U.S. OpenThe 2026 U.S. Open starts in New York City at the end of August. Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Neal Simpson, Sportsphoto; Dylan Buell; Minas Panagiotakis; Alain Jocard, AFP / Getty Images Dylan Buell/Getty Images Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images Alain JOCARD / AFPAug. 28, 2026 5:01 am EDT Updated The U.S. Open 2026 starts Sunday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and on the hard courts of New York City, fans should expect surprises of all kinds.In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz is trying to defend his title as he returns from an injury to his right wrist that kept him off the court for four months. His nearest rival, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, is out with a right knee injury, and the likes of French Open champion Alexander Zverev, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and a clutch of top American talent will be looking to take advantage.In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is on a scratchy run of form, just as the top of the WTA Tour is taking on a remarkable level of parity. Every single player in the top 10 holds either a Grand Slam title or a WTA 1000 title (one rung below) and the competition to wrestle the title — and perhaps the No. 1 ranking — from Sabalenka’s grasp is fierce.