US Open 2023: Schedule, when is the draw, how to watch, are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Emma Raducanu playing

The final Grand Slam of the 2023 tennis season is fast approaching.

The US Open in New York will see the biggest names in tennis compete for major glory – and Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek not just looking to defend their titles, but also stay atop the world rankings.

Novak Djokovic will make his return to the tournament and will have his sights set on equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors.

Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray and Katie Boulter will lead British hopes at the Grand Slam, while two-time runner-up Caroline Wozniacki will be competing in New York for the first time since 2019 as she continues her comeback to the game. Venus Williams, 43, will be playing her home Slam for the 24th time.

We look at everything you need to know about the 2023 US Open, including the schedule, when the draw takes place, and who will be the leading contenders…

The 2023 US Open main draw starts on Monday, August 28.

Qualifying begins on Monday, August 22 and the finals will be held on the weekend of September 9.

The day sessions of the 2023 US Open will start at 4pm UK time in the early stages of the tournament, while the night sessions start at midnight UK time.

The men’s and women’s singles finals will both be played at 9pm UK time.

The schedule for the singles draws is:

• August 28 and August 29: men’s and women’s first round
• August 30 and August 31: men’s and women’s second round
• September 1 and September 2: men’s and women’s third round
• September 3 and September 4: men’s and women’s fourth round
• September 5 and September 6: men’s and women’s quarter-finals (5pm and midnight UK time)
• September 7: women’s semi-finals (midnight UK time)
• September 8: men’s semi-finals (8pm and midnight UK time)
• September 9: women’s final (9pm UK time)
• September 10: men’s final (9pm UK time)

The 2023 US Open singles draw will be made on Thursday, August 24.

There will be 128 players in each draw and 32 of those will be seeded based on rankings on Monday, August 21.

Sky Sports hold the broadcasting rights to the tournament in the UK.

Novak Djokovic will be back at the US Open.

Djokovic will be playing the Grand Slam for the first time since losing in the final in 2021 after not being able to travel to the USA last year as he is unvaccinated against Covid-19.

The Serbian returned to the USA at the Cincinnati Open, and in New York he will be looking to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic is a three-time champion at the US Open, last lifting the title in 2018.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not played since losing in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

He underwent surgery in June and looks set to miss the rest of the season.

He has suggested that the 2024 season could be his last on tour.

Emma Raducanu burst onto the scene when she won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier without dropping a set.

She will not be back in New York this summer as she continues to recover from wrist and ankle surgery.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is currently set to be the top men’s seed ahead of Novak Djokovic.

Former champion Daniil Medvedev is in line to be the third seed ahead of Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Iga Swiatek will be the top women’s seed as she looks to defend her title.

Swiatek beat Ons Jabeur in last year’s final and has ensured she will stay as world No. 1 until at least after the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka will be the second seed, with Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina set to be third and fourth seeds respectively.

Yes. The likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will still be competing under a neutral flag following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, but they will be permitted to play the US Open.

The total prize money at this year’s US Open will be $65m (£51.2m), which is an eight per cent increase from last year.

The singles champions will each get $3m (£2.36m), which is a 15 per cent rise from 2022.