The US Open in New York is entering a phase where there is no room for an easy start
The 2026 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows brings a two-day period in which the men's and women's singles tournaments are already in the third round. For a visit on September 4 and 5, that is an important difference: the opening nerves of the first round are largely behind the players, the seeds have already had to confirm their form, and every subsequent defeat means the end of their singles campaign.
The schedule for September 4 features third-round matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand and the outer courts. The day program on courts outside Arthur Ashe Stadium begins at 11:00, while the start of the day program at Arthur Ashe Stadium is scheduled for 11:30. Evening sessions at the two largest stadiums begin at 19:00. On September 5, the program also remains in the third round, giving a two-day ticket an interesting competitive framework: it is possible to follow two consecutive halves of the draw before the tournament moves into the round of 16.
The exact allocation of players to courts is announced closer to the day of play. That is why it is not possible to fairly promise in advance an appearance by Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic or Ben Shelton in a particular session on September 4 or 5. What is known is the draw and the group of players around whom the tournament's sporting story is being built.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
The men's draw without Jannik Sinner has taken on a different balance
Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and 2024 US Open champion, withdrew before the start of the tournament because of a problem with his right knee. His absence changes the upper half of the draw and the distribution of the seeds. Sinner had a 44-3 record and six titles in 2026 before withdrawing, so this is not merely the absence of a famous name, but the removal of a player who set the standard for consistency of results during much of the season.
Alexander Zverev therefore enters the tournament as the top seed. His immediate preparation on North American hard courts was not completely smooth. In Montreal, Tallon Griekspoor defeated him 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4. In Cincinnati, Zverev returned to winning ways against Cameron Norrie and Terence Atmane, before Tommy Paul stopped him 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. His record in those four most recent matches on North American hard courts was therefore 2-2.
Zverev's tennis depends particularly on the quality of his first serve and his ability to win a neutral exchange from the baseline before beginning to dictate with his backhand. In a third-round match, when opponents already have two wins behind them, it will matter greatly how often he turns his first serve into short games. A long match in which he constantly has to play second serves and defend after the opponent's return is a completely different test.
Carlos Alcaraz is the second seed and defending champion. His situation is even more unusual. In April, after winning his first-round match in Barcelona, he ended his campaign because of a wrist problem, and before the US Open he did not have the usual run of tournaments on North American hard courts. His season record at the time of his withdrawal from Barcelona was 22-3, with titles at the Australian Open and in Doha. Because of the multi-month break, there is no fresh sample of five hard-court matches immediately before New York for him, as there is for some other contenders.
That is precisely why Alcaraz's first two rounds will be important for assessing his rhythm. His greatest advantage is not only the speed of his shots, but his ability to change the geometry of a point from defense in a single move. On a hard court, this can be seen in the combination of a powerful forehand, sudden moves toward the net and a drop shot that pulls the opponent out of position. If he loses his feel for shot depth, the same aggressive style can also produce significantly more errors.
Novak Djokovic is in the lower half of the draw. His final tournament match before New York ended in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Thiago Agustin Tirante in Cincinnati. It was his first appearance since the Wimbledon semifinal. Djokovic's return is particularly interesting: against powerful servers, he often does not try to finish the point immediately, but instead neutralizes the first shot and turns the opponent's serve into a baseline exchange. In the third round, that ability becomes even more valuable because the quality of opponents increases, as does the number of games decided by one or two points.
Shelton arrives in New York with a very clear signal of form
Ben Shelton perhaps provides the clearest example of continuity immediately before the US Open. In Montreal, he defended his title and won the tournament without dropping a set across six matches. In the final five matches of that run, he recorded five wins without losing a set, including 6-3, 6-1 against Jakub MenΕ‘Γk in the quarterfinal, 6-2, 6-3 against Learner Tien in the semifinal and 6-3, 7-6(4) against Brandon Nakashima in the final.
For a spectator, Shelton is one of the players for whom the difference between television and the stands is particularly noticeable. The left-handed serve changes the angle of the return, and after a good first serve he very quickly looks for his forehand. However, Montreal also showed improvement on return. Against MenΕ‘Γk, he did not rely only on his serve, but also created pressure in his opponent's service games.
If all the favorites justify their seeding positions, the quarterfinal projection produces Zverev - Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime - Flavio Cobolli, Daniil Medvedev - Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton - Carlos Alcaraz. This is not a schedule of confirmed future matches, but the path of the draw under the assumption that each of those players reaches the quarterfinals.
The women's tournament brings very different styles of play
Aryna Sabalenka arrives in New York as the two-time defending US Open champion, after titles in 2024 and 2025. Her path toward a third consecutive title begins in the upper half of the draw, which also includes Jessica Pegula and 2026 Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Sabalenka's preparation on hard courts had its fluctuations. In Toronto, Ekaterina Alexandrova stopped her run in the round of 16 with a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 result. In Cincinnati, Sabalenka defeated Talia Gibson 6-2, 7-6(2), then Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3, but Sara Bejlek eliminated her 7-6(7), 6-4. The numbers and results show how much her game depends on whether she turns a powerful serve and the first shot after the serve into control of the point. When an opponent survives that initial pressure and returns enough balls, the match becomes significantly more open.
The lower half of the draw includes Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, as well as 2026 Grand Slam champions Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina.
Gauff arrives in New York with the Cincinnati title. After losing the opening set of her first match there, she won the next 12 sets in a row. She won the final five matches of the tournament without dropping a set. In the quarterfinal, she defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinal Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1, and then Jessica Pegula in the final 6-2, 6-4.
How she achieved those results is also important. In Cincinnati, Gauff came to the net more often instead of relying exclusively on defense and speed behind the baseline. For spectators in the stands, that contrast is particularly interesting: a point can begin with a long defensive exchange and end with a sudden acceleration and a move forward to hit a volley.
Pegula reached the final at the same tournament. In the semifinal, she stopped Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, and then lost to Gauff. Before their final, Pegula led 5-4 in their head-to-head meetings; with her victory in Cincinnati, Gauff leveled their overall record at 5-5. The US Open draw places them in different halves, so they could meet in New York only if both reach the final.
Immediately before Cincinnati, Swiatek won Toronto by defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3. Her hard-court style is based on taking the ball very early, moving quickly after the shot and applying pressure to her opponent's second serve. In New York, it will be interesting to see whether she can maintain that rhythm through longer evening matches in which the crowd and breaks between games change the dynamics.
Why watching the third round live often offers more choice than the final stages
The quarterfinals, semifinals and final concentrate attention on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but the third round still uses a large number of courts. That gives visitors a different type of day. Instead of one or two main matches, it is possible to spend part of the time at the large stadium, then move toward Grandstand or the outer courts and watch tennis from a much shorter distance.
At the US Open, there are three main stadium experiences:
- Arthur Ashe Stadium has 23,771 seats and a retractable roof, so the viewing experience feels more like a large arena, especially during the evening session.
- Louis Armstrong Stadium has 14,000 seats and also has a roof that allows play to continue when weather disrupts the outer courts.
- Grandstand has 8,125 seats. The stands are closer to the court and make it easier to follow player movement, the trajectory of serves and communication between players and their teams.
On the smaller courts, it is particularly easy to see how physically fast professional tennis is. A serve that looks orderly and readable on television feels completely different from a few rows in the stands, as does the lateral movement of players behind the baseline.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
The hard court rewards serving, but does not forgive a weak return
The US Open is played on the Laykold hard court surface. A hard court generally produces a higher and more predictable bounce than grass and a faster rhythm than most clay courts. Because of that, very different styles can work here.
A powerful server like Shelton can shorten a large number of points and force the opponent to play almost every one of their own service games under pressure. A player like Djokovic can respond with a deep return and neutralize the server's initial advantage. Alcaraz tries to open the court with changes of direction and moves toward the net, while Zverev often looks for stability from the baseline and space for his backhand.
In the women's tournament, Sabalenka can take control of a point with the first two shots, Gauff can survive the initial attack and force her opponent to play an extra shot, while Swiatek tries to take time away through tempo. That is why, when watching live, it is worth paying less attention only to the number of aces and more to what happens after the second serve. That is often where the real battle for control of the game begins.
The third round further intensifies that effect. The players are no longer in their first contact with the tournament, but there is still enough distance to the final stages that they cannot conserve energy for an imagined future match. One poor service game or a lost tie-break can completely change the course of the day.
How to organize two days in Flushing Meadows
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. The complex has 22 outdoor hard courts, including Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, so during the early part of the tournament play takes place at many locations simultaneously.
For September 4 and 5, gates for the day sessions open at 9:30, while gates for standard evening sessions open at 18:00. Because security screening can create waiting times, arriving immediately before the first desired match carries an unnecessary risk of missing the opening games.
The simplest approach from most parts of New York is public transportation. Subway line 7 runs to Mets-Willets Point, and the same station is also connected to the Long Island Rail Road. Organizers recommend public transportation because parking around the complex is limited. This is particularly important during the weekend around Labor Day, when large numbers of visitors are moving through Queens at the same time.
For a two-day visit, a practical plan is to focus the first day on exploring the complex and different courts, and the second on the matches that, after the first day, have gained the greatest sporting importance. The third-round schedule can offer several matches at the same time, so there is no need to remain in one place simply because the program started there.
Entry rules worth checking before departure
Security rules directly affect the speed of entry. A maximum of one bag per person is allowed, and the bag must not be larger than 12 x 12 x 16 inches. Backpacks are not allowed, with stated exceptions for certain single-compartment drawstring bags and medical or accessibility needs. Glass bottles and cans are not allowed, while a reusable metal or plastic water bottle may hold no more than 24 oz.
Because there is no bag storage inside the complex, checking the contents before departure saves time. Paid storage facilities are located outside the main entrances.
How the crowd behaves during a day of tennis
Tennis has a rhythm that is different from football, basketball or a concert. During points, the crowd remains still, while between points and especially between games the energy changes abruptly. In the large stadiums, that contrast can be very pronounced: complete silence before a second serve, followed by the reaction of several thousand people a few seconds later.
Spectator movement is also tied to breaks in play. If someone leaves the stands or returns to their seat during a match, ushers may ask them to wait for an appropriate moment between games. That is why a short break for food or a move to another court can take longer than the distance on the complex map would suggest.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium, the distance from the court significantly changes the perspective. From the lower sections, it is easier to see the speed of the serve and the players' reactions. Higher sections provide a better view of the geometry of the point: how far a player moves outside the court after a wide serve, how the opposite side opens up and how much space must be recovered before the next shot.
Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand offer a different feeling because the crowd is closer to the action. In the third round, seeded players who might not receive a prime slot on the largest stadium can appear there, and those are precisely the kinds of matches that often provide an opportunity to watch top-level tennis from a shorter distance.
A match has no predetermined duration
When planning the day, it is important to take into account the most important peculiarity of tennis: there is no fixed ending time. A women's singles match can finish quickly in two sets or turn into a long three-set contest. Men's Grand Slam matches are played as best-of-five sets, so a five-set match can completely alter the rest of the schedule on that court.
A tie-break further increases unpredictability. A set that appeared to be under control can be decided in a few points, after which momentum shifts to the other side. That is why, in the third round, it is more useful to view the tournament day as a series of possibilities than to plan every hour in advance.
For spectators staying for two days, that is an advantage. If one match on the first day takes much longer than expected, the second day provides another opportunity to explore other courts and a different part of the draw.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
What to watch when the players step onto the court
The most useful sign of form is often visible before the result. For servers, it is important to watch the first-serve percentage and how easily they win the opening shot after it. For returners, it is important to see whether they return balls deeply enough to prevent the opponent from attacking. For players who engage in long baseline exchanges, depth is important: a short ball on a hard court quickly becomes an invitation for the opponent to take control.
The mental side becomes particularly apparent on break points, at 30-30 and in tie-breaks. Shelton's run in Montreal showed how serve and confidence can work together to close out a match. Gauff's run in Cincinnati showed a different model - defense, patience and increasingly frequent moves toward the net. Zverev and Djokovic arrive in New York after less stable recent performances, while Alcaraz must answer the question of rhythm after a long competitive break.
The third round is therefore not merely a passage toward the more famous final stages. It is the moment when it first becomes clear who has moved from opening form into a serious tournament run, who has to play long matches to remain in the draw, and who manages to impose their style on different opponents.
Sources:
- US Open - 2026 tournament schedule, session times, third round on September 4 and 5, and gate opening times.
- US Open - 2026 men's draw, seed status, positions of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, and quarterfinal projections.
- US Open - 2026 women's draw, positions of Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and the other leading players.
- ATP Tour - Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, season record of 44-3 and six titles won before the US Open.
- ATP Tour - 2026 Montreal and Cincinnati results, including Ben Shelton's run and the results of Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.
- ATP Tour - Carlos Alcaraz, results from the spring part of the season, 22-3 record and withdrawal in Barcelona.
- WTA - Cincinnati 2026, Coco Gauff's title, final against Jessica Pegula, consecutive-set winning run and results from the closing rounds.
- WTA - Toronto and Cincinnati 2026, results of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.
- US Open and USTA - capacities of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, as well as information about the complex and the hard-court surface.
- US Open - transportation to Mets-Willets Point, limited parking, rules for bags, bottles and security screening.