US Open 2026 Day 1 Schedule: Djokovic, Medvedev and Venus Williams Start Times in India
The 2026 US Open singles main draw begins on Sunday, August 30, with former champions Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev leading the opening-day programme in New York.
For viewers in India, the first outer-court matches begin at 8:30 p.m. IST on Sunday. The Arthur Ashe Stadium day session starts at 9:30 p.m. IST, while its evening session begins at 4:30 a.m. IST on Monday, August 31.
Arthur Ashe Stadium schedule
Day session from 9:30 p.m. IST:
- Jessica Pegula versus Elena-Gabriela Ruse
- Daniil Medvedev versus Hugo Gaston
Medvedev’s match is second on court, so 9:30 p.m. is the session start rather than a guaranteed first-serve time for his contest.
Evening session from 4:30 a.m. IST on Monday:
- Mariano Navone versus Novak Djokovic
- Venus Williams versus Sofia Kenin
Djokovic opens the night session. Williams and Kenin will follow after that match, so their actual start depends on its duration.
Louis Armstrong and Grandstand highlights
Play on Louis Armstrong Stadium begins at 8:30 p.m. IST. Jasmine Paolini faces Veronika Erjavec before Coleman Wong meets Tommy Paul. The evening session starts at 4:30 a.m. IST with Elina Svitolina against Solana Sierra, followed by Alexander Bublik against J.J. Wolf.
Grandstand also begins at 8:30 p.m. IST. Jiri Lehecka plays Pablo Carreno Busta, Marta Kostyuk faces Storm Hunter, and Miomir Kecmanovic meets Denis Shapovalov. Emma Navarro’s match against Lois Boisson is scheduled not before 2:30 a.m. IST.
Djokovic’s record chase
The four-time US Open champion begins against Navone in their first tour-level meeting. Djokovic is pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, giving the opening night match significance beyond the first round.
Medvedev, the 2021 champion, starts against the left-handed Gaston. Their contrasting styles make the second Arthur Ashe match one of the more tactically interesting contests of the day.
Venus Williams returns to Arthur Ashe
Williams faces fellow American and former major champion Kenin in the second night match. The schedule gives the veteran another appearance on the tournament’s largest court, but fans in India should expect a late start if the Djokovic match runs long.
Schedule caution
Tennis order-of-play times can change because of weather, preceding match duration or tournament decisions. Viewers should check the official US Open schedule shortly before play. The published times above convert New York’s Eastern Daylight Time to Indian Standard Time, a difference of nine hours and 30 minutes.
