How to watch: ESPN, noon, Eastern time; streaming on ESPN+ and ESPN3, 11 a.m.
How to get there: Take the 7 subway line or the Long Island Rail Road to Mets-Willets Point.
Tuesday’s schedule: Men | Women
At noon, Naomi Osaka, the world No. 1, will start her title defense at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a different coach, a suspect left knee and a hope to reclaim the excitement she brought to last year’s run.
She followed her women’s singles title at the United States Open last September with a championship at the Australian Open in January, but she has struggled to play at the same level since then. She has shown some sparks during the hardcourts season this summer, reaching the quarterfinals at tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Her opponent, Anna Blinkova, has never made it past the first round at the U.S. Open, but advanced to the third round at the French Open this year. If she can keep Osaka moving and test her knee without being overwhelmed by Osaka’s powerful groundstrokes, Blinkova might have a chance to pull off an upset.
Here’s a guide to some other matches worth keeping an eye on Tuesday, whether you are at the National Tennis Center or watching on TV.
ASHE STADIUM
Dominic Thiem vs. Thomas Fabbiano
Thiem, the fourth seed in the men’s draw, will follow Osaka at Ashe. He has looked to be the most promising threat to the dominance of the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer over the past few years. But he has struggled to threaten them on surfaces other than clay. His hardcourts title in March at Indian Wells was one step in proving he can be taken seriously, but he played only one hardcourts warm-up tournament before the Open.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM
Simona Halep vs. Nicole Gibbs
The fourth-seeded Halep, who won Wimbledon in July, has not looked particularly dominant in her two hardcourts tournaments since then. She has made it as far as the semifinals at the U.S. Open only once, and has lost in the first round the past two years — as the No. 1 and No. 2 seed. Gibbs, who recently returned from treatment for salivary gland cancer, entered the draw as a lucky loser after playing three sets in each of her qualifying matches.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM, Not before 3 p.m.
Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Potapova
Gauff, the 15-year-old breakout star at Wimbledon, was awarded a wild card to play in the U.S. Open. While Potapova, 18 and ranked No. 72, may not be as intimidating a first-round prospect as Venus Williams was at the All England Club, Gauff has spoken frequently about staying grounded and playing each match in isolation. Can she can handle the loud roars of Queens as well as she did the polite rustles of Wimbledon?
GRANDSTAND
Denis Shapovalov vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
In a highly anticipated rematch, Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime will face each other in the same round, on the same court, in the same time slot, as they did last year. But the two young Canadians have switched roles. Last year, Shapovalov was the 28th seed and Auger-Aliassime was ranked 117th. Now Auger-Aliassime is ranked higher, at No. 18 to Shapovalov’s No. 33. Last year, Auger-Aliassime had to retire from their first-round match because of a heart condition — after which Shapovalov comforted his friend and urged the crowd to applaud his effort.
ASHE STADIUM, 7 p.m.
Rafael Nadal vs. John Millman
Millman reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open last year after beating Roger Federer in the fourth round under the lights at Ashe Stadium. Nadal’s physical brand of tennis has hurt him on the hardcourts of Flushing Meadows in the past, though he has won three U.S. Opens among his 18 Grand Slam titles. He had to pull out of his semifinal against Juan Martín del Potro last year because of a knee injury. He’ll hope to keep those troubles at bay as long as possible this year. This month, he won the only U.S. Open tuneup event he entered, in Montreal.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM, 7 p.m.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Victoria Azarenka
Look for an exciting match filled with big serves and hard-hitting rallies between these two Belarusians. Sabalenka, who reached the fourth round last year, is ranked No. 14 after a strong hardcourts season, reaching the final at the Silicon Valley Classic. Although Azarenka has reached the U.S. Open final twice, she has not been able to recapture her excellent form since her return from injuries and a pregnancy hiatus in 2016.
