The 2026 U.S. Open begins on Sunday with a wide-open women’s draw.
Seven different women have won the last seven Grand Slam titles.
Top-ranked American woman Jessica Pegula kicks off U.S. Open run
Third-seeded and top-ranked American Jessica Pegula plays first on Arthur Ashe on Sunday at noon against Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Pegula leads the 2026 WTA Tour with a 45-12 record. Ruse has 23 wins and 19 losses in 2026.
Pegula has advanced to at least the semifinals in the last two hard-court majors. Ruse advanced to the third round in the 2026 Australian Open, tying her deepest Grand Slam run. Pegula and Ruse are playing for the first time.
Pair of Grand Slam champions clash in matchup of wild cards
The women’s match of the day is 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin against seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in a matchup of American wildcards. Kenin is 10-14 in 2026, while Williams has lost all 11 of her WTA matches this season.
Kenin has not advanced past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since the 2021 French Open. The match between Kenin and Williams is their first meeting and will follow Novak Djokovic against Argentine Mariano Navone on Ashe on Sunday night.
