US Open: All you need to know

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year will take place at Flushing Meadows, New York, from August 19 – September 9. Known for its massive crowd, absurd records, and huge paycheck, the US Open is a highlight in any tennis player’s calendar.

Below is everything you need to know about the most prosperous tennis tournament in the world.

What is the US Open?

The US Open is the last of the four major tennis tournaments hosted every year by the ATP Professional Tennis Tour. The others, The Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, are played on hard, clay, and grass courts, while the US Open is played on hard courts. Interestingly, it is the only of the four Grand Slams that has been played across all three surfaces during its history.

Played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York, the US Open boasts the biggest purpose-built tennis stadium in the world, which can seat 23,771 people.

One of the oldest tennis tournaments still played today, the US Open, was founded in 1881 and has been played annually nearly ever since. It was first played on the grass garden of the Newport Casino, Rhode Island.

Today, the tournament is one of the most famous in existence and features 128 men and 128 women competing in singles, as well as men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles tournaments. The men’s singles tournament is the attention-grabber, the final of which is played at the Arthur Ashe stadium in front of a capacity crowd.

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Where and when is the US Open being played?

The US Open is played annually from the end of August to the start of September and is the final of the four major tennis tournaments that take place every year.

This year it will be played from August 19 – September 19 at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.

The women’s final is scheduled to take place on September 7, with the men’s final bringing the curtain down on the tournament a day later.

Who are the previous winners of the US Open?

The US Open has experienced some fascinating fixtures over the years and has been the stomping ground and birthplace of some of the best tennis players of all time.

Roger Federer is perhaps the most decorated of the US Open winners having taken a joint record five titles which he won consecutively over the years 2004 – 2008. He is the only man to have claimed the accolade in the Open era.

Matching his record for the most US Open titles is Pete Sampras, who played in the 90s, and Jimmy Connors, who also won five through the 70s.

The most recent winner of the tournament is Novak Djokovic, to make it four US Open wins. He won in 2023 and will be looking to defend his title this year, especially after losing out for the second year in a row at Wimbledon in the final to Carlos Alcaraz.

Other notable winners are Rafael Nadal, who has won it four times and John McEnroe, who also won it four times.

This year, the US Open winners of the men’s and women’s singles will earn $3,600,000 for their troubles – the highest prize of any tennis tournament in the world.

What are the odds for the US Open?

This year, after winning Wimbledon for the second time in succession, Carlos Alcaraz unsurprisingly takes the position as the favourite. Alcaraz is setting out to take back his US Open title which marked his first Grand Slam career victory. He is 11/8 to win the tournament and the Spaniard, considered by almost all to be the best of the next generation, will surely be pumped up and hoping to capitalise on a first title defence opportunity.

Novak Djokovic will have gotten used to being favourite for almost every tournament he has entered over the past few years but with Alcaraz on the scene he is the 15/8 second favourite this year. The Serb hasn’t managed to win a Grand Slam this year and he will be extra motivated to retain his US Open title from last year.

Jannik Sinner, the current world number one, is another young, aggressive player with a highly developed variety of shots and a vicious forehand. He is thought to be the next generation’s main rival to Alcaraz – he has defeated the Spaniard four times before, but not since Beijing in 2023. He is 2/1 to claim the title at Flushing Meadows.

Daniil Medvedev is the fourth favourite at 5/1. The Russian was the winner of this tournament in 2021, which marks his only Grand Slam win, but has partaken in five other Grand Slam finals, marking three overall in the US Open.

In the ladies, world number one, Iga Świątek, is joint-favourite at 3/1 to win this tournament alongside Aryna Sabalenka. Even though Świątek was dumped from Wimbledon in the third round this summer to an unseeded player, her convincing victory here in 2022 in addition to her French Open victory earlier this year sees her as the clear contender to claim a sixth Grand Slam title.

Coming alongside Świątek in the betting is two-time semi-finalist, and last year’s finalist Aryna Sabalenka who is 3/1 to claim her first US Open.

Behind the market leaders is Coco Gauff at 6/1 who won the competition last year. Since then, the American star has reached the semi-finals in both of the opening Grand Slams in both Australia and France, with a disappointing fourth round exit at Wimbledon this summer. You can be sure she’ll be wanting to right the wrongs from there and defend her title on home soil.

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