Watch the free live stream of the US Open 2024

The 2024 US Open will resume on Tuesday, August 27, with further first-round action taking place later in the day in Queens, NY.

The tournament is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Additional coverage on those channels begins at 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans who want to watch can do so via FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, both of which offer a free trial. SlingTV does not offer a free trial but has other special offers available.

World number one women’s tennis player Iga Swiatek will compete on Tuesday, weeks after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. She will be hoping for her second major victory of the year after winning the Roland Garros title in June. She was previously knocked out in the third round of the Australian Open and suffered the same fate at Wimbledon.

In the men’s singles, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will face American Mackenzie McDonald in the tournament opener after receiving two controversial positive tests for a banned substance for which he escaped a ban. Later in the day, Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s third-best player and a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, will be hoping to win his third consecutive major title after winning Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this summer.

• WATCH ALL SPORTS MATCHES FOR FREE ON FUBOTV

What: US Open, Round 1

When: Tuesday, August 27, 12:00 p.m. EST and 7:00 p.m. EST

Where: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY

Electricity: FuboTV (free trial); DirecTV Stream (free trial); Sling

Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; *VividSeats

• *New customers who purchase tickets via VividSeats offers $20 off a ticket order of $200 or more by using the promo code MassLive20 during the checkout process.*

RELATED CONTENT:

US Open fans can move freely in the stands and do not have to wait for changes when entering or leaving the stands.

By Howard Fendrich, AP Tennis Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Imagine if fans at a Major League Baseball game were told they had to wait until the end of an inning to get a beer and a hot dog. Or if people at an NFL or NBA game weren’t allowed to use the bathroom until after the end of a quarter. That would never happen, would it?

In essence, this is exactly what etiquette has long demanded at tennis matches, especially at Grand Slam tournaments like the US Open, which began on Monday: No one is allowed in or out during a match. Sometimes not even between games. At the start of a set, for example, everyone must hold out until the first change, which occurs after three games.

Not at Flushing Meadows anymore. Under a new policy implemented this year, people with tickets to certain areas of each court — from the 23,859-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium down to the 336-seat seats No. 8 and 16 — can move freely whenever they want, even during the game. And there’s no more twiddling your thumbs while several games go by before you can enter or exit the court; that’s now allowed after every game.

The crowd seemed to love it on the first day; some players may need some time to get used to it as this was also tried at the Australian Open in January.

“I noticed it, but once it starts, I don’t notice it anymore. I guess in the college