Summer in New York hits different. You’ve got the humidity, the smell of street food, and that specific, electric hum coming from Queens. Everyone wants to know the same thing every August: when does the tennis US Open start? It’s the final slam of the year. The loud one. The one where players survive on grit and late-night espresso.
The 2026 US Open officially kicks off its main draw on Monday, August 31, 2026.
If you're just looking for that date to mark your calendar, there it is. But if you're actually planning to attend or want to catch the best matches on TV, "starting" is a relative term. New York doesn't just wake up one day and decide to play tennis; it’s a slow burn that turns into a fever pitch.
The Fan Week Secret
Before the main draw even begins, there is a whole week of "pre-gaming." Honestly, for real tennis junkies, this is the best part. US Open Fan Week typically begins the Tuesday before the main draw. For 2026, expect the gates to swing open around August 25.
It's free.
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Think about that for a second. You can walk into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and watch top-ten players hitting on the practice courts from five feet away. You’ll see the sweat. You'll hear the literal "thwack" of a 130 mph serve. The US Open Qualifying Tournament runs during this week too. It's high-stakes, desperate tennis. Players are fighting for their lives to get into the main draw, and the intensity is often higher than a first-round blowout on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Why the Start Date Matters for Your Wallet
Hotel prices in Flushing and Manhattan do something crazy right around that August 31 start date. They skyrocket. If you’re coming from out of town, you’ve basically got to book your stay six months in advance or prepare to pay "I-forgot-to-plan" tax.
The tournament is a massive economic engine. According to USTA reports, the event generates over $1 billion in economic activity for New York City. That’s a lot of $22 Honey Deuce cocktails. Speaking of which, the tournament traditionally concludes on the second Sunday of September. For 2026, the Men's Final should land on September 13.
When Does the Tennis US Open Start? Breaking Down the Sessions
The schedule is a beast. You have day sessions and night sessions. This isn't Wimbledon where things wrap up for a nice tea. At the US Open, matches frequently bleed into the early hours of the morning.
- Day Sessions: Usually start at 11:00 AM. This is when you get the most bang for your buck with a grounds pass.
- Night Sessions: Usually start at 7:00 PM. This is the glamour. The celebrities are in the boxes, the lights are blindingly bright, and the crowd is, well, New York loud.
There’s a specific kind of chaos on that first Monday. 128 men and 128 women are in the singles draws. Half of them play on day one. You're trying to track six different scores on the big screens while walking between Court 17 and the Grandstand. It’s exhausting. It's perfect.
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The Weather Factor in Late August
You can’t talk about the US Open start date without talking about the heat. Late August in New York is a swamp. We’ve seen players like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz struggle with the oppressive humidity. The courts at Flushing Meadows are DecoTurf, which is a hard court surface that absorbs and radiates heat. On a 95-degree day, the temperature on the court surface can easily tick past 110 degrees.
This is why the roofs on Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums changed the game. Before the roofs, a summer thunderstorm could derail the entire schedule for days. Now, the "start" of the tennis US Open is guaranteed, at least for the big names. If it rains on opening day, the show goes on for the stars, while the players out on Court 12 are stuck in the locker room playing cards and waiting for the clouds to part.
Historical Context of the Opening Day
The US Open didn't always start in late August. Back in the day—we're talking way back to the 1880s—it was the U.S. National Championship held in Newport, Rhode Island. It moved to Forest Hills, and then finally to its current home in 1978. Since the move to Flushing Meadows, the Labor Day weekend has become the spiritual heart of the tournament.
People often ask why it starts so late in the summer. It’s the final leg of the Grand Slam calendar. You have the Australian Open in January, the French in May, Wimbledon in July, and then the US Open to close it out. It’s the "decider." By the time the US Open starts, the players are beat up. They’ve been on the tour for eight months. The start of the US Open represents the final push for world number one rankings and year-end bonuses.
What to Expect on Opening Day 2026
Opening day is Monday, August 31. Usually, the defending women's champion opens the play on Arthur Ashe Stadium at noon. In recent years, the USTA has leaned into the spectacle. Expect a performance. Expect a tribute to a legend.
The atmosphere is a mix of a sports event and a street fair. You’ll see people in suits who ducked out of work early and kids in tennis whites carrying oversized yellow balls for autographs. If you’re going, get there at 10:00 AM. The security lines are legendary, and you don’t want to be stuck in a metal detector queue when the first ball is tossed.
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Navigating the Grounds: A Pro Tip
Most people fixate on the start date of the main stadium matches. But if you want to see the future of tennis, look at the Junior US Open and the Wheelchair championships which start later in the second week. However, the first four days are the sweet spot for the "Grounds Admission" ticket.
With a grounds pass on the start date, you can wander into almost any court except Arthur Ashe. You can sit front row for a top-20 match. You can see the intensity of a fifth-set tiebreak on a court so small you can hear the players breathing.
Actionable Steps for Planning Your Trip
- Mark the Calendar: August 31, 2026, is the hard start for the main draw.
- Target Fan Week: If you’re on a budget, aim for August 25–29. You get the atmosphere for $0 entry.
- Book Lodging Now: Look for hotels along the 7 Train line in Long Island City or even parts of Manhattan. The commute to Willets Point is easy.
- Download the App: The US Open app is actually good. It live-streams scores and tells you exactly which practice courts your favorite players are on.
- Hydrate: It sounds silly, but the heat at the start of the tournament is no joke. Bring a reusable water bottle; there are filling stations everywhere.
The US Open is a marathon, not a sprint. It starts with a roar on the last Monday of August and doesn't let up for two weeks. Whether you're watching from your couch or sitting in the upper promenade of Ashe, the start of the tournament marks the end of the tennis summer and the beginning of the most intense fortnight in American sports.