Welcome to our key questions ahead of this year’s US Open tennis at Flushing Meadows in New York where we discuss Emma Raducanu’s chances, Taylor Swift and line judges.
Our team will be on the ground to bring you the very best action from this year’s final Grand Slam event of the year, with the main draw starting on Sunday August 24.
We ask the key questions ahead of this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows.
When does it all start on Sky Sports?
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Tim Henman, Laura Robson, Gigi Salmon and commentator Jonathan Overend will be at the heart of the action
Coverage starts on August 24 and will be fronted by Gigi Salmon.
An all-star line-up of tennis experts will join her, including Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman, Laura Robson, Naomi Broady, Marion Bartoli and Ryan Harrison.
There will be contributions too from Annabel Croft, Colin Fleming and British player Dan Evans.
Reporters Karthi Gnanasegaram and Emma Paton, along with lead commentators Jonathan Overend and Naomi Cavaday, will also be on site at Flushing Meadows.
Emma will be on site in qualifying week from August 18 and running through to August 21 when 128 men and 128 women battle for the final 16 spots in the singles main draws.
Players in qualifying traditionally are ranked between No 100-250 in the world, and the field includes everything from rising young stars to veterans on the comeback trail.
She will also be in attendance for the mixed doubles championship with 16 star-studded teams of the best men’s and women’s players in the world competing together for a Grand Slam title and a $1m champions’ prize held on August 19 and 20.
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How and where can you watch? What is Sky Sports+?
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You can watch every match at the US Open thanks to Sky Sports+
The US Open proper runs from August 24 to September 7, with live coverage broadcast daily on Sky Sports Tennis and any match available via Sky Sports+.
Sky Sports+ is live and already integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app – giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.
Or you can head to the ‘Watch’ section on the Sky Sports app to access all Sky Sports+ live streams via the event centres.
Across Sky Sports’ linear channels and on Sky Sports digital and social channels, tennis fans can enjoy extensive coverage, including both the men’s and women’s tournaments, alongside respective doubles, mixed doubles, juniors, and the wheelchair competitions, which return after a hiatus due to the timing of the Paralympic Games in Paris.
There will be a daily live text commentary on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as live scores, reports, analysis, features and videos.
You can also stream the US Open on Sky Sports Tennis and more live sport with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
Will Raducanu add to her 2021 US Open title?
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Take a look back at Emma Raducanu’s incredible win at the 2021 US Open. The tournament will return to Sky Sports this August
Back at the top of the British rankings, Emma Raducanu is playing probably some of her best tennis since her remarkable US Open triumph in 2021 – although that bar is lower after a turbulent few years due to injury.
Her informal coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey appeared to be working, with the 22-year-old enjoying a run to the semi-finals of the Washington Open, but she has now brought in Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig ahead of the Grand Slam in New York.
Spanish coach Roig worked alongside Nadal and with Nadal’s uncle Toni for the majority of his career, where he won 22 Grand Slam titles.
Raducanu revealed she is working with Roig on certain areas to improve.
She said: “I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better. I think against the very top that’s what it needs, it needs to improve.
“So I’m hoping that with time – I’m pretty patient, I’m going to try and be pretty patient – that it’ll improve.”
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Alcaraz vs Sinner: Who wins?
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz discuss their rivalry, their differences and how they push each other to become better players
Who needs the big four? Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner treated tennis fans to a final for the ages at the French Open, with the Spaniard saving three match points before finally getting the better of his rival in a fifth-set tie-break.
Sinner got his revenge with a four-set win in the Wimbledon final and with the young duo a level above the rest of the men’s game at the moment it would be no surprise at all if another meeting in the final is on the cards.
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Last hurrah for Djokovic?
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Could the US Open be the last time we see Novak Djokovic play in New York?
Novak Djokovic celebrated his 38th birthday in May and he is all too aware time is running out if he is to land a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
His Slam nous will give him an advantage over most of the field, while he has performed strongly at the majors this season, reaching the semi-finals in all three so far.
