Special Edition: It’s tennis time

Established in 1881, the US Open was originally only open to members of the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA, now USTA) and began exclusively as a men’s singles and doubles tournament.

• Fortunately, women didn't have to wait too long: A singles tournament was introduced in 1887, followed by doubles in 1889.

The present day US Open main draw features 128 women’s and men’s singles players competing across seven single-elimination rounds. And they’re all playing to advance to the mid-September championship matches — the women’s final is set for Saturday, September 12th, followed by the men’s on Sunday, September 13th.

Of tennis’ four Grand Slams, the US Open is one of two contested on hard courts. Faster than the clay courts of the French Open but slower than Wimbledon’s grass, hard courts are the most neutral of the playing surfaces and the one seen most often on the professional circuit.

Let’s talk about prize money.

Grand Slam prize money is top of mind after players staged a small media boycott at the French Open and planned one for Wimbledon, protesting for a greater share of tourney revenue.

Tennis players are not like other pro athletes — they’re independent contractors, meaning they’re not protected by unions or collective bargaining agreements. Furthermore, each Grand Slam operates independently and sets its own standards for prize money.

• The French Open offered the smallest prize pool this year at $72.3M. The Australian Open followed with $74.9M, Wimbledon served up $85M, and finally the US Open is offering $101M.

While the Grand Slams boast the biggest pools on the tennis circuit, their prize money averages out to around 15% of tournament revenue. In comparison, prize money at joint ATP and WTA 1000-level events (aka, one level below the Slams) hovers around 22% of revenue, the number players are angling for with their boycotts.

• There are no protests planned for the US Open, though the $101M prize pool doesn’t sniff 22% of the tourney’s 2024 revenue, much less the projected 2026 revenue.

• Following the planned Wimbledon boycott, the USTA committed to creating a prize money formula that correlates with revenue. What’s more, the Grand Slams have created a player council, giving tennis’ talent a seat at the table. Baby steps.

🇩🇪 World No. 2 Alexander Zverev: Controversial Zverev has capitalized on a strange year in men’s tennis, where the Big Two — Sinner and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz — have been plagued by injuries and illness. Zverev won June’s French Open for his first career Slam, but his big power game is even better suited for the hard courts.

🇪🇸 No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz: The then–22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man to clinch the career Grand Slam with January’s Australian Open win, but missed the next two majors due to a wrist injury. Now, Alcaraz is returning just in time to defend his US Open title, hoping to shake off the rust after four months of recovery.

🇨🇦 No. 4 Félix Auger-Aliassime: Auger-Aliassime has soared since reaching the semis at last year’s US Open, making the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first and second time, respectively. He’s poised for another run, so long as he can fend off a lingering back issue.

🇷🇸 No. 5 Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter has been chasing that elusive, record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title since his 2023 US Open win. Now 39 years old, Djokovic recently revealed he’s dealing with an unspecified health condition, which begs the question: Is this major his last?

🇺🇸 No. 9 Ben Shelton: Many expected Shelton and his tremendous serve to rise to the top this year. That hasn’t quite happened, though the 23-year-old just won his second consecutive Canadian Open. Of the American men, Trinity Rodman’s boyfriend certainly has the best chance to win it all since Andy Roddick did it on home soil in 2003.

🏅 World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka: It’s rare to doubt a two-time defending champ, but Sabalenka has been slumping in 2026. With four hard court Grand Slam titles to her name, Sabalenka certainly knows how to get it done at Arthur Ashe — but will she get in her own way?

🇰🇿 No. 2 Elena Rybakina: If anyone can match Sabalenka’s hard court prowess, it’s Rybakina, who topped the former to win the Australian Open in January. That said, Rybakina has a subpar track record at the US Open: She’s only advanced as far as the fourth round in seven appearances.

🇺🇸 No. 4 Coco Gauff: The fan favorite and 2023 US Open champ is back for more in NYC. In the leadup to that inaugural Grand Slam title, the then–19-year-old won the 2023 Cincinnati Open. And what did Gauff do last week? Win, no, dominate in Ohio. Just saying.

🇵🇱 No. 8 Iga Świątek: The Polish star has won at least one major every year for the last four, but has come up empty so far in 2026. Her Canadian Open victory earlier this month seemed like a cathartic reset for the former WTA world No. 1 — and if anything fuels her, it’s the haters.

🇵🇭 No. 18 Alex Eala: Just 21 years old, Eala is taking the tennis world by storm. Fresh off becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA title at the DC Open a few weeks back, her unique left-handed grip is a force to be reckoned with, especially if her serve continues to trend up.

🇨🇦 No. 32 Leylah Fernandez: Then–19-year-old Fernandez stormed to the US Open final in 2021 before losing to fellow Cinderella Emma Raducanu. Since then, the Canadian has dealt with the weight of enormous expectations, but is now armed with acceptance and some momentum.