It’s that time of the year again, when the stars of the tennis world arrive in New York to compete on the world’s biggest tennis stage. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens hosts the world’s greatest tennis players here to New York to compete under the bright lights of the city that never sleeps, and carries with it a thrilling three weeks of tennis action.

In 2024, the U.S. Open once again delivered thrilling action, and saw Aryna Sabalenka win her first U.S. Open title, and the third major of her career, with a victory over American Jessica Pegula. 

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year I’d be in the final of the U.S. Open, I would have laughed so hard,” said Sabalenka. “I’m speechless right now. I’m just super proud of myself. I never say that but I’m super proud.”

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner would win his first U.S. Open title to cap off a dominant 2024 season in which he became the youngest player to win both hard-court majors in the same year, and would eventually finish the year as the world number one. Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz in straight sets. 

“This title means so much, because the last period of my career was really not easy. I love tennis, I practice a lot for these stages,” Sinner said. “I understood, especially in this tournament, how important the mental part is in this sport. I’m very happy, very proud to share this moment with my team.”

This year’s U.S. Open begins on August 18 with Fan Week, which will feature the new Mixed Doubles Championships which will consist of a star-studded draw of doubles teams in the two-day championships. That kicks off an exciting week of fan-friendly events before the Main Draw begins. For the first time in tournament history, the Main Draw will begin on Sunday. You can elevate your Fan Week experience by registering for a free Fan Access Pass, which grants you access to special experiences, the chance to win prizes throughout the week around the grounds, and more. 

Long Island Tennis Magazine has broken down the contenders, pretenders and sleepers for both the men’s singles and women’s singles draw, as well as what to enjoy at the Open this year and the Tournament Schedule. 

Contenders, Pretenders and Sleepers

Contenders – Men’s Singles

Jannik Sinner

The defending U.S. Open champion will be back to defend his title, and will be in search of his fifth career major. It’s been an eventful year for the Italian, winning the Australian Open before serving his suspension for a failed doping test in the early spring. He returned for the French Open only to lose a heartbreaking final to Carlos Alcaraz, but then responded a couple of weeks later to upend Alcaraz and win his first Wimbledon title. Now, he arrives in New York as the top-ranked player in the world, and the winner of three of the last four majors on the men’s side, including the last three hard-court majors. Sinner has proven he can win at the U.S. Open, and will be in strong contention to win his second-straight title under the bright lights of the Big Apple. 

Carlos Alcaraz

The budding rivalry between the aforementioned Sinner and Alcaraz has been the biggest story in men’s tennis. The two split the major titles this summer, and Alcaraz will be out to maintain his lead on Sinner in career major titles. New York is the place where the Spaniard won his first major, but it’s been three years since that triumph, and Alcaraz is motivated to make the U.S. Open the home of his sixth career major. His athleticism shines on the fast, hard-courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and he has a 17-3 career record at the U.S. Open in his career. Alcaraz thrives in the best-of-five sets format, going 13-1 in his career in matches that go five sets, as it allows him time to figure out his opponent and make the necessary adjustments. Look for Alcaraz to make another deep run in Queens. 

Taylor Fritz

A year ago, at the U.S. Open, Taylor Fritz became the first American man to reach a major final since 2009. Despite losing to Sinner, it was a significant stepping stone in his career, and for the state of American men’s tennis. The U.S. Open run capped off a great year at the majors in 2024 for Fritz as he became the first American since Andre Agassi in 2001 to reach the fourth round at all four in the same season. He has built on that this year as he was a semi finalist  at Wimbledon, and is poised to continue his Grand Slam success at his home slam. 

Pretenders – Men’s Singles

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest player the sport has ever seen, and he holds the record for most majors of all-time, with 24. He has made it clear that the reason he continues to play is to add to that resume, but he has come up short in the last seven majors he has played. But at 37-years-old, the consistency and stamina needed to put together a two-week run at majors is becoming increasingly difficult for Djokovic.. He has reached the semifinals of the three majors this year, which is where he has either run out of gas and into Sinner/Alcaraz. Djokovic is still one of the best players in the world, and clearly has the pedigree, but it’s becoming more evident that reaching the last couple of rounds of the Slams seems to be his ceiling. 

