US Open 2026 - Part 3
Records, great champions and US Open in real time
High-TechSociety.com | By Luiz Cincurá | Cite
Throughout this special three-part series, High-Tech Society covered the history of the U.S. Open, the Flushing Meadows complex, the characteristics of the hard courts, the eligibility criteria, the tournament format, the prize money, the main highlights, tickets, and ways to follow the tournament.
In this third and final part, we turn our attention to the tennis players who have shaped some of the most important chapters in the competition’s history, to records and matches that have gone down in history, and, at the same time, to the present: this Sunday, August 30, the main draw matches for the men’s and women’s singles at the 2026 U.S. Open begin. The singles tournament continues through September 13.
Fan Week
Before the start of the main singles draws, the U.S. Open hosted Fan Week from August 23 to 29, a week featuring competitions, fan activities, and special events.
The schedule began with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, a traditional event geared specifically toward children and families, featuring tennis activities, interactive games, performances, and children’s attractions, while celebrating Arthur Ashe’s sporting, educational, and humanitarian legacy.
Fan Week also included exhibition matches, entertainment activities, and Media Day, dedicated to player interviews before the start of the main draws.
Qualifying and Mixed Doubles
On the competitive side, the men’s and women’s qualifying rounds were held, in which 128 men and 128 women competed for the final 16 spots in each main singles draw, as well as the US Open Mixed Doubles Championship. In mixed doubles, each team consists of two players—one woman and one man—who play together against another pair with the same composition.
Mixed doubles is an official Grand Slam event, not an exhibition match. Following the qualifying round on August 24, the main draw finals were held on the 25th and 26th and concluded with the title going to the Czech pair Karolina Muchova, 30, and Jakub Mensik, 20, who defeated Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, 29, and 24-year-old Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, and [10-6]. It was the first Grand Slam title won by Muchova and Mensik in any discipline.
How Mixed Doubles Rules Work
Mixed doubles follow a specific scoring format designed to make matches shorter. In this format, from the qualifying round through the main draw semifinals, matches were played as best-of-three sets, with the first two sets won by the pair that reached four games, provided there was a minimum difference of two games. If a set reached a 4-4 tie, the match proceeded to a special format designed to determine the set winner, called a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, the traditional game scoring system—15, 30, 40, and game—is not used; instead, points are counted sequentially: 1, 2, 3, and so on. The mixed doubles pair that first reaches 7 points wins the tiebreak—and, consequently, the set—provided they have a lead of at least two points. Thus, if the score is tied at 6–6, play continues until one of the pairs manages to open up a two-point lead, such as 8–6, 9–7, or 10–8, for example.
Another distinctive feature of mixed doubles was the use of the “no-ad” system, short for “no advantage.” In the traditional tennis scoring system, when a game reaches a 40-40 tie, one side must win two consecutive points to win the game: the first point establishes the advantage, and the second ends the game. If the player or pair that gained the advantage loses the next point, the score returns to 40–40.
In the no-ad system used in mixed doubles, this “advantage” phase is eliminated. When the game reaches 40–40, the next point immediately decides who wins the game. This prevents a single game from being prolonged by successive ties and advantage situations, helping to reduce the duration of matches.
There is yet another important difference. If each pair won one of the first two sets, a conventional third set was not played. Instead, the match was decided by a 10-point match tiebreak. It works similarly to the tiebreak explained earlier, but in this case, the tiebreak does not merely serve to decide a set: it completely replaces the third set and determines the winning pair.
In the match tiebreak, points are also counted sequentially - 1, 2, 3, and so on - and the pair that first reaches 10 points wins, provided it maintains a minimum lead of two points. Therefore, a score of 10–9 does not end the match. If this occurs, the tiebreak continues until one of the pairs achieves a two-point lead, such as 11–9, 12–10, or 13–11, for example.
In the mixed doubles final, there was one difference from the previous rounds: the first two sets were played in a six-game format, with a tiebreak in the event of a 6-6 tie. However, the no-ad system and the 10-point match tiebreak in place of the third set remained in effect. This explains the final score: Muchova and Mensik won the first set 6–3; Bencic and Cobolli won the second 6–1; and, since each pair had won one set, the title was decided in the match tiebreak, which Muchova and Mensik won 10–6. The final result was recorded as 6-3, 1-6, and [10-6].
The 2026 US Open Singles Tournaments Begin
This Sunday, August 30, 2026, the main draw matches for the men’s and women’s singles at the 2026 US Open begin. From this stage onward, players advance through a single-elimination bracket: winners remain in the competition and move on to the next round; losers are eliminated from contention for the title.
Carlos Alcaraz enters the tournament as the defending men’s champion from the 2025 US Open. Aryna Sabalenka arrives in New York as a two-time consecutive champion, having won the 2024 and 2025 editions. In 2026, the Belarusian tennis player is seeking her third consecutive US Open title—a feat not achieved in the women’s tournament since Serena Williams, who won from 2012 to 2014.
