2026 US Open Day 1: Qualifying Begins, Alcaraz Back, Sinner Out

• August 24 is Day 1 of qualifying (Fan Week, not main draw — main draw starts August 30)
• August 23 was Arthur Ashe Kids' Day — the opening ceremony/fan event
• Qualifying runs August 24–27; 128 men and 128 women compete for 16 spots each
• Jannik Sinner withdrew from the US Open (confirmed by olympics.com headline)
• Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his return after a wrist injury (first action since April)
• Aryna Sabalenka is two-time defending women's champion but in a slump; lost in straight sets to unseeded Sára Bejlek in Cincinnati
• Elena Rybakina is 434 points off world No. 1, but her participation is in doubt after retiring injured in Cincinnati QF
• Prize money: $108 million total; singles champions get $5.5M each
• Men's odds (pre-qualifying): Alcaraz +187/+200 (BetMGM/VegasInsider), Sinner withdrawn
• Women's odds: Sabalenka +225, Gauff/Swiatek/Rybakina in the mix

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Day 2 Briefing — 2026 US Open: Qualifying Opens, Sinner Out, Alcaraz Back

August 24, 2026 | Flushing Meadows, New York

The 2026 US Open has entered its first competitive day at Flushing Meadows.

Fan Week (August 23–29) opened yesterday with Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, combining player practices, the revamped Mixed Doubles Championship, and family-friendly events

, and today the work begins in earnest.

Singles qualifying runs Monday August 24 through Thursday August 27 on the field courts, with fields of 128 men and 128 women competing for the last 16 places in each singles main draw.

The market narrative entering this qualifying week has been reshaped by two seismic player news items: Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the tournament, and Carlos Alcaraz — the defending champion — has confirmed his return from a wrist injury sustained in April.

Alcaraz's win-probability on event contracts shot up from 19% to 29% following his social media confirmation, cutting Sinner's cushion from 11 points to six before that cushion became irrelevant.

On the women's side,

world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion and on paper the favourite, but the 28-year-old is on a peculiar slump, having lost five out of seven matches that went to three sets since her Miami Open win in March

— and was then beaten in straight sets by unseeded 20-year-old Sára Bejlek in Cincinnati. Track every shift in title odds and qualifying markets live at WeeBet's hub: /events/us-open-tennis-2026.

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Yesterday: Kids' Day Opens Fan Week

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day on Sunday August 23 — the largest grassroots tennis event in the world — brought free admission and a stadium show in Arthur Ashe Stadium at 11:00 AM alongside family activities across the grounds.

New for 2026, Kids' Day now kicks off Fan Week on its opening day, rather than taking place later in the week.

No match-play results to process from August 23, but the player storylines that surfaced heading into qualifying today are the ones moving markets: Sinner's withdrawal was confirmed, and Alcaraz's entry was locked in,

following his announcement that he will make his first competitive appearance since April, when a wrist injury ended his season.

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Today's Slate: Qualifying Round 1

Action gets underway today, August 24, with the Mixed Doubles Championship and singles qualifying.

The field courts host 128 men and 128 women battling for the last 16 spots in each singles main draw.

Grounds entry is free, but every fan aged 18 and over now needs a free Fan Access Pass from the US Open app.

Play across grandstand courts and outside courts gets underway from 10:00 AM ET. The qualifying draw itself was confirmed as of today —

seedings were not settled until the August 24 ATP and WTA rankings published, the day after the Cincinnati Open final on August 23.

Also on today's agenda:

the main draw ceremony is scheduled for Thursday August 27, after the final qualifying round,

giving the field through the week to finalise. For live qualifying scores and same-day odds updates, head to WeeBet at /events/us-open-tennis-2026.

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Men's Title Picture: Alcaraz Steps In, Sinner Steps Out

The men's title market has been transformed in 72 hours.

Carlos Alcaraz arrives as the defending champion, having beaten Sinner in the 2025 final 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

His confirmation of participation despite a prolonged wrist injury layoff sent his event contract price sharply lower — i.e., shorter odds — across platforms.

As of August 2026, BetMGM prices Alcaraz at +200 to win the title; he has five US Open appearances, winning in 2022 and 2025.

In the men's draw, Sinner and Alcaraz had been well ahead of the other players in the betting market,

but Sinner's withdrawal restructures the entire competition bracket.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev and four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic round out the top four in men's markets as of August 2026.

Zverev is the third favourite, priced around 7.50 (implied ~13%).

