The third round brings one of the busiest days of the US Open
The 2026 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows enters a particularly interesting phase at the beginning of September. September 4 is dedicated to the third round of the men's and women's singles, and the same stage of the competition continues on September 5. For visitors with a ticket covering two days, this means many matches, a large number of seeded players still in the draw, and the opportunity to combine the major stadiums with the outer courts during a single visit.
Entry for the evening session on September 4 begins at 18:00. Evening-session matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium are scheduled from 19:00, while the daytime program begins earlier. The exact player schedule by court is announced the day before play, so it is not possible to state responsibly in advance who will appear in a particular session. What is known, however, is the stage of the tournament: Friday and Saturday are reserved for the third round of singles.
That is an important difference compared with the final days of the tournament. In the third round, the program has not yet been reduced to just a few major names. Men's and women's singles are played simultaneously across the courts, and one surprising result can completely change the next part of the draw. For spectators, this often means more choice and more opportunities to watch different styles of play on the same day.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
The men's draw without Sinner has taken on a new dynamic
The biggest change before the start of the men's tournament came with the withdrawal of Jannik Sinner. Alexander Zverev is therefore the top seed, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is seeded second. Alcaraz returns to New York after a break of several months from competition, making his situation one of the main sporting stories of the first week.
If the seeds advance according to the projected draw, the quarterfinal pairings would be Alexander Zverev - Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime - Flavio Cobolli, Daniil Medvedev - Novak Djokovic, and Ben Shelton - Carlos Alcaraz. These are not predetermined matches, but possible pairings that depend on all of the players making it through the preceding rounds.
The third round itself, played on September 4 and 5, is often the point at which such projections begin to fall apart. Players no longer have the advantage of opening matches against the lowest-ranked opponents, while they still have to get through enough rounds to reach the expected quarterfinals.
Zverev arrives in New York after a season in which he won Roland Garros and then reached the Wimbledon final. His hard-court game is built on a powerful first serve, a stable backhand, and the ability to maintain a high level of baseline hitting for long periods. The latest North American tournaments nevertheless showed that he is not untouchable: Tallon Griekspoor eliminated him in Montreal, while Tommy Paul stopped him in Cincinnati.
Carlos Alcaraz presents a different problem for opponents. In his game, the rhythm changes quickly between an aggressive forehand, defense, taking the ball early, moving toward the net, and drop shots. After a longer break, continuity through the opening matches will be crucial, especially his serve and his ability to maintain intensity if a match goes to four or five sets.
The clearest indicators of form before New York
Ben Shelton has one of the most convincing summer references. In Montreal, he defended his title by defeating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4), and he did not lose a set over six matches. A few days later in Cincinnati, qualifier Jaime Faria stopped him 6-4, 6-4. That transition from a dominant tournament to an early defeat clearly shows how quickly form can change on the North American hard courts.
Nakashima is also showing very strong consistency. After reaching the Montreal final, he advanced to the Cincinnati semifinals, where Frances Tiafoe stopped him. Taylor Fritz won Washington and reached the Cincinnati quarterfinals, while Tiafoe advanced to the final in Cincinnati. As a result, the men's draw contains considerably more current form outside the top two or three seeds than a look at the rankings alone might suggest.
A possible quarterfinal clash between Shelton and Alcaraz would also be interesting. As a left-hander, Shelton tries to shorten points with his serve and first forehand. Alcaraz is more dangerous when he manages to neutralize the opening shot, open up the court with his return, and force his opponent to play one extra ball. On a hard court, a few centimeters in the quality of a return can completely change such a match.
A potential Medvedev - Djokovic matchup would offer a different picture. Medvedev often returns serve from very deep behind the baseline and tries to build the point through long, flat exchanges. Djokovic traditionally changes his return position more effectively and redirects the pace of his opponent's shot very early. In such a contest, the second serve and performance in tie-breaks may become more important than the total number of winners.
The women's draw brings together champions from different parts of the season
Aryna Sabalenka arrives as the top seed and the defending champion from 2024 and 2025. A third consecutive title would make her the first player since Serena Williams to win three US Opens in a row.
