US Open Tennis 2018 TV Schedule, Live-Stream Daily Listings for Tournament

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be the center of the tennis universe for the next two weeks, as the 2018 U.S. Open takes place.

Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep are the top seeds in the men's and women's singles tournaments, and they're expected to face plenty of tests from a handful of contenders.

Nadal is separated from Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the men's bracket, which could lead to an easy path to the final.

Over in the women's bracket, Serena Williams' quest for her record 24th major is one of the top storylines, but Halep and others stand in the way of her next Grand Slam championship.

Daily Schedule

Monday, August 27

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from noon-6 p.m., ESPN2 coverage from 6-11 p.m.

Tuesday, August 28

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from noon-11 p.m.

Wednesday, August 29

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from noon-11 p.m.

Thursday, August 30

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from noon-6 p.m., ESPN2 coverage from 6-11 p.m.

Friday, August 31

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from noon-6 p.m., ESPN2 coverage from 6-11 p.m.

Saturday, September 1

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN2 coverage from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday, September 2

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN coverage from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., ESPN2 coverage from 7-11 p.m.

Monday, September 3

Play begins at 11 a.m., ESPN2 coverage from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Tuesday, September 4

Play begins at noon, ESPN coverage from noon-6 p.m., 7-11 p.m.

Wednesday, September 5

Play begins at noon, ESPN coverage from noon-6 p.m., 7-11 p.m.

Thursday, September 6

Women's semifinals, 7-11 p.m., ESPN

Friday, September 7

Men's semifinals, 4-11 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, September 8

Women's final, 4 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, September 9

Men's final, 4 p.m., ESPN

All matches can be live-streamed on ESPN3 and ESPN+. All times ET.

Williams Hunting for 24th Major Title

Serena Williams is in search of her 24th Grand Slam title and first since the 2017 Australian Open.

The 36-year-old won't have an easy task ahead of her, with Simona Halep and Venus Williams in her own part of the bracket.

Although she could be seen as the favorite to win the tournament because of her Grand Slam history, Williams is just focusing on her own performance, including beating some of the top players in the women's draw, per Ashley Marshall of the tournament's official website.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

"That I would be the favorite at this point, almost a year after having a baby, is quite interesting," Williams said. "You know, I don't know my draw, but I feel like I'm going to have to play. If I want to be the best, I'm going to have to start beating these people, anyway. You know, it doesn't matter to me."

Just getting past her sister Venus and Halep in the first week of the competition is going to be a tough task for the 17th seed.

If Williams achieves those feats, she still has to get past defending champion Sloane Stephens and avenge her 2016 U.S. Open semifinal loss against Karolina Pliskova.

Williams is certainly capable of pulling off the improbable task, but with some contenders facing easier paths to the final, she might be bested late in the tournament.

If the 23-time Grand Slam winner ties Margaret Court's record of 24 titles, it will go down as one of the top accomplishments of her career.

Nadal in Best Position of Top Men's Players to Win

Rafael Nadal's quest to repeat as U.S. Open champion avoids Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic until the final.

With an ideal draw in hand, the No. 1 seed in the men's tournament has the opportunity in front of him to capture his fourth Grand Slam title in the last two years.

A victory by the 32-year-old would bring him within two titles of Federer's all-time record of 20.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Although three seeded players reside in his part of the draw, Nadal shouldn't face a significant test until the quarterfinals.

Dominic Thiem and Kevin Anderson, who lost to Nadal in the U.S. Open final a year ago, are the potential top-10 opponents Nadal could face in the final eight.

Nadal is undefeated in five career matches against Anderson and 7-3 versus Thiem, with two of those losses coming in the last five head-to-head clashes.

By that point in the tournament, Nadal should be playing with plenty of confidence, and he'll be fresh from straight-set victories.

There's a possibility he could carry that momentum into the final if he plays up to his potential, which could be scary for whichever player emerges out of the bottom half of the bracket.

Federer, Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Marin Cilic will fight it out from the quarterfinals on to earn a spot against Nadal in the final.

With fresh legs under him, Nadal should control the final, which he has the favorable draw and his current form to thank for.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com.