Overview
- The tournament begins Sunday after organizers published the draw and Day 1 order of play, with Jessica Pegula opening Arthur Ashe and Novak Djokovic in a prime night slot.
- World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn with a knee injury, elevating Alexander Zverev to top seed and making the men's field more unpredictable.
- Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has entered the event after a four-month right-wrist layoff, but his lack of recent match play leaves questions about his early-round readiness.
- Aryna Sabalenka arrives as two-time defending champion but has shown poor hard-court form this summer, putting her No. 1 ranking and bid for a third straight US Open at risk.
- A cluster of in-form American men — led by Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe — see a clearer path to end the long home drought, while the event carries a record $108 million prize pool and scrutiny over players' fitness in New York heat.