Get ready for the 2025 U.S. Open with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season on TV, who the defending champions are, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is and more:
When does the 2025 U.S. Open start?
Singles play begins Sunday at 11 a.m. EDT around the grounds, with the first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium scheduled to begin at noon EDT.
Where can I watch the U.S. Open on TV?
— In the U.S.: ESPN, ESPN2, ABC (on the three Sundays)
— Other countries are listed here
Who are the defending champions at the U.S. Open?
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Jannik Sinner of Italy won the 2024 singles trophies. Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula of the United States 7-5, 7-5 for her first U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam trophy — all on hard courts. Sinner beat Taylor Fritz of the United States 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 for his first championship at Flushing Meadows and second at a major — both on hard courts. He has gone on to win two more Slam titles, one on hard courts at the Australian Open in January and one on grass courts at Wimbledon in July.
Who are the top seeds at Flushing Meadows?
Sabalenka is the top-seeded woman and Sinner the top-seeded man. They currently are ranked No. 1, and the tournament seedings follow the WTA and ATP rankings. Iga Swiatek, coming off a title at the Cincinnati Open after her sixth major trophy came at Wimbledon, is the No. 2 woman, followed by No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Mirra Andreeva. The other top men's seeds are No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 Alexander Zverev, No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 5 Jack Draper.
Who are the betting favorites at the 2025 U.S. Open?
Swiatek has moved ahead of Sabalenka and is the money-line favorite to win the women's singles trophy, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Wimbledon champion is at +260, with Sabalenka next at +300. Gauff is the third choice at +900. Sinner is the favorite to repeat as men's champion at +110, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz (+170), with a big drop-off to Novak Djokovic (+1200).
Who is scheduled to play Sunday at the U.S. Open?
Emma Raducanu, who hasn't won a match at the U.S. Open since her surprising run to the 2021 championship as an 18-year-old qualifier, gets things started Sunday at 11 a.m. ET in Louis Armstrong Stadium, where Fritz, two-time major runner-up Jasmine Paolini and 2021 men's champion Daniil Medvedev are also in action on Day 1. No. 6 seed Ben Shelton opens the action in Arthur Ashe Stadium at noon ET, followed by Sabalenka, with 24-time major champion Djokovic against American teenager Learner Tien at night.
Other facts about the year's last Grand Slam tournament
The U.S. Open is played outdoors on hard courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York. There are retractable roofs at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. Women play best-of-three-set matches with a first-to-10 tiebreaker at 6-all in the third; men play best-of-five with a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth. Like at the Australian Open and French Open, there are night sessions.
What is new this year at the U.S. Open?
The U.S. Open is adding a 15th day of competition by starting on a Sunday instead of Monday for the first time, joining the French Open and Australian Open in expanding the schedule. Wimbledon is now the only Grand Slam tournament that begins on Monday and lasts just 14 days. Another change: Video reviews that allow for checking of certain situations — like a double bounce — are now available on all 17 competition courts; last year, the second with the technology at the tournament, only eight courts had it.
What is the singles schedule at the U.S. Open?
— Sunday through Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)
— Wednesday-Thursday: Second Round (Women and Men)
— Aug. 29-30: Third Round (Women and Men)
— Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
— Sept. 2-3: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
— Sept. 4: Women’s Semifinals
— Sept. 5: Men’s Semifinals
— Sept. 6: Women’s Final
— Sept. 7: Men’s Final
Stories to read before play begins at the U.S. Open
— Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, aka Sincaraz, rule men’s tennis as the 2025 US Open arrives
— Venus Williams is back on the Grand Slam stage and other players call her an icon
— Mboko, Andreeva, Fonseca are among the teenagers to watch at the US Open
— Coco Gauff hires a new serve coach before the US Open
— Is it finally time for an American man to win a Grand Slam title?
— How US Open tennis courts are helping to cut light pollution
— Taylor Fritz came close to ending the major trophy drought for U.S. men
— Iga Swiatek enters the US Open back at No. 2 in the rankings and back on top of her game
— Alcaraz and Djokovic could get early US Open tests. Venus Williams draws No. 11 seed Muchova
— Errani and Vavassori win revamped US Open mixed doubles to defend their title
How much prize money is there at the U.S. Open in 2025?
Total player compensation at this year's U.S. Open is a record $90 million, a 20% jump from 2024. The two singles champions each will earn $5 million, another record and more than $1 million higher than the previous top prize at the tournament.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