The key question for Alcaraz market positions: how sharp is a player returning from four months off? His qualifying-week practice sessions at Flushing Meadows will be scrutinised. Any sign of discomfort will be a trigger for market movement — watch the WeeBet live odds hub for real-time price shifts as practice footage emerges this week.

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Women's Title Picture: Sabalenka Vulnerable, Rybakina a Fitness Doubt

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion and, on paper, the favourite.

She won both legs of the Sunshine Double and is 39-4 on hard courts over the last year.

That record is the structural argument for her price. The counter-argument is more immediate:

since her Miami Open win in March, she has lost five out of seven matches going to three sets, and was upset in straight sets by unseeded 20-year-old Sára Bejlek in Cincinnati.

Sabalenka's two-year reign as world No. 1 is at risk, with Elena Rybakina now 434 points off the top.

But

Rybakina's own US Open participation is in doubt after she retired injured during her Cincinnati quarter-final against Iga Świątek.

A Rybakina withdrawal confirmation this week would be a secondary catalyst for Sabalenka's odds to firm.

Iga Świątek surged into second spot on the women's odds board after winning the National Bank Open in Montreal, where she defeated Rybakina in straight sets.

Odds sourced from VegasInsider/bet365 as of August 24, 2026. Odds change — check live prices at /events/us-open-tennis-2026. Betting involves risk; please gamble responsibly.

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The Record Prize Pool: What's at Stake

The 2026 US Open has offered a record $108 million in total player compensation, the largest package in tennis history and an increase of 21% from 2025.

The men's and women's singles champions will each receive $5,500,000 — a 10% increase from the $5,000,000 awarded in 2025 — while runners-up receive $2,800,000.

First-round singles players receive $140,000, an increase of 27.3% from 2025.

For qualifiers fighting on court today, the financial stakes are already live: every match won this week earns prize money and a main-draw berth that could mean reaching the $140,000 first-round floor.

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Structural Context: The Longest US Open Ever

The 2026 US Open runs from Saturday August 23 to Sunday September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City — with 22 days of competition, the largest event schedule and most competition days in the tournament's near-150-year history.

The main draw begins on Sunday August 30 and concludes with the men's singles final on Sunday September 13.

The women's singles final is on Saturday September 12.

Every session in the United States airs on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC, with Spanish commentary on ESPN Deportes.

For market participants and bettors tracking positions through the fortnight, WeeBet's live hub at /events/us-open-tennis-2026 updates odds in real time across qualifying, main draw, and outright title markets.

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What to Watch This Week

Alcaraz practice reports — Any public session footage or press conference comment from Arthur Ashe from August 24–27 will be the single biggest input into the men's market this week. His +187/+200 price assumes he is fit enough to contend. Evidence to the contrary will move those numbers fast.

Rybakina fitness update —

With Rybakina 434 points behind Sabalenka in the WTA rankings,

a withdrawal firms the world No. 1 picture and removes a title threat simultaneously. A confirmed entry does the opposite — her hard-court game makes her a legitimate contender at any price above 7/1.

Qualifying upsets —

The singles draws are made in the days before the main draw begins, with the 2026 draw expected in late August.

Thursday's draw ceremony will frame the bracket and trigger bracket-specific market activity. Qualifier results this week feed directly into the draw's wild-card composition.

Draw ceremony, August 27 —

The main draw ceremony takes place Thursday August 27, after the final qualifying round.

Watch WeeBet for same-day draw analysis and first-round match markets.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 2026 US Open main draw start?

The main draw begins on Sunday August 30 and concludes with the men's singles final on Sunday September 13.

The women's singles final is on Saturday September 12.

Today, August 24, is the first day of singles qualifying — free to attend with a Fan Access Pass from the US Open app.

Did Jannik Sinner withdraw from the 2026 US Open?

Yes. As of August 2026, Sinner has confirmed his withdrawal from the tournament.

The US Open odds gap between Sinner and Alcaraz shrunk following the latter's confirmation that he'll play — and then Sinner's withdrawal restructured the men's market entirely,

with Carlos Alcaraz now the principal favourite as defending champion.

Who is favoured to win the 2026 US Open women's singles?

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion and, on paper, the favourite.

Iga Świątek has surged into the second spot on the odds board after winning the National Bank Open in Montreal.

Elena Rybakina's fitness status, pending confirmation, is the key variable shaping the top of the women's market this week.

Where can I track live US Open 2026 odds?

WeeBet maintains a live odds and markets hub updated in real time throughout qualifying and the main draw at /events/us-open-tennis-2026. Markets cover outright title winners, match-by-match results, set handicaps, and more. Please bet responsibly — set deposit limits and visit begambleaware.org if you need support.

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