US Open Quarterfinals Schedule and How to Watch

The US Open is hitting its decisive stretch, and the quarterfinals have arrived with a schedule built for drama.

Across three weeks in late August and early September, the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens turn into the sport’s loudest stage. Today, that noise centers on a stacked slate: Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz and a wave of American hopefuls trying to push deeper into the draw.

Quarterfinals on tap

Play starts at 11:30 a.m. ET, and the day wastes no time.

On the women’s side, top seed Aryna Sabalenka opens against Linda Noskova at 11:30 a.m. ET, a power-hitting clash to set the tone. Under the lights at 7 p.m. ET, American No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula faces Emma Navarro in a match that will say plenty about the home nation’s chances of keeping the trophy on U.S. soil.

The men’s singles offer their own storyline-heavy pairings. Frances Tiafoe, one of the most charismatic figures in American tennis, meets Alex Michelsen at 11:30 a.m. ET in an all-U.S. showdown. Later at 7 p.m. ET, Ben Shelton takes on Carlos Alcaraz, the global star seeded No. 2 and one of the clear favorites for the title.

Around those headline ties, the courts will also be busy with men’s and women’s doubles, mixed doubles, juniors and wheelchair events. It’s the kind of day where every walk around the grounds brings you past another match with something at stake.

How to watch in the US

ESPN holds exclusive broadcast rights to the US Open, with selected matches also airing on ABC and via the ESPN app. For fans without cable, the tournament has become a test of streaming setups as much as on-court nerves.

Several live TV services carry the necessary channels with varying price points:

DirecTV: The base package starts at $59.99 for the first month and includes ABC and ESPN+.
ESPN Unlimited: Offers live sports and archived ESPN programming starting at $29.99 per month.
Fubo: Its Sports plan, at $65.99 per month, includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2, with a quarterly option available.
Sling: The Essentials plan carries ESPN and ESPN 2 for $19.99 per month, with a Sling TV Day Pass at $4.99 for short-term viewing.
YouTube TV: The Sports Plan includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2 for $64.99 per month.

For viewers trying to follow every point of today’s mixed doubles and qualifying action, those platforms are the main gateways.

Free options and the 9Now route

Some fans will try to watch without adding another monthly bill. In the US, that usually means leaning on free trials.

DirecTV, FuboTV and YouTube TV all offer trial periods that can cover a key stretch of the tournament if timed correctly. For those willing to look abroad, there’s another angle: Australian platform 9Now will stream the 2026 US Open for free.

Viewers outside Australia can attempt to access that coverage using a virtual private network. A VPN allows a user to connect through a server in another country and unlock geo-restricted content. ExpressVPN, which has servers across the globe, is one of the services often used for this kind of location spoofing.

The steps are straightforward:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN.
Download the VPN app on your chosen device.
Connect to a server in Australia.
Visit 9Now and start streaming.

Most of the better VPNs are paid services, but many offer free trials for first-time users. Used well, that can mean watching the Open without paying for a full month of anything.

One more technical note: many TVs come with motion-smoothing settings that can make live sport look sharper. Turning that on can help tennis look more fluid, but it’s worth switching it off afterward to avoid the “soap opera” effect on films and TV shows.

A three-week New York marathon

The 2026 US Open runs from Sunday, August 23, to Sunday, September 13, packing almost every corner of the calendar.

Qualifying events: August 24–27
Men’s and women’s singles main draw: August 30–September 13
Mixed doubles: August 24–26
Men’s and women’s doubles: September 3–12
Junior events: September 3–12
Wheelchair events: September 8–12

The finals weekend, as always, is tightly choreographed. The Women’s Doubles Final lands on Friday, September 11. Saturday, September 12, brings the Women’s Singles Final alongside the Men’s Doubles Final. The Men’s Singles Final closes the tournament on Sunday, September 13.

First staged in 1881, the US Open is the second-oldest Grand Slam event after Wimbledon, but its New York setting and night sessions give it a very different edge. This is tennis with a city’s pulse running through it.

A field stacked with champions

This year’s draw includes 17 former Grand Slam singles champions, 10 of them past US Open winners. Even with that depth, the absence of Jannik Sinner in the men’s field due to injury reshapes the top of the draw.

Alexander Zverev enters as the No. 1 seed, with Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 and carrying much of the spotlight. On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka sits as the top seed, with Elena Rybakina at No. 2 and American Jessica Pegula at No. 3, anchoring home hopes.

The United States leads all nations with 28 players in the main draw. Beyond Pegula, the American charge includes Emma Navarro, Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Ben Shelton, all still alive in the singles competitions and all with a chance to shape the story of the second week.

The stage is set. The quarterfinals begin. Now the question is simple: which of these names will still be echoing around Queens when the trophies are lifted in mid-September?