US Open Opens: First Round Singles Begin at Flushing Meadows

The Open Begins

Summer's last grand slam gets underway on Sunday, August 30, when men's and women's singles first-round matches take over the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Two full sessions of tennis, one campus, and the particular hum of a tournament that always feels like New York's most crowded backyard party.

The day session starts at 11 AM, when the grounds are still cool and the lines for the practice courts are long. Early matches tend to reward the patient — wander the outer courts and you can watch future contenders warm up close enough to hear the strings.

By evening, the energy shifts. The 7 PM session brings the marquee lighting, the after-work crowd, and the sense that the night sessions at this tournament have their own gravitational pull. Stadium courts glow, and the matches that stretch into the later hours tend to be the ones people talk about the next morning.

First round day at the Open is less about seeding and more about surprises — the draw always has a few.

Both sessions are ticketed, and the grounds themselves offer plenty beyond the two headline courts — food promenades, art installations, and enough open space to make a full day of it without ever setting foot in a stadium seat.

What to Expect

• Day session begins 11 AM, featuring a full slate of first-round singles matches
• Evening session begins 7 PM, typically anchored by featured court matchups
• Grounds access included with ticket, with outer courts open for casual viewing
• Bring layers — the grounds are open-air, and August evenings can turn cool once the sun drops

For tennis newcomers, first round is actually one of the best entry points to the tournament. The stakes are real but the pressure hasn't yet narrowed to a handful of marquee names, which means more courts worth wandering to and more chances to catch someone before the crowds catch on.

Whether you're there for the tennis, the people-watching, or the particular theater of a grand slam morning turning into a grand slam night, August 30 marks the start of two weeks where Flushing Meadows becomes the center of the sporting world.

Get there early for day session parking and grounds access, and expect the energy — and the lines — to build steadily as the evening session approaches.