Jack Draper

The highest-ranked player from Great Britain reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open a year ago, but it was not the most impressive of runs. He advanced via a retirement in his opening match, and then did not have to face a seeded opponent until the quarterfinals, eventually beating Alex de Minaur to make the semifinals. Now, it is not the fault of Draper that the draw opened up for him, and you can only play who is in front of you, but it’s important context to evaluate his chances at this year’s U.S. Open. In the three majors this season, Draper reached just the fourth round in Australia and France, and was then bounced in the second round at Wimbledon. While Draper is a top young player with a bright future, look for that trend to continue in New York.

Holger Rune

Holger Rune is truly an enigma. He is a perennial top 10 player, currently ranked ninth, yet something seems to be missing. His success has not translated to the majors, and his best showings were quarterfinal appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon more than two years ago. His furthest run at the U.S. Open was the third-round all the way back in 2022, and his other three times competing in the main draw saw him get eliminated in the opening round. Rune is still young and has loads of potential, but before we see him as a contender at a slam, he has to prove he can make a deep run at the majors, especially in New York. 

Sleepers – Men’s Singles

Frances Tiafoe

The U.S. Open brings out the stars, and there is perhaps no one person who thrives under those bright lights than American Frances Tiafoe. His infectious personality feeds off the crowd, and they provide him with the type of support that can carry a player through a match. As a result, Tiafoe is a two-time semifinalist in Queens, one of which came last year when he fell in a tight match to friend and fellow American Taylor Fritz. Tiafoe has had a solid 2025 season, currently sitting at 12th in the ATP world rankings, and coming off a run to the quarterfinals at the French Open. He is an aggressive player with big groundstrokes and an effective serve, which plays well on the U.S. Open courts. Tiafoe and New York seem to mix well together, and don’t be surprised to see him make another run deep into the second week.

Jakub Mensik

At just 19-years-old, Jakub Mensik is one of the youngest talents that the casual tennis fan may not know about. But at 6’5, and with heavy groundstrokes, Mensik has the game to succeed on the hard-courts. That was on full display earlier this year when he captured his first career ATP title, a Masters 1000, by winning the Miami Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets. He competed in the U.S. Open main draw each of the last two seasons, and while was eliminated in the third-round each time, with another year of tour experience under his belt, and victories over some of the best players in the world on big stages, Mensik is a player that no one wants to see on the other side of the net at this year’s U.S. Open. 

Alexander Bublik

One of the key factors in success on the tour is managing one’s emotions, which is something that Bublik has had trouble with.. He has all the talent in the world, but sometimes doesn’t put it together for a full match, or full tournament.. His recent run to the French Open quarterfinals  this year gives hope that he is turning a corner though, as he showed he could play well into the second week of a major. Bublik has wins this season over Draper, de Minaur, Sinner, Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev, among others, and has demonstrated when he plays his best tennis, he is capable of beating any opponent. If Bublik remains focused, he is a threat to shock the world. 

Contenders – Women’s Singles

Iga Swiatek

In July the  six-time major champion won her first Grand Slam since 2024, taking the title at the Wimbledon Championships. In the final, Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0, marking the first time since 1911 that the women’s final at Wimbledon saw one player not win a game. The win also capped off a dominant grass-court season for Swiatek, something she aims to carry into the hard-court season. She is a 2022 U.S. Open champion, and after coming out of the slump she was in (by her standards, going four majors in a row without winning one), she could be poised to reclaim the trophy in New York. 

Aryna Sabalenka

The top-ranked player in the world finally got her U.S. Open triumph a year ago, defeating American Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the finals. She has had a strong 2025 as well, reaching the Australian Open final, winning the Miami Open title and the Madrid Open title, and reaching the finals of the French Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon. Now she arrives in New York as the defending champion, looking for her first major of 2025 and playing on her best surface. With her massive serve and powerful groundstrokes, Sabalenka is difficult to compete with on hard courts, and will be a strong contender to defend her title. 

