.
In key games, mental stability becomes visible through small details. How much time does a player need between points? Do they change the direction of the first serve after missing a break point? Do they try to shorten the rally after several physically demanding points? Do they repeat the same pattern that has just brought success or suddenly choose a riskier option?
A tie-break is a particularly good example. Every mini-break immediately changes the pressure, while two quality serves can turn the entire set around. In a large stadium, the crowd's reaction after one long point can be very loud, but only moments later the players must once again make precise decisions.
The breaks between games are also part of the experience. While television coverage often focuses on the player on the bench, from the stands you can watch the entire court, the reaction of the other player, communication with the umpire's chair and preparation for the next game. This helps explain how momentum in tennis is built gradually, not only through several spectacular shots.
Why the third round is a good time to watch the US Open
The first weekend of a Grand Slam still has the breadth of the early rounds, but the matches already carry more weight. One victory separates a player from the round of 16. Seeds are no longer meeting only opponents who are still trying to find their rhythm: across the net stands someone who has already won twice at the same tournament.
That is particularly interesting in a draw like the one the 2026 US Open has. The men's side gained a new dynamic after Sinner's withdrawal, Alcaraz is returning after a long break, Zverev arrives after a season featuring his first Grand Slam title, while Djokovic still represents the benchmark for experience in best-of-five-set matches. Among the women, Sabalenka is trying to continue her run in New York, while Gauff and Pegula arrive after a very strong Cincinnati, and Rybakina, Swiatek, Andreeva and Noskova leave several different paths toward the closing stages.
Which of them will actually play under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium in Session 12 will be known only after the draw develops and the order of play is published. That uncertainty is precisely an integral part of buying a ticket for the early stage of a Grand Slam: you are not buying a pairing known in advance, but a place at a moment in the tournament when the draw has already been significantly narrowed.
For a visitor who wants as much tennis as possible, it is worth arriving before the start of the main program, becoming familiar with the layout of the complex and checking what is being played on the other available courts. As the start of the match in Arthur Ashe Stadium approaches, it is enough to leave time to enter the stadium and find your seat before the first serve.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Sources:
- US Open - 2026 tournament schedule, Session 12, third-round stage and gate-opening and play-start times.
- US Open - men's singles draw, Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, positions of Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
- US Open - women's singles draw and placement of Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Linda Noskova, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina in the two halves of the draw.
- ATP Tour - Carlos Alcaraz's return after a wrist injury, his season record and results from his most recent tournament appearances.
- ATP Tour - Alexander Zverev's results at Roland Garros, Halle, Wimbledon, Montreal and Cincinnati, and Novak Djokovic's results before the US Open.
- WTA - Cincinnati 2026, Coco Gauff's title and Jessica Pegula's form across Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati.
- US Open - information about Arthur Ashe Stadium, the retractable roof, seating configuration and stadium changes for 2026.
- US Open - public transportation instructions, parking, bag rules, permitted bottles and court access with an Arthur Ashe Stadium ticket.