US Open Tennis 2018 Draw: Breaking Down TV Schedule and Brackets
The U.S. Open has had a knack for producing unexpected results over the past decade.
During a time in which men's tennis is controlled by a few stars, a handful of first-time major winners starred on the hard courts of New York.
Since Serena Williams' most recent triumph at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2015, three different women's champions were crowned.
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More of the same is expected to occur during 2018's final major, as a wide array of title contenders are looking to make their marks under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
TV Schedule
ESPN will broadcast the entire tournament, starting Monday at noon ET.
Daily coverage from Monday-September 4 runs from noon to 11 p.m. ET, with the finishing time sometimes pushed back a bit because of long matches.
The women's semifinals will be played under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 6, with the men's semifinals to follow September 7, starting at 4 p.m. ET.
The women's singles final starts at 4 p.m. ET on September 8, while the men's singles final begins at the same time September 9.
In addition to the coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, matches will be streamed on ESPN3 and ESPN+.
Brackets
Men's Singles
Although it's not saying much given the dominance by a small group of players, the U.S. Open has had the most diverse number of men's champions of any Grand Slam tournament over the past decade.
Rafael Nadal has the most victories in New York during that period, with three. Novak Djokovic took home the crown in 2011, and 2015 and five others have won once, including Roger Federer.
Federer, who is seeded second, is in search of his first U.S. Open since 2008, when he reeled off his fifth consecutive title in New York.
If Federer comes out on top, he will sit behind only Bill Tilden, Richard Sears and William Larned on the all-time U.S. Open victory chart, while Nadal can join John McEnroe with four U.S. Open victories if he prevails.
Over the course of the past two years, a younger crop of stars has emerged on the men's tennis scene, but it's hard to take their title credentials seriously until they unseat the old guard.
Alexander Zverev, who is the No. 4 seed, is the leader of the youth movement, and he enters the final major with three victories on the ATP Tour.
However, Zverev has advanced to just one Grand Slam quarterfinal in his career, with his latest early exit coming in the third round at Wimbledon.
No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov and No. 9 Dominic Thiem are two of the leading contenders to win their first major, with Thiem carrying a bit more experience because of his French Open final defeat to Nadal in June.
The good news for the burgeoning group of stars is six players advanced to the final in the season's first three majors, but the winners were familiar faces in Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
For the hierarchy of men's tennis to be threatened, one of the younger stars must establish his dominance from the start and stay as fresh as possible for the big tests that await in the second week of the tournament.
Women's Singles
Seven previous U.S. Open champions reside in the women's draw, with three of them featuring in the top part of the bracket in Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
The number seven carries significance in a few other ways entering the U.S. Open, as there have been seven winners in the past seven majors, and Serena Williams is in search of her seventh U.S. Open title.
If Williams captures her first Grand Slam since the 2017 Australian Open, she will tie Margaret Court for the most major wins in the Open Era (24).
While most of the focus will be centered on the Williams sisters and their potential third-round meeting, there are plenty of other names to keep an eye on in the women's draw.
No. 1 seed Simona Halep reached the final in her two August tune-ups for the U.S. Open, winning the Rogers Cup and taking second at the Western and Southern Open.
Kiki Bertens defeated Halep in the Cincinnati final after advancing to the quarterfinals in Toronto, but in order to replicate the same form in New York, the No. 13 seed likely has to get past No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round.
In addition to the Williams sisters, there are plenty of American contenders in the women's draw, including defending champion Sloane Stephens.
With five American women earning seeds and plenty of unseeded players littered throughout the draw, the United States holds one of the best chances to produce the champion.
Stephens is the only one of the five seeded Americans who won't face a potential third-round clash with a compatriot. The Williams sisters, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe face that reality.
Unlike the men's tournament, the women's bracket possesses a large amount of serious contenders, which should make it the more exciting of the two singles competitions.
Statistics obtained from ATPWorldTour.com and WTATour.com. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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