Mirra Andreeva

Still only 18-years-old, Mirra Andreeva has fully arrived. She is ranked fifth in the world, and has demonstrated the ability to beat the best opponents on the biggest stages. Earlier this year, Andreeva won at Dubai and Indian Wells, claiming two 1000 level titles, the youngest player ever to do so. She has knocked off both Swiatek and Sabalenka this year, and achieved the best Grand Slam result of her career with a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. While she has been bounced in the second round at the U.S. Open the last two years, she is a different player now and is maturing with each tournament she plays. A very deep run or her first major title is a strong possibly for this young star. 

Pretenders – Women’s Singles

Amanda Anisimova

The cruelty of tennis was on full display for her at Wimbledon. She reached the first major final of her career, only to be beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Iga Swiatek. It was an  abrupt conclusion to the best two weeks of her professional career, and it’ll be difficult for her to forget that result when she arrives in New York. The U.S. Open has also historically been the worst of the four majors for Ansimova, with her best result being a third-round appearance five years ago. She is up to the highest-ranking of her career, and will not sneak up on anyone, which may mean another early Big Apple exit for Anisimova. 

Jasmine Paolini

In 2024, Jasmine Paolini reached the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, surprising people  to make two of the best runs of her career. It helped her catapult into the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings, where she continues to reside, currently ranking ninth. But Paolini has not been able to replicate that success at the majors since then, falling in the fourth round at last year’s U.S. Open, the third round of this year’s Australian Open, the fourth round at the French Open and the second round at Wimbledon. Throughout her career, Paolini has been eliminated in the opening round at the U.S. Open three of the five times she competed in the main draw, and an early exit may be in the cards for her again. 

Elena Rybakina

The former Wimbledon champion is  back to the form that saw her hoist that trophy back in 2022, but the U.S. Open has never been a place where she has found success. The big-hitting Rybakina has never made it out of the third-round including multiple opening round exits, with her tournament a year ago ending in the second round. Rybakina lost difficult three-set matches to open up her hard court season, to Leylah Fernandez in Washington, D.C., and Victoria Mkobo in Montreal, meaning she will head into the U.S. Open not as confident, which won’t bode well at a tournament she has never been successful at. 

Sleepers – Women’s Singles

Clara Tauson

One of the biggest servers on the women’s tour, Clara Tauson oftentimes flies under the radar. She has had the best year of her career so far in 2025. Tauson has crawled into the top 20, and has posted wins over the likes of Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Elina Svitolina, Emma Navarro, and  Anna Kalinskaya, and reached the final on the hard courts of Dubai earlier this year. Still just 22-years-old, Tauson has the serve and groundstrokes to succeed on the hard courts in Queens, and this year’s U.S. Open could serve as a launching pad for her continued ascension.  

Naomi Osaka

It’s hard to consider a four-time major champion, and two-time U.S. Open champion, a sleeper to win this year’s installment of the event, but it’s been a long road back to form for Osaka. Her history of mental health concerns are well-documented, but Osaka seems to be more comfortable in her skin than she ever was. Earlier this year, she won her first title since 2021, and has compiled excellent results on the hard courts this summer, reaching the finals in Montreal, and building confidence heading into the U.S. Open. She is no stranger to the bright lights of New York City, and Osaka is a dark horse to make a deep run there as she continues to embark on the second half of her professional career.

Emma Navarro

A semifinalist at the U.S. Open last year,  Navarro has had an up-and-down season so far in 2025. She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open to open up the season, and won a hard-court title in Mexico, but since then has been inconsistent. Still, Navarro sits at 11th in the world and has shown she has what it takes to make a deep run in New York. The most improved player on the WTA Tour in 2024, Navarro will look to find her footing at the U.S. Open, in the city where she was born and the place where she put together the best two weeks of her tennis career.