But the draw is crowded. The upper half also includes Jessica Pegula and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. The lower half features Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva, and Elena Rybakina. Because of their positions in the draw, Rybakina and Sabalenka cannot meet before the final.
The immediate form of several players is especially relevant. Coco Gauff won Cincinnati with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jessica Pegula. After losing the first set of her opening match at that tournament, she put together a run of 12 consecutive sets won. Her combination of defense, court coverage, and an increasingly effective serve works particularly well when she forces her opponent to play one extra shot.
Pegula reached the final after a very demanding semifinal against Iga Swiatek, which she won 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Immediately before that, Swiatek won Toronto by defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in the final. That means several potential contenders for the closing stages in New York arrive with deep runs specifically on hard courts.
Sabalenka's game raises a different question. When her first serve and first shot after the serve are working, she can take time away from her opponent very quickly. But the third round of a Grand Slam usually already brings opponents who cope better with the initial power and more often return the ball deeply enough to create a neutral rally. Her ability to win points when the first attack does not immediately finish the rally will therefore be important for her path through the draw.
Among the possible later matches, paths on which Sabalenka could encounter Pegula or Karolina Muchova on the way toward the final stages stand out in particular, while the lower half of the draw opens up combinations involving Gauff, Swiatek, Rybakina, Andreeva, and Amanda Anisimova. The third round is too early to present any of those matches as certain, but late enough for one seeded player's defeat to significantly reshape an entire quarter of the draw.
The hard court rewards both serving and a quality return
The US Open is played on outdoor hard courts. For spectators, this generally means a cleaner and more predictable bounce than on grass, as well as less time to organize a shot than on slower clay.
A big server can quickly win a game through several short points, but a quality return is equally important at this level. When the receiver manages to return the first ball deep toward the middle of the court, the server's advantage quickly decreases and the battle for baseline position begins.
That is why two sets of the same match can look completely different. One may pass without a single break opportunity, while the next can open with several long service games. Men's singles matches are played as best of five sets, so a 2-0 score does not yet end the evening. One lost service game or tie-break can trigger a complete turnaround. Women's singles are played as best of three sets, which means every lapse in concentration has an even more immediate effect.
For a spectator watching live, this is where aspects of tennis that television coverage often reduces are most clearly visible: the players' distance from the baseline, the depth of the return, the height of the ball above the net, and how quickly a player recovers position after a defensive shot.
The three main stadiums offer very different experiences
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Queens, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The complex has three main stadium courts, but the viewing experience is not the same at each one.
- Arthur Ashe Stadium holds more than 23,000 spectators and is the largest tennis stadium in the world. It has a retractable roof. The greater distance from the upper levels provides an excellent overview of tactics, movement, and the width of the court.
- Louis Armstrong Stadium has around 14,000 seats, a retractable roof, and natural ventilation. Because of its smaller volume, spectators are physically closer to the court, making the speed of the serve and the sound of contact with the ball feel more intense.
- Grandstand has approximately 8,000 seats and is open to the outdoor conditions. During the first week, it often provides a very direct view of high-quality singles matches without the monumental distance of Arthur Ashe.
- Outer courts make it possible to switch matches during the day and often provide the closest view of players' technique. For visitors who want to follow several different players, moving between these courts is one of the main reasons to attend the earlier rounds.
A ticket for a specific Arthur Ashe Stadium session includes a reserved seat in that stadium for the session, together with access to other courts according to the rules and seat availability. Evening visitors may enter the complex from 18:00.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
Live tennis has a different rhythm from most stadium sports
The US Open is not an event where spectators have to remain tied to one court from the beginning to the end of the day. During the earlier rounds, matches are played simultaneously at multiple locations. A visitor can begin the day on an outer court, move toward Grandstand or Louis Armstrong, and then finish the evening at Arthur Ashe if their ticket includes that session.
