We can think of one good reason to look forward to the end of the summer, especially if you're a big-time tennis fan: the US Open Tennis Championships, held right here in New York City. 2022 will be another big year at the Open, now celebrating its 54th anniversary. We're just a couple of years removed from the completion of the five-year transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, which included the final construction of the new Louis Armstrong and Grandstand stadiums, the retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium that debuted in 2016, and many other grounds innovations.
One of the most prestigious events in tennis, the U.S. Open is the final event in the Grand Slam, following the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. The matches are easily reached by subway; some 700,000 fans attend the U.S. Open every year, making it the world’s highest-attended annual sporting event. This will be the tournament’s 142nd year.
Equal parts sport and spectacle, the US Open combines world-class tennis with world-class shopping, dining, and celebrity-watching—all to the delight of a global fan base. Its grounds, which have twice hosted World’s Fairs, now annually host the world, as fans from all corners of the globe flock to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing to be part of the US Open experience.
Serena Williams, looking to match Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, leads a star-studded field of women. This is your last chance to see Williams as a professional, as she has announced her retirement from the sport after the 2022 US Open.
The favorite to win among the men is Novak Djokovic, followed by Men's Tennis ATP #1 Daniil Medvedev, with Carlos Alcaraz Garfia and Rafael Nadal holding down third and fourth odds respectively.
New since 2016 is a state-of-the-art 8,125-seat Grandstand stadium, with more food, more shade, and some spectacular architecture, located in the southwest corner of the tennis center. (It has a retractable roof, so weather will be less of a factor than ever in US Open scheduling.)
The 2022 US Open will kick off with Fan Week, which begins August 23, leading up to main-draw play which runs from Monday, August 29th through Sunday, September 11th.
The fastest and least frustrating way of getting to the Open is by subway. The 7 train provides easy access from 42nd Street stops in Manhattan, including Grand Central Terminal, to the Mets-Willets Point Station right near the stadium. Alternatively, you can take the Long Island Rail Road to Mets-Willet, which will cost a little more, but have much fewer stops. For detailed directions on Google Maps, click here or visit usopen.org/transportation for more information.
QUALIFYING | ||||||
SESSION | DAY | DATE | SESSION TIME (ET) | MATCH SCHEDULE | ||
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Q1 | TU | 8/23 | 11:00 AM | Qualifying Matches | ||
Q2 | W | 8/24 | 11:00 AM | Qualifying Matches | ||
Q3 | TH | 8/25 | 11:00 AM | Qualifying Matches | ||
Q4 | F | 8/26 | 11:00 AM | Qualifying Matches | ||
MAIN DRAW | ||||||
SESSION | DAY | DATE | SESSION TIME (ET) | MATCH SCHEDULE | ||
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1 | M | 8/29 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 1st Round | ||
2 | M | 8/29 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 1st Round | ||
3 | TU | 8/30 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 1st Round | ||
4 | TU | 8/30 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 1st Round | ||
5 | W | 8/31 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 2nd Round Men's & Women's Doubles 1st Round |
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6 | W | 8/31 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 2nd Round | ||
7 | TH | 9/1 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 2nd Round Men's & Women's Doubles 1st Round |
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8 | TH | 9/1 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 2nd Round | ||
9 | FR | 9/2 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 3rd Round Men's & Women's Doubles 2nd Round |
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10 | FR | 9/2 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 3rd Round | ||
11 | SA | 9/3 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's 3rd Round Men's & Women's Doubles 2nd Round |
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12 | SA | 9/3 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's 3rd Round | ||
13 | SU | 9/4 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's Round of 16 Men's & Women's Doubles 3rd Round |
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14 | SU | 9/4 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's Round of 16 | ||
15 | M | 9/5 | 11:00 AM | Men's & Women's Round of 16 Men's & Women's Doubles 3rd Round |
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16 | M | 9/5 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's Round of 16 | ||
17 | TU | 9/6 | 12:00 PM | Men's & Women's Quarterfinals Men's & Women's Doubles Quarterfinals |
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18 | TU | 9/6 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's Quarterfinals | ||
19 | W | 9/7 | 11:00 AM | Women's Doubles Quarterfinals Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles 1st Round Quad Wheelchair Singles Quarterfinals |
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12:00 PM | Men's & Women's Quarterfinals | |||||
20 | W | 9/7 | 7:00 PM | Men's & Women's Quarterfinals | ||
21 | TH | 9/8 | 11:00 AM | Men's Doubles Semifinals Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Quarterfinals Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Quarterfinals Quad Wheelchair Doubles Semifinals Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Quarterfinals |
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7:00 PM | Women's Semifinals | |||||
22 | FR | 9/9 | 12:00 PM | Men's Doubles Final (or Mixed Doubles Final) Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Semifinals Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Semifinals Quad Wheelchair Singles Semifinals Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Semifinals |
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3:00 PM | Men's Semifinals | |||||
23 | FR | 9/9 | 7:00 PM | Men's Semifinals | ||
24 | SA | 9/10 | 12:00 PM | Mixed Doubles Final (or Men's Doubles Final) Men's & Women's Wheelchair Doubles Final Quad Wheelchair Doubles Final Boys' and Girls' Junior Wheelchair Singles Final |
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4:00 PM | Women's Final | |||||
25 | SU | 9/11 | 12:00 PM | Men's & Women's Wheelchair Singles Final Quad Wheelchair Singles Final |
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1:00 PM | Women's Doubles Final | |||||
4:00 PM | Men's Final | |||||
Full schedule still to be released and subject to change. | All matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium begin at 12:00 PM. |
Image: US Open by Bobby Das/Flickr.
Remember, pack lightly. The US Open has strict rules and security procedures that prevent all non-medical food items from being brought in. Only one bag is allowed per person (and no backpacks). It can't be any bigger than 12” x 12” x 16”. Flags, banners, and signs, along with recording devices, are also strictly prohibited. Cell phones are allowed; just don’t get caught trying to record Djokovic's wicked serve. For details on the US Open security procedures, including a complete list of what is allowed on the grounds, click here.