Matches in the main draw are held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand, and the other courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The schedule combines day and night sessions, and over the course of the two weeks, the number of players gradually decreases leading up to the finals at Arthur Ashe Stadium: the women’s singles final will be played on Saturday, September 12, and the men’s singles final on Sunday, September 13, bringing the 2026 U.S. Open to a close.
The Greatest Champions in US Open History
The history of the US Open began long before the so-called Open Era of tennis. The men’s competition was first held in 1881, still under the name U.S. National Championships, while the women’s tournament began in 1887. It wasn’t until 1968 that the Open Era began, when tournaments started allowing both amateur and professional players to compete together.
This distinction between the two periods is important for understanding the evolution of the sport and must be taken into account when comparing results from different eras, since professional players were not admitted to the US Open until 1968—up until then, the tournament had been exclusively for amateur players. Looking at these different generations together helps highlight the historical significance of the US Open, which has been held for 145 years.
Across all eras, the most successful singles champion is Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, born in Norway, who won eight titles between 1915 and 1926. Helen Wills, from the United States, comes in second with seven titles. Among men, the all-time record is shared by Richard Sears, William Larned, and Bill Tilden—all Americans—who also have seven titles each.
In the Open Era, which began in 1968, Chris Evert and Serena Williams, both Americans, lead the women’s rankings with six titles each. Among the men, Americans Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras and Swiss player Roger Federer have each won five titles.
The following table lists the top singles champions in the competition’s history, allowing for a comparison of different generations while also identifying the periods in which their victories occurred.
Notable Achievements at the U.S. Open
Throughout its history, the U.S. Open has produced records that also help shed light on the tournament’s evolution. One of the most remarkable belongs to American Jimmy Connors: he is the only tennis player, among both men and women, to have won U.S. Open singles titles on three different surface types. He was champion on grass in 1974, on clay in 1976, and on hard courts in 1978, 1982, and 1983. This record mirrors the tournament’s own evolution, as it has changed surfaces over the course of its history.
Connors also holds the men’s record for 98 singles match wins at the US Open. Among women, the record is held by American Chris Evert, with 101 wins. Evert set yet another impressive record by reaching the semifinals in 16 consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The length of matches has also produced historic moments. In 2024, Britain’s Daniel Evans and Russia’s Karen Khachanov played the longest match ever recorded at the US Open. The first-round match lasted 5 hours and 35 minutes and ended with a five-set victory for Evans, after the Briton had been trailing 4-0 in the decisive set.
These records, spanning different generations, demonstrate how the history of the US Open combines longevity, changes within the tournament itself, and exceptional individual performances.
Throughout its history, the U.S. Open has been held at various venues, on different surfaces, and in various formats before establishing itself as one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. From its earliest editions in the 19th century to the grand arenas of Flushing Meadows, generations of tennis players have set records, achieved remarkable feats, and helped transform the U.S. Open into one of the premier events on the global tennis calendar.
In 2026, this story continues to unfold. As the main draw matches in the men’s and women’s singles begin, new matchups, surprises, and potential records will emerge leading up to the finals on September 12 and 13.
After reading the three articles in this special series, you’re now familiar with the history, the key players, the rules, and the unique aspects of the tournament. It’s time to turn our attention back to the courts in New York. How about following the singles matches at the 2026 U.S. Open up close? The ball is in play, new chapters are beginning to be written, and intense emotions await us until the very last point!
By Luiz Cincurá
Founder and Editor
Editorial Transparency: This article was produced with the support of ChatGPT during the research and preliminary content organization stages. The editorial approach, critical analysis, technical review, and final drafting were carried out by the Editor, who is ultimately responsible for the published content.
Sources Consulted:
ATP Tour:
Men’s World Rankings – Singles
International Tennis Hall of Fame:
Elisabeth Moore – Singles Titles at the U.S. National Championships
Juliette Atkinson – Singles Titles at the U.S. National Championships
Maria Esther Bueno – Career and Titles at the U.S. Championships
US Open:
Fan Week 2026 – schedule, qualifying, and activities
Fan Week – official event schedule
Mixed Doubles 2026 – participants, schedule, and match format
Mixed Doubles Final – Muchova/Mensik vs. Bencic/Cobolli
Dates and general schedule for the 2026 US Open
Court of Champions – great champions and historic records
Historical list of US Open champions
Historic records and all-time singles champions
Jimmy Connors – titles on three different surfaces
Chris Evert – 16 Consecutive Semifinals
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors – Singles Win Records
Daniel Evans vs. Karen Khachanov – Longest Match in US Open History
WTA:
Women’s World Rankings – Singles
How to cite this publication:
ANDRADE, Luiz Inácio Caribé Cincurá de. US Open 2026 – Part 3: Records, Great Champions, and the US Open in Real Time. High-TechSociety.com, Aug. 30, 2026. Available at: <https://www.high-techsociety.com/en/post/us-open-2026-part-3>
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