US Open Fan Week is winding down in the coming days, which means the actual tournament is nearly underway!
The official 2026 US Open draw dropped this week, both singles brackets are set, and the biggest names in tennis now have a real, mapped-out path through the tournament.
If you’ve been sitting on tickets without a plan, or eyeing a walk-up day at the grounds, this is the moment to actually figure out who you might catch and when.
New York gets exactly two weeks of this chaos, from Sunday, August 30 through the men’s final on Sunday, September 13.
And if you missed out on Mamdani’s pool of tickets and are still looking to catch some of the actions, you might want to know who you can see along the grounds or Arthuer Ashe Stadium.
Below is the breakdown, sorted by round and mapped to the actual bracket, so you can plan your visit around the players and matchups actually worth rearranging your schedule for.
The big names locked into this year’s draw
The seedings are in, and both draws split the sport’s biggest stars into four separate quarters, which matters more than you’d think.
On the men’s side, Alexander Zverev enters as the No. 1 seed with Jannik Sinner sitting this one out, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz slots in at No. 2.
Novak Djokovic, still chasing history at 39, landed the No. 4 seed, with Americans Ben Shelton (No.8), Taylor Fritz (No. 9) and Frances Tafoe (No. 11) round out a list of headliners,
The women’s draw is topped by Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, with Elena Rybakina at No. 2 and American star Jessica Pegula seeded No. 3.
Coco Gauff, the hometown-adjacent favorite every New Yorker quietly roots for, headlines the fourth seed and comes in fresh off a Cincinnati title.
Map your draw: who you could see and When
This is where the real planning happens.
Each top seed sits in one of four quarters, and the official bracket tells us almost exactly which round certain collisions could happen, assuming seeds hold.
Nothing is guaranteed in a two-week Slam, injuries and upsets happen constantly, but this is the fastest way to circle a date on your calendar with purpose.
If you want to see Carlos Alcaraz:
- Opens Sun Aug 30 to Tue Sep 1 against Roman Safiullin.
- Could face Alexander Bublik or Arthur Fils by the fourth round, Sun Sep 6 to Mon Sep 7.
- Projects into a quarterfinal against Ben Shelton, the lone American seed capable of shaking up his section, on Tue Sep 8 or Wed Sep 9.
- If both hold their halves, the earliest Alcaraz-Djokovic showdown lands in the semifinal on Fri Sep 11.
If you want to see Novak Djokovic, possibly his last US Open run:
- Opens Sun Aug 30 to Tue Sep 1 against Mariano Navone.
- Round two brings a possible farewell-tour matchup against Stan Wawrinka or a clash with Matteo Berrettini, on Wed Sep 2 or Thu Sep 3.
- By the fourth round, Brandon Nakashima or Daniil Medvedev could be waiting.
- His projected quarterfinal opponent is Frances Tiafoe, on Tue Sep 8 or Wed Sep 9, and if you only buy one ticket this tournament, an American underdog against a legend at Ashe is the one to chase.
If you want to see Aryna Sabalenka defend her title:
- Opens Sun Aug 30 to Tue Sep 1 against Camila Osorio.
- The fourth round could bring a loaded rematch against Diana Shnaider, the player who actually beat her at Roland Garros this year, on Sun Sep 6 or Mon Sep 7.
- Her projected quarterfinal lands against Linda Noskova on Tue Sep 8 or Wed Sep 9.
If you want to see Coco Gauff ride her Cincinnati momentum:
- Opens Sun Aug 30 to Tue Sep 1 against Zeynep Sonmez.
- Iva Jovic or Alexandra Eala, two of the tour’s most electric young Americans, lurk by the fourth round.
- Her projected quarterfinal opponent is Mirra Andreeva, on Tue Sep 8 or Wed Sep 9.
The quarter to watch if you love chaos:
Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek landed in the same quarter, setting up a real projected quarterfinal collision on Tue Sep 8 or Wed Sep 9.
Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic are also tucked into that same section as legitimate landmines, so this is arguably the single most stacked quarter in either draw.
A New York storyline worth watching early:
Jessica Pegula opens against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, but keep an eye on round two, Wed Sep 2 or Thu Sep 3, where Venus Williams could be waiting if she gets past Sofia Kenin first.
Early rounds: Sunday, August 30 through Tuesday, September 1
The tournament always opens loud, and this is genuinely the best window for bang-for-your-buck grounds passes.
Every seeded player takes the court at least once here, which means the odds of spotting a top name are highest right out of the gate, even if you’re not near Ashe.
- Sunday, Aug 30 and Monday, Aug 31: First round matches split across day and night sessions, with the sport’s biggest stars typically slotted into Ashe or Armstrong under the lights.
- Tuesday, Sep 1: The last of the first-round matches wrap up, clearing the draw down to 64.
This stretch is also when grounds admission gets you the most walking-around value, since practically every court has something worth watching.
Second and Third Rounds: Wednesday, September 2 through Saturday, September 5
By now the field has thinned, and this is where the tournament starts feeling like a tournament instead of a scramble. Expect the seeded favorites like Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Djokovic, and Gauff to still be very much alive and playing in the primetime slots.
- Wednesday, Sep 2 and Thursday, Sep 3: Second round play, with doubles action ramping up alongside it, and the possible Pegula-Venus Williams matchup could land right here.
- Friday, Sep 4 and Saturday, Sep 5: Third round matches, historically some of the best value tickets of the tournament since the crowds thin out but the tennis gets sharper.
If your goal is seeing a top-10 player without paying finals-week prices, this four-day window is the sweet spot.
Round of 16: Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7
This is the “no more surprises, only stars” phase. S
ixteen players remain on each side, and several of the projected fourth-round matchups above, Sabalenka-Shnaider, Djokovic against Nakashima or Medvedev, Gauff against Jovic or Eala, could land on exactly these two days.
Expect Ashe and Armstrong to be running back-to-back marquee matchups, and expect the resale ticket market to start climbing accordingly.
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, September 8 and Wednesday, September 9
Eight players left per bracket, and this is genuinely when the tournament starts separating pretenders from title threats.
Based on the official draw, this is the window for a possible Djokovic-Tiafoe quarterfinal, an Alcaraz-Shelton showdown, the Rybakina-Swiatek collision, and Sabalenka-Noskova.
Ticket prices tend to spike hard here, but so does the payoff. This is the round where you’re not hoping to see a star, you’re guaranteed one.
Semifinals and Finals: Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, September 13
The tournament closes out fast and loud.
- Thursday, Sep 10: Women’s semifinals, the last stop before the final.
- Friday, Sep 11: Men’s semifinals, and if seeds hold, this is the earliest possible date for an Alcaraz-Djokovic showdown.
- Saturday, Sep 12: Women’s final.
- Sunday, Sep 13: Men’s final, closing out the year’s last Grand Slam.
If Sabalenka is chasing a third straight title or Alcaraz is defending his crown against Djokovic himself, this is the weekend New York tennis fans build their whole September around.
Getting to the US Open this year
Heading out to the US Open this year? Don’t underestimate how early the grounds fill up on marquee days.
Grounds passes remain the move if you just want to soak in the atmosphere without committing to a single match, while stadium tickets are more worth if you’re trying to watch a huge favorite in the big-court slot.
Either way, the draw is set, the bracket is loaded, and there’s a version of this schedule that works for whoever you’re trying to catch.