Jannik Sinner arrives in New York hoping to land back-to-back U.S Open titles, having cruised past Taylor Fritz in last year’s final in straight sets. The 24-year-old star secured his fourth major at Wimbledon last month, and has now enjoyed a lengthy spell at the summit of the ATP Rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka is also a current world number one, having been a dominant force in the women’s game throughout the last two years. Having defeated Jessica Pegula to secure a maiden U.S Open crown last Autumn, Sabalenka went on to reach major finals in Melbourne and Paris before crashing out in the Wimbledon semi-finals to 13th seed Amanda Anisimova. Can the big-hitting Belarussian deliver the positive end to a strong year?
Fittingly, both Sinner and Sabalenka have been installed as top seeds at this year’s U.S Open.
Key Updates
Several changes have been introduced ahead of the 145th edition of America’s oldest tennis tournament, as organisers make some notable adjustments to scheduling.
The mixed doubles tournament will now take place midway through week one, with all matches staged within a condensed two-day timeframe. This means the tournament will coincide with the U.S Open’s ‘Fan’ week, which enables tennis enthusiasts to enjoy a range of entertainment such as player Q&A sessions, DJ sets, podcast recordings, and merchandise pop-ups.
The decision to run these two events simultaneously has angered many participants, who believe it undermines the status, profile, and competitive integrity of the mixed doubles discipline.
Furthermore, the US Open will be extended from 13 days to 15 days this year, with participants given a longer rest period between rounds. As a consequence, the tournament’s main draw commences on a weekend for the first time in the Open Era. Both men’s and women’s singles finals will still be played on the last weekend of the competition, with the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium once again being used as the host venue.
Schedule
After the conclusion of the qualifying and mixed doubles segments in week one, the tournament schedule becomes progressively more intense. The early rounds of the singles events are slated for the opening days of week two, while the remaining doubles competitions land ahead of the second weekend.
The introduction of the junior and wheelchair championships makes for an extremely busy start to the tournament’s third week, before we build towards the singles showpieces on Days 14 and 15.
The 2025 US Open schedule is therefore as follows (correct to local time zone – ET):
Week 1 (Fan Week)
Monday 18th August: Qualifying matches (from 11.00am)
Tuesday 19th August: Qualifying matches and Mixed Doubles Rounds 1 & 2 (from 11.00am)
Wednesday 20th August: Qualifying matches (from 11.00am) and Mixed Doubles Semi-Finals & Final (from 7.00pm)
Thursday 21st August: Qualifying matches (from 11.00am)
Friday 22nd August and Saturday 23rd August: No play
Week 2 (Main Draw)
Sunday 24th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 1 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm)
Monday 25th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 1 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm)
Tuesday 26th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 1 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm)
Wednesday 27th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 2 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm)
Thursday 28th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 2 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm) and Women’s Doubles Round 1 (from 11.00am)
Friday 29th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 3 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm) and Men’s and Women’s Doubles Round 1 (from 11.00am)
Saturday 30th August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round 3 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm), Men’s Doubles Round 1 and Women’s Doubles Round 2 (both from 11.00am)
Week 3 (Main Draw/Junior Championships)
Sunday 31st August: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round of 16 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm), Men’s & Women’s Doubles Round 2 and Boys’ and Girls’ Junior Singles Round 1 (both from 11.00am)
Monday 1st September: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round of 16 (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm), Men’s Doubles Round 2, Women’s Doubles Round 3, Boys’ and Girls’ Junior Singles Rounds 1 & 2, and Boys’ and Girls’ Junior Doubles Round 1 (all from 11.00am)
Tuesday 2nd September: Men’s & Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm), Men’s Doubles Round 3, Women's Doubles Quarter-Finals, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Quarter-Finals, Quad Wheelchair Doubles Quarter-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Singles Round 2, Boys' and Girls' Junior Doubles Round 1 (all from 11.00am)
Wednesday 3rd September: Men’s & Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals (Day Session from 11.00am and Evening Session from 7.00pm), Men's Doubles Quarter-Finals, Women's Doubles Semi-Finals, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Round 1, Quad Wheelchair Singles Round 1, Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Quarter-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Singles Round 3, Boys' and Girls' Junior Doubles Round 2 (all from 11.00am)
Thursday 4th September: Women’s Singles Semi-Finals (from 7.00pm), Men's Doubles Semi-Finals, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Quarter-Finals, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Semi-Finals, Quad Wheelchair Singles Quarter-Finals, Quad Wheelchair Doubles Semi-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Semi-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Doubles Semi-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Singles Quarter-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Doubles Quarter-Finals (all from 12.00pm)
Friday 5th September: Men’s Singles Semi-Finals (at 3.00pm and 7.00pm), Women's Doubles Final, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Semi-Finals, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Finals, Quad Wheelchair Singles Semi-Finals, Quad Wheelchair Doubles Final, Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Doubles Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Singles Semi-Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Doubles Semi-Finals (all from 12.00pm)
Saturday 6th September: Women’s Singles Final (4.00pm), Men's Doubles Final, Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Finals, Quad Wheelchair Singles Final, Boys' and Girls' Junior Singles Finals, Boys' and Girls' Junior Doubles Finals (all from 12.00pm)
Sunday 7th September: Men’s Singles Final (2.00pm)
Ticket Prices
Admission to the increasingly popular Fan Week is completely free, and there are plenty of tickets available for spectators of all ages. Prices during the two main draw weeks vary significantly, with the cost of tickets dependent on several factors.
