US Open
Qualifying is the week most people miss. It ran from 24 to 28 August 2026, the final round pushed back a day by rain, before the main draw begins on Sunday 30 August, and it decides the last 16 places in each singles draw. Entry is free to spectators, which makes it the best-value week of the tennis year for anyone who can get to Flushing Meadows. The Qualifier and the Wildcard follows two players who arrived by those two different routes.
US Open 2026 Qualifying Dates
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Singles qualifying | Monday 24 August to Friday 28 August (final round rain-delayed) |
| Mixed doubles qualifying | From Monday 24 August |
| Mixed doubles final | Concludes Wednesday 26 August |
| Main draw ceremony | Thursday 27 August |
| Main draw begins | Sunday 30 August |
How US Open Qualifying Works
Each singles qualifying draw has 128 players competing for 16 main-draw places. Players must win three matches, all best of three sets, to come through. The draw is seeded on ranking, and a handful of wildcards are handed out by the USTA, usually to American juniors and to players returning from injury.
The cut-off for direct entry to the 2026 main draw was No. 101 for the men and No. 102 for the women, based on the rankings of 20 July. Anyone below that line either needs a wildcard or has to play the qualifying week.
Mixed Doubles Returns to Qualifying Week
The revamped mixed doubles event is again played during qualifying week rather than alongside the main draw. It has drawn a stronger field than the old format ever did, with Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka among the headline entries.
Why It Matters This Year
The British interest is unusually concentrated on this week. Jack Draper missed the cut for direct entry into the main draw and entered qualifying but withdrew before playing with a long-standing left arm injury, while Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the tournament altogether with a grade-four stress fracture in her right leg. Qualifying is also where players ranked just outside the top 100 can turn a season around, since a main-draw first-round appearance at a Grand Slam pays more than most full ATP or WTA Tour weeks.
Who Came Through
Rain pushed the final qualifying round back a day, so the last 16 places in each singles draw were settled on Friday 28 August rather than the Thursday. Four British players came through, and a fifth got in anyway.
Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones both qualified for the women’s draw. Dart did it the hardest way available, beating Heather Watson 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in an all-British final round that guaranteed one of them a place and sent the other home. Jones beat Joanna Garland in straight sets. On the men’s side Toby Samuel came through when Cristian Garin retired, and Harry Wendelken beat Vilius Gaubas in three.
Jacob Fearnley lost his final qualifying match to Jurij Rodionov but is in the main draw regardless, taking a lucky-loser place. That makes nine British players in the two singles draws, five of them via qualifying week.
The most familiar name in the qualifying draw was Grigor Dimitrov, a former world No. 3 who came through to a main-draw place. Qinwen Zheng also qualified. Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 champion here, lost her final qualifying match to Tamara Zidansek, and Kei Nishikori went out to Rei Sakamoto.
How the qualifiers are doing
Qualifying is complete and the main draw is under way. Eight qualifiers played on the opening day and the split was even. Through: Britain’s Toby Samuel, who beat Tomáš Macháč 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 for the win of his career; Lloyd Harris, a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 winner over wild card Jack Kennedy; Polina Iatcenko, who edged Renata Zarazua 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) in three and a half hours; and Lucrezia Stefanini, who beat Dayana Yastremska in three. Out: Hugo Gaston to seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, Coleman Wong to 20th seed Tommy Paul in four, Storm Hunter to 11th seed Marta Kostyuk, and Elvina Kalieva to Lanlana Tararudee. Of the four British qualifiers Samuel is already through, Harriet Dart and Harry Wendelken play on Day 2, and Francesca Jones follows on Day 3.
British First-Round Ties
| Player | First-round opponent | Route in | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Norrie (29) | Luca Van Assche | Direct entry | Lost 7-6(6), 2-6, 2-6, 3-6 |
| Arthur Fery | Lorenzo Musetti (13) | Direct entry | Plays Day 3 |
| Jan Choinski | Botic van de Zandschulp | Direct entry | Plays Day 3 |
| Harry Wendelken | Luciano Darderi (21) | Qualifier | Plays Day 2 |
| Toby Samuel | Tomas Machac | Qualifier | Won 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 |
| Jacob Fearnley | Martin Landaluce | Lucky loser | Held over from Day 1 |
| Katie Boulter | Carol Young Suh Lee | Direct entry | Won 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 |
| Francesca Jones | Magda Linette | Qualifier | Plays Day 3 |
| Harriet Dart | Peyton Stearns | Qualifier | Plays Day 2 |
The full bracket is loaded into our US Open draw predictor, so you can follow any of them through the draw.
How to Watch Qualifying
Qualifying gets far less broadcast coverage than the main draw. Sky Sports carries selected matches as part of its exclusive UK rights, and the USTA streams outside courts through the official US Open channels. Our US Open live stream guide covers the main-draw broadcast schedule.
FAQ
US Open Qualifying FAQs
When is US Open 2026 qualifying?
Qualifying ran from Monday 24 August to Friday 28 August 2026, with the final round delayed a day by rain. The main draw begins on Sunday 30 August.
How many players qualify for the US Open main draw?
Sixteen in each singles draw. There are 128 players in each qualifying draw and they must win three best-of-three matches to come through.
What was the US Open 2026 entry cut-off?
No. 101 for the men and No. 102 for the women, based on the ATP and WTA rankings of 20 July 2026. Players below that line need a wildcard or must play qualifying.
Is US Open qualifying free to attend?
Yes. Entry to the grounds during qualifying week is free, which is why it is one of the best-value weeks in tennis for spectators.
More Coverage
See the US Open final page for the schedule, our predictions for the main draw, and the betting tips for outright markets. Full coverage sits on our US Open hub, every event we follow is in the tournaments index, and the dates are in the 2026 tennis calendar. Or build the bracket yourself with our US Open draw predictor (women’s draw here).