The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) confirmed on Thursday through a press release the US Open main draw will start on a Sunday for the first time in the Open Era, extending the major’s competition to 15 days instead of the traditional 14-day format.
As a result, the women’s and men’s first-round singles matches will feature over three days, expanding main-draw capacity for an additional 70,000-plus spectators at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
According to the USTA: “Opening Sunday will have six new ticketed sessions available - day and night sessions for reserved seats in both Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, and day session tickets for Grandstand reserved and Grounds Admission.”
Otherwise, no further changes are planned for the singles main draw schedule.
Last season, the US Open registered record-breaking attendance (832,640 people) for the two weeks of the main draw at Flushing Meadows, New York.
Moreover, when considering the full three weeks of activities the Slam offers, highlighting Fan Week, the number rises to a total of 1,048,669 fans who attended the tournament in 2024.
The Australian Open and Roland-Garros already run under a 15-day schedule. The Championships, Wimbledon, remains the only of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments to expand over 14 days, starting on a Monday.