It’s generally more expensive to watch a match in one of Flushing Meadows’ three purpose-built stadiums, although grounds admission tickets – which only guarantee entry into the venue’s surrounding courts – are sometimes costlier.
As a general rule of thumb, the later the round and the more prestigious the event, the higher the ticket price will be. For example, it’ll cost a spectator more to purchase a ticket on the day of the Men’s and Women’s Quarter-Finals than it would to watch the previous round, while stadium seats are pricier when singles matches are being staged compared to a Mixed Doubles contest. Standard ticket prices start around the $75 mark, and go all the way up to an eye-watering $1100. All can be purchased at Ticketmaster, with links available via the U.S Open’s official website.
There was a ticket that permitted entry into every stadium and court throughout the competition, but this has now unfortunately sold out. However, there are two hospitality packages still available.
The ‘Overlook at the Open’ ticket provides access to the U.S Open’s largest hospitality suite, where there is a complimentary all-inclusive food and drinks service. For an even more luxurious experience, spectators can purchase the 1968 Room package. This includes a courtside seat and entry into the lavish 1968 Room, which offers all-inclusive drinks and a restaurant-level dining menu. Hospitality packages follow the same cost template as general admission and stadium tickets – prices depend on the day and time of entry. All 1968 Room packages for the final six days of the tournament (when the Men’s and Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, and Finals take place) are now sold out, but availability of Overlook at the Open tickets is still reasonably good.
Current highest and lowest prices of available tickets for each hospitality package:
Overlook at the Open
Lowest: Sunday 24th August Day Session (Events – Men’s and Women’s Singles Round 1) – $750
Highest: Sunday 7th September (Event – Men’s Singles Final) – $3,875
1968 Room
Lowest: Sunday 24th August Day Session (Events – Men’s and Women’s Singles Round 1) – $1,625
Highest: Thursday 28th August Evening Session (Events – Men’s and Women’s Singles Round 2) – $2,725
Favourites
A handful of familiar faces have been installed as the bookies' favourites, with most of those who have won one of this year’s three majors priced at the shortest odds. As alluded to already, reigning champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are expected to defend their respective crowns. But which players are expected to mount a serious title challenge?
Mens Singles
Carlos Alcaraz
Having edged Sinner in a five-set French Open Final five weeks earlier, Carlos Alcaraz was then defeated by the same opponent in the Wimbledon showpiece. There’s a good chance the talented youngster will have to overcome the formidable Italian to earn a second U.S Open title, as he looks to build on his first success at Flushing Meadows in 2022.
Although still awaiting an elusive first majors triumph, Alexander Zverev has now established himself as one of the best players on the planet. The giant German has reached the final of the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open in recent times, and therefore provides a serious threat to Sinner’s current hegemony. Following an underwhelming performance in Paris and an embarrassing loss to French underdog Arthur Rinderknecht at Wimbledon, Zverev will be desperate to make amends in the last major of the 2025 campaign.
Novak Djokovic finds himself in extremely unfamiliar territory. For the first time since 2017, the legendary Serbian entered August without having featured in either the Australian Open, French Open, or Wimbledon final. However, write him off at your peril. The most successful player in tennis history may not currently be at his scintillating best, but he still has plenty left in the tank. Djokovic’s last majors title came at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center just under two years ago – will he be adding further silverware to his bustling trophy cabinet in early September?
Women’s Singles
Coco Gauff
Having dispatched Sabalenka in two of her three appearances in a majors final, Coco Gauff will be confident of overcoming the favourite should the pair meet in New York. After winning the U.S Open in 2023, the young American suffered a disappointing fourth-round exit at Flushing Meadows the following year. How will she fare this summer?
Iga Świątek
The all-conquering Pole heads into the U.S Open with a spring in her step, having delivered a dazzling display at SW19 last month. After cruising through to the final following a series of dominant victories, Świątek secured a landmark ‘double-bagel’ triumph over Amanda Anisimova. The last and only other player to win the first 12 games of a majors final in the Open Era was Steffi Graf, who swept aside Soviet star Natasha Zvereva at Roland-Garros way back in 1988.
Madison Keys
Eight years on from her bruising U.S Open final loss to American compatriot Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys arrives at Flushing Meadows with a point to prove. After the high of winning a first majors title in Melbourne at the beginning of the year, the hard-court specialist failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals of the French Open and lost to the lowly-ranked Laura Siegemund at Wimbledon. With the twilight stage of her career fast approaching, Keys will be hoping to make a major impact in her 16th appearance at Flushing Meadows.