Big tournaments give fans plenty to do between matches, and the US Open is no exception. This year, the build-up already has injury questions hanging over big names, fresh tournament action before New York and plenty happening online. By opening day, tennis fans will have had a busy August already.

The 2026 US Open is almost here, and this year’s tournament is bigger than the two weeks of tennis most fans associate with Flushing Meadows. The event now runs across 22 days, with Fan Week and other entertainment building interest before the singles main draw starts on August 30.

US Open Now Runs for 22 Days

The 2026 US Open will run across 22 days of tennis and entertainment, the longest schedule in the tournament’s near-150-year history. Fan Week starts on August 23, and eight days offer free grounds admission before the main draw gets fully underway. The programme also includes mixed doubles and exhibition matches, giving spectators reasons to arrive before the singles action starts.

That broader programme changes what a trip to Flushing Meadows can include. A fan can watch practice courts or mixed doubles, then move into entertainment elsewhere on the grounds. The tournament is still about tennis, but plenty is happening around it before the main event begins.

Tennis Has Been Arguing About Entertainment for Decades

Music during changeovers once caused a genuine row. In 1994, Andre Agassi blasted an ATP experiment with in-stadium music at the Volvo International in New Haven after losing to Jan Siemerink in front of 10,220 fans. He called the idea “an embarrassment” and complained that the music distracted from the sport.

That argument now sounds almost quaint at the US Open. Arthur Ashe Stadium uses music and large video boards between points and changeovers, giving the audience constant activity around the match itself.

Second Screen Has Become Part of the Event

A big tennis tournament now reaches well beyond the stadium. Fans following matches from home are checking scores, watching clips and moving between other forms of online entertainment during breaks in play. Sweepstakes casinos sit in that wider digital mix, but they work differently from sportsbooks because the focus is casino-style games rather than match odds.

Covers makes the comparison easier by putting leading sweepstakes casinos into a side-by-side list that shows promotional offers, BetSmart ratings, redemption speeds, security scores and game-software assessments in one place.

That kind of detail is useful because two sweepstakes casinos can look similar at first glance and still work very differently once you get into the specifics. Redemption speed can affect how long a player waits for a prize, while the software behind the games determines what is actually available to play. Promotional terms also vary, so a clear comparison saves the reader from opening several separate pages and working it all out from scratch.

That gives a player practical points to compare instead of a row of brand names. One operator may have a stronger promotion, another may process redemptions faster, and game libraries can differ considerably. Those differences affect the experience before a player even starts.

Sinner’s Knee Adds Uncertainty Before New York

Jannik Sinner’s build-up took a hit on August 9 when he withdrew from the Cincinnati Open with a right knee injury. He had already pulled out of the Canadian Open, reducing his hard-court preparation before the US Open main draw begins on August 30.

The timing draws extra attention because Sinner arrives at this part of the season as the reigning Wimbledon champion, having won his fifth Grand Slam title in July. For fans looking ahead to New York, his fitness is now one of the biggest questions before play starts.

Winston-Salem Gets One Last Week in the Spotlight

Winston-Salem offers one final ATP 250 stop before the US Open, and its 2026 field gained two very different wild cards on August 19. Stefanos Tsitsipas returns for a second appearance, while 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt gets only the second ATP Tour main draw of his career.

Tsitsipas brings 12 ATP Tour titles and two Grand Slam runner-up finishes. Hewitt arrives after reaching the Wimbledon boys’ singles final and earning his first ATP main-draw win at the DC Open, which took him to a career-high No. 370. The tournament also has 13 Top 50 players on its initial entry list. Qualifying starts August 22, with the main draw beginning the next day.

New York Has Already Started Before the First Ball

By the time the singles main draw begins, the US Open story will already be well underway. Fan Week will have filled the grounds, and warm-up events will have answered some fitness questions before the biggest matches begin.

That is part of what makes late August different from the rest of the tennis calendar. New York does not simply begin when the umpire calls the first match; the build-up has become part of the event itself.