Alcaraz and Sinner are unquestionably favourites, but do not rule out Djokovic.
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Bubbles on court and surface speed?
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Laura Robson explains how the heat and humidity at the US Open has caused the court surfaces to bubble, resulting in certain matches being moved to different courts
Highly likely! The blue hard courts at the US Open absorb heat more than the grass at Wimbledon or the clay at the French Open, causing them to bubble or blister. This could be due to improper construction, drainage problems or excessive watering of the court.
The tournament is played on an acrylic hard court with Laykold becoming the new court surface supplier at the 2020 tournament. Acrylic is the layers on top of a concrete or asphalt foundation with the courts playing medium-fast to fast depending on conditions.
Speaking before the start of last year’s US Open, tournament director Stacey Allaster explained the surface speed. “We aim for the court pace rating to be medium fast.” That can by anywhere from 41-44. The average court pace rating (CPR) is 42.
“It’s where we like it to be at the start of the tournament so that as we ease into it, it gets closer to the end. We know that the speed of court gives it that right balance with the style of play – it’s been successful.”
Is Arthur Ashe Stadium getting even bigger?
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Arthur Ashe Stadium is getting EVEN bigger!
The main show court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is Arthur Ashe which honours the first Black US Open champion and is the largest tennis stadium in the world with a capacity of 23,771. It was constructed more than 25 years ago and in May the USTA announced an $800m investment which will be completed by the 2027 tournament.
It has a 270,400-square-foot roof with a 63,500-square-foot opening, which is the largest of all the Grand Slam venues. The roof panels weigh about 800 tons and glide on 27-inch steel wheels along a track. In total, more than 5,500 tons of steel were used to build the stadium. Also, it can open and close. It takes about six-and-a-half minutes to close the structure and when closes it can hold 2.6 billion tennis balls!
The project will add 2,000 seats to Arthur Ashe, bringing the total capacity to approximately 25,771 – which is bigger than the MKM Stadium in Hull.
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Louis Armstrong, which was remodelled in 2018, holds 14,061 spectators, and Court 17 holds up to 3,000 fans.
Court 17 carries the nickname ‘The Pit’ because the playing surface itself is eight feet below sea level.
Who are the stars that come out to play?
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Taylor Fritz was overshadowed at the US Open as Taylor Swift made an appearance along with many other famous faces
Take your pick from Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi, Will Ferrell, Rick Astley, Debbie Gibson, Jerry Seinfeld, Anne Hathaway, Jason Biggs, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Spike Lee, Seal, Christie Brinkley, Anna Wintour, Matthew Perry, the Jonas brothers, Rebel Wilson, Lindsey Vonn, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller.
Last year, American tennis star Taylor Fritz was overshadowed at the US Open final as singer-songwriter Taylor Swift made an appearance along with many other famous faces.
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Danny Devito, the Obamas, Seal and Queen Latifah are just some of the biggest celebrities who have enjoyed the US Open
There is also the self-proclaimed ‘King of Cheer’ Cameron Hughes, who dances in the aisle of the top row of Arthur Ashe during changeovers, high-stepping and helicoptering his T-shirt over his head.
Will we see any line judges?
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Novak Djokovic accidentally struck a line judge with a tennis ball and was subsequently disqualified in 2020
No! Human line judges have been entirely replaced by optical technology to determine whether balls are ruled in or out as of 2022.
“In total here, we have 204 cameras, tracking the ball and the player across all 17 courts at the US Open,” said Ben Figueiredo, the director of tennis at Hawk-Eye Innovations. “We have 12 tracking cameras around all the courts. And then we also have six foot-fault cameras.”
Hawk-Eye says the equipment for one court costs nearly $100,000 and takes about three days to set up.
The cameras track the ball at 340 frames per second and transfer images immediately to the Hawk-Nest, where an ‘in’ or ‘out’ call can be made.
“The accuracy of Hawk-Eye is millimetre accurate,” said Figueiredo.
Watch the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
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