With the start of the US Open on August 26, excitement is growing among tennis fans. This year’s event is considered to be the one with the highest prize money, with more than $3.5 million each being awarded to the men’s and women’s winners, according to the event’s official website.
The best players in the world will attend the event at the Flushing Meadows USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, the last Grand Slam of the year.
Last year, Coco Gauff won her first major women’s singles title and Novak Djokovic secured his 24th Grand Slam men’s singles title. Both will defend their titles this year.
The total prize money for the event is $75 million. The losers of the first main round in the men’s and women’s singles will each receive $100,000. The total prize money has increased by 15 percent compared to last year.
The qualifying matches took place from August 19 to 22. Participating players had to win three matches to secure a place in the main draw.
Andy Murray will not be taking part in this year’s event, having retired from the sport following his Olympic defeat earlier this month.
Cameron Norrie, Britain’s number two, will also not compete due to a forearm injury.
Rafael Nadal also withdrew from the competition earlier this month after declaring he would not be able to perform at his best this time. The Spaniard had previously won the tournament four times.
In her first appearance in two years, Britain’s Emma Raducanu will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the USA in the women’s first round. Raducanu missed last year’s event due to surgery on her wrist and ankle. The world number 71 reached the quarterfinals of the Washington Open earlier this month.
World number one Jannik Sinner and four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz will compete on August 27.
Alcaraz has won two of the three Grand Slam titles this year and is now looking to secure his third. The Spaniard won his first US Open title in 2022 when he defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final.
Five-time Grand Slam champion and world number one Iga Swiatek and two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who withdrew from Olympic competition earlier this month, will also compete at the US Open.
According to the event’s official website, the US Open Wheelchair Championships will not take place this year. The event was cancelled because it clashed with the Paralympic Games.
According to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), wheelchair players who participate in the competition will receive a player grant equal to the prize money as compensation.
The US Open runs from August 26 to September 8. The women’s final will take place on September 7 starting at 4:00 p.m. EST, followed by the men’s final the following day at 2:00 p.m. EST.