Serena Williams will be looking to finish her career with a flourish at the US Open as the 23-time grand slam champion bows out at Flushing Meadows.
Williams, who has also entered the doubles with sister Venus, is in action on the opening day of play in New York after confirming at the start of August her intention to “evolve” away from tennis.
An unlikely farewell triumph would move the 40-year-old level with Margaret Court on 24 grand slam singles titles, but she faces tough competition in a crowded women’s draw that includes Emma Raducanu, the defending champion, and French Open winner Iga Swiatek, now world number one.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the US Open.
When does the US Open start?
The US Open main draw gets underway on Monday 29 August. The tournament will run for two weeks. The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday 10 September and the men’s singles final will be played on Sunday 11 September.
What TV channel is it on in the UK?
The US Open will be shown live on Amazon Prime in the UK, with all matches from the tournament available to stream on Prime Video which is available on Smart TVs and the Prime Video app as well as online. If you’re not an Amazon Prime Video subscriber start a free 30-day trial here.
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When is Serena Williams vs Danka Kovinic?
Serena Williams begins her farewell with a first-round encounter with Danka Kovinic of Montenegro. The pair are due to kick-off the night session at the Arthur Ashe Stadium from midnight BST (7pm EST).
What is the full order of play for the first day of competition?
Arthur Ashe Stadium | Louis Armstrong Stadium: |
Day session from 17:00 BST (12pm EST) | Day session from 16:00 BST (11am EST) |
Daniil Medvedev (Rus) [1] v Stefan Kozlov (US) | Francisco Cerundolo (Arg) [24] v Andy Murray (GB) |
Leolia Jeanjean (Fra) v Coco Gauff (US) [12] | Simona Halep (Rom) [7] v Daria Snigur (Ukr) |
Madison Keys (US) [20] v Dayana Yastremska (Ukr) | |
Night session from 00:00 BST, Tues | Night session from 00:00 BST, Tues |
Danka Kovinic (Mne) v Serena Williams (US) | Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre) [4] v Daniel Elahi Galan (Col) |
Nick Kyrgios (Aus) [23] v Thanasi Kokkinakis (Aus) | Leylah Fernandez (Can) [14] v Oceane Dodin (Fra) |
What are the odds?
Women’s winner
Swiatek - 3/1
Halep - 7/1
Rybakina - 11/1
Gauff - 12/1
Osaka - 14/1
Raducanu 16/1
Andreescu - 20/1
Pegula - 20/1
Jabeur - 22/1
Fernandez - 33/1
Williams - 40/1
Men’s winner
Medvedev - 9/4
Nadal - 5/1
Alcaraz - 7/2
Kyrgios - 7/1
Tsitsipas - 14/1
Auger-Aliassime - 20/1
Fritz - 25/1
Norrie - 40/1
Murray - 50/1
Who are the top seeds?
Women’s draw
1. Iga Swiatek
2. Anett Kontaveit
3. Maria Sakkari
4. Paula Badosa
5. Ons Jabeur
6. Aryna Sabalenka
7. Simona Halep
8. Jessica Pegula
9. Garbiñe Muguruza
10. Daria Kasatkina
11. Emma Raducanu
12. Coco Gauff
13. Belinda Bencic
14. Leylah Fernandez
15. Beatriz Haddad Maia
16. Jelena Ostapenko
Men’s draw
1. Daniil Medvedev
2. Rafael Nadal
3. Carlos Alcaraz
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas
5. Casper Ruud
6 Felix Auger-Aliassime
7 Cameron Norrie
8. Hubert Hurkacz
9. Andrey Rublev
10. Taylor Fritz
11. Jannik Sinner
12. Pablo Carreno Busta
13. Matteo Berrettini
14. Diego Schwartzman
15. Marin Cilic
16. Roberto Bautista Agut