US Open 2026: A record payday, historic chases and stars in the spotlight | Other Sports News

The final Grand Slam of the tennis season arrives in New York with more than trophies at stake. The 2026 US Open begins on Sunday with a record $108 million prize pool, a defending champion returning from a four-month injury lay-off, Novak Djokovic chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title and Aryna Sabalenka attempting to join an elite list of women to win three straight titles at Flushing Meadows.

Moreover, the return of Serena and Venus Williams to the doubles court means the tournament has no shortage of storylines.

The 2026 US Open will commence on August 30 and will run until September 13, with Arthur Ashe Stadium once again providing the stage for two weeks of tennis, drama and history.

A record payday raises the stakes

The US Open will hand out $108 million in prize money, a 20 per cent increase from last year and the biggest purse in Grand Slam history.

The men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive $5.5 million, while even first-round losers in the main draw are guaranteed $140,000. The scale of the prize money reflects the growing financial importance of the final Grand Slam of the year, with every round carrying substantial rewards.

Djokovic’s record in sight

At 39, Novak Djokovic is still chasing milestones that seemed almost impossible when he first arrived on the Grand Slam stage.

The Serbian enters New York seeking his fifth US Open title and a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown. A victory would take him clear of Margaret Court’s 24-major mark and give him the outright record for most Grand Slam singles titles.

Djokovic last won in New York in 2023 and has lifted the US Open trophy four times, in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2023. His record at the tournament stands at 95-15, underlining just how comfortable he has been on the biggest court in New York.

His task, however, will not be straightforward. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is absent after withdrawing with a right knee injury, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is returning after more than four months away from competitive tennis. That has opened up Djokovic’s side of the draw, but it has also created a tournament with considerably more uncertainty at the top.

Alcaraz returns with a title to defend

Carlos Alcaraz arrives in New York carrying both the defending champion’s tag and a major question mark over his match fitness.

The Spaniard has not played a singles match since April after suffering a right wrist injury. His four-month absence also ruled him out of the French Open and Wimbledon, making the US Open his first Grand Slam appearance since the Australian Open.

That makes his title defence particularly intriguing. Alcaraz has already established a special connection with Flushing Meadows, winning his maiden Grand Slam there in 2022 and adding another title last year. But this time he arrives without the usual rhythm of a long hard-court season behind him.

He has at least had a taste of competitive tennis during Fan Week, including a mixed-doubles partnership with Serena Williams, but the demands of a seven-round Grand Slam singles campaign will be an entirely different test.

And with Sinner out of the tournament, the men’s draw has taken on a very different complexion.

Sabalenka has history of her own to chase

If Djokovic is chasing an outright Grand Slam record, Aryna Sabalenka is pursuing a piece of US Open history.

The world No. 1 is the two-time defending champion and will attempt to win three consecutive women’s singles titles in New York. If she succeeds, she would become the first woman since Serena Williams to complete a US Open three-peat.

Only Serena Williams and Chris Evert have achieved three consecutive US Open singles titles in the Open Era. Sabalenka therefore has the opportunity to place herself alongside two of the most successful players in tournament history.

She also arrives with a formidable record at Flushing Meadows. Sabalenka has won her last 13 US Open matches and owns a 34-6 career record at the tournament.

The challenge is that she has not had the easiest season at the Grand Slams. New York, however, has consistently brought out her best tennis.

The Williams sisters are back together

The singles draws will provide the main competitive drama, but one of the tournament’s biggest attractions will come in the women’s doubles.

Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up again. The sisters received a wild card for the women’s doubles tournament, marking their first appearance together at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open. They have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles as a team, including US Open crowns in 1999 and 2009.

Their return is especially significant because Serena only returned to competitive tennis this year after a four-year absence. She and Venus reunited at Cincinnati earlier this month, where they lost in the opening round, but their presence in New York will inevitably generate enormous attention.

Serena has already added another memorable chapter to her comeback by partnering Alcaraz in mixed doubles during Fan Week. Now, she gets another chance to share a Grand Slam court with her sister.

The women’s draw is wide open

Sabalenka’s pursuit of a third straight title is one of the central women’s storylines, but she faces a strong group of challengers.

Former US Open champions including Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka are in the field, while reigning 2026 Grand Slam champions such as Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova add another layer of uncertainty to the draw.

That makes Sabalenka’s task more complicated than simply extending her New York dominance.

A number of players arrive in the city with their own claims to the title, leaving the women’s tournament with a genuine sense of unpredictability behind its defending champion.

New York once again becomes the stage

The US Open has always been about more than the tennis. Night sessions at Arthur Ashe Stadium, packed crowds, the noise and energy of New York and the tournament’s distinctive atmosphere make Flushing Meadows unlike any other Grand Slam venue.

This year, that spectacle comes with an unusually rich collection of narratives.

There is Djokovic’s pursuit of 25. There is Alcaraz’s attempt to return from injury and defend his crown. There is Sabalenka’s bid for a historic three-peat. There are the Williams sisters returning together. And underneath it all is a record financial prize that makes the stakes even higher for everyone in the draw.

The US Open has the money, the stars and the history. Now, over the next two weeks, it has to decide who gets to write the next chapter.