On the other hand, the match itself requires patience. There are short pauses between points, players change ends, and an individual service game can end in a few minutes or turn into a long series of deuces and break opportunities. There is no reliable minute at which a match will end.
This is especially important for the evening session. The start of the first match does not indicate when the second will begin. If the first contest goes to five sets or includes several tie-breaks, the schedule can extend deep into the evening. Visitors planning to return by public transport are therefore better off leaving extra time rather than counting on a fixed finish.
The crowd in New York is known for strong reactions during major points, but the biggest change in energy often happens within only a few minutes: a loud arena after a break point quickly becomes quiet when a player prepares to serve. That shift between tension and explosive reaction is one of the reasons a service game feels different live than on a screen.
Arriving by public transport makes particular sense on Friday
The simplest connections to the complex lead to Mets-Willets Point station. Subway line 7 connects the area with Manhattan, while the Long Island Rail Road on the Port Washington Branch provides access from Penn Station, Grand Central Madison, Woodside, and other stations on that line.
A walking route leads from Mets-Willets Point station toward the National Tennis Center entrance. Parking areas are available nearby for visitors arriving by car, but September 4 is marked as an overlap day with a New York Mets home game. Such days change traffic management and parking arrangements, making public transport a particularly practical option.
Rideshare vehicles use the area near the New York Hall of Science, from where there is a walking connection toward Champion's Entry.
Security screening is conducted at the entrance. A maximum of one bag per person is permitted, and the standard size limit is 12 x 12 x 16 inches. Bags are inspected. There is no storage space for them inside the complex, while storage options are available outside the main entrances.
Because of the screening and the large number of spectators, it is not useful to plan to arrive exactly when the first desired match begins. Evening gates open at 18:00, a full hour before the main evening play begins at 19:00.
Two days allow for a different way of watching the tournament
A package covering September 4 and 5 includes two days of third-round play. This makes it possible to focus the first day on a major stadium and use the second to explore more of the complex and courts without reserved seating, depending on the type of ticket.
On the first day, it is useful to check the schedule first and identify the most important match that should not be missed. The rest of the program can then be built around it. If two interesting matches overlap, trying to watch one in its entirety and then the other in its entirety is often not feasible. It is better to decide in advance which one takes priority.
The second day brings the other half of the third round. It is therefore not simply a repetition of the same program: a different group of players from the draw takes to the courts. If the goal is to see as many seeds and different styles as possible, two consecutive days offer a considerably broader picture of the tournament than a single session.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
What to check immediately before arriving
The most important information only becomes available the day before: the schedule of matches by court. That is when it becomes possible to see who is playing in the daytime and evening sessions and which matches are assigned to Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, Grandstand, and the outer courts.
It is also worth checking the gate opening times again, any schedule changes caused by weather conditions, and traffic information for Mets-Willets Point. The US Open explicitly warns that the order of play, number of matches, starting times, and gate opening times may change.
For spectators who want to understand tennis, the third round has great value. The best players have already had to pass an opening test, but the tournament has not yet been reduced to a small group of favorites. At the same complex, spectators can compare Shelton's powerful serve, Gauff's defensive speed, Pegula's rhythm, Swiatek's return, Zverev's stability, and Alcaraz's variety - provided each of them makes it through the previous rounds and is scheduled in an accessible session.
Sources:
- USOpen.org - 2026 tournament schedule, September 4 and 5 sessions, third round, and gate opening and play starting times.
- USOpen.org - 2026 men's draw, status of Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, withdrawal of Jannik Sinner, and projected quarterfinal pairings.
- USOpen.org - 2026 women's draw, positions of Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and other seeds.
- ATP Tour - Montreal and Cincinnati results, form of Ben Shelton, Brandon Nakashima, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and other players.
- WTA - Toronto and Cincinnati results, titles of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, and results of Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka.
- USTA National Tennis Center - capacities and features of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and Grandstand.
- USOpen.org - information about the subway, Long Island Rail Road, Mets-Willets Point, rideshare arrivals, and traffic arrangements on New York Mets game days.
- USOpen.org - bag rules, security screening, and practical information for entering the complex.