The 2018 U.S. Open Is Here: Who’s Playing When, and How to Watch

Vogue
Updated
2018 U.S. Open information, including highlights, players, schedules, and where to livestream matches.

The first official matches of the 2018 U.S. Open championship tennis tournament start today, and, as usual, a lot of anticipation surrounds the final Grand Slam event of the year. Star players Venus and Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray are all scheduled to compete at Flushing Meadows in New York—but there are a few reasons why fans are even more excited than usual for the U.S. Open this year.

U.K. viewers will have an eye out for Murray, who has not played in a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon 2017 due to a hip injury that required surgery. The Scottish player gave an interview where he said he’s “not expecting to go far” in the competition, where he is unseeded for the first time since 2006. “It is a slightly odd mentality to be coming in with,” he said. “These are the tournaments for the past 10, 12 years of my life that I’ve been training for, preparing for, and trying to compete for and maybe one day win one of them. It is different this year as I don’t have that expectation.” He’ll face Australia’s James Duckworth in the first round on Monday, August 27.

Beloved superstar Serena Williams has been fighting her way back into top rankings less than a year after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia. In June, Williams withdrew from the French Open due to an injury in her pectoral muscle; for the U.S. Open, officials have given her a seeding boost. She is now seeded 17th, which means that, by the third round of the competition, she’ll face players ranked between ninth and 16th instead of the top eight. It’s a small bump, received as a recognition of William’s maternity break and her recovery from what Williams revealed in Vogue’s February cover story was a life-threatening childbirth experience. “We think it’s a good message for our current female players and future players,” The USTA president said in June. “It’s okay to go out and be a woman and become a mother and then come back to your job, and I think that’s a bigger message.” Williams will play Magda Linette on Monday evening in round one.

Last week, Williams, her sister Venus, Rafael Nadal, and others participated in a little friendly badminton, for the fourth annual Lotte New York Palace’s pre-U.S. Open invitational. “This is just a nice way for all of us to have fun and not be so serious when the tournament is so serious,” Serena told Vogue. “You go over there and everything is palpable.” It’s palpable for us, too—below, find everything you need to know about the 2018 U.S. Open:

When does the 2018 U.S. Open start?

The U.S. Open begins on Monday, August 27 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. The tournament will continue until September 9.

What is the 2018 U.S. Open schedule?

The first week of play involves the first, second, and third rounds of seeded matches, from August 27 through Labor Day, September 3. The next week brings women's, men’s, doubles, mixed doubles, junior, and wheelchair quarterfinals and semifinals. Finals will take place from September 7 through September 9.

Who is playing in the 2018 U.S. Open, and when?

Only the first round seeded matches are scheduled, with the following rounds determined by who wins each match. You can see the schedule of matches broken down day by day here.

When does Serena Williams play in the 2018 U.S. Open?

Serena Williams is scheduled to play against Magda Linette (Poland) at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 27 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Where can I watch the 2018 U.S. Open live?

The U.S. Open will be broadcast live on ESPN during most center court matches. ESPN+ and The Tennis Channel will show all matches on all courts, and some replays. A full TV broadcast schedule can be found here.

Where can I livestream the 2018 U.S. Open?

The U.S. Open site will livestream main court matches via their website here. ESPN will livestream from center court starting each day at 12:00 p.m. EST here.

Read More Culture Stories:

  • John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection Is the Greatest Tennis Film of All Time—Read More

  • Melania Trump Meets Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in Strange Video—Read More

  • How Pope Francis Is Changing the Catholic Church—Read More

  • Serena Williams’s Husband, Alexis Ohanian, Makes All the Other Husbands Look Bad—Read More

  • Phone Addiction? Here’s One Way to Fix It—Read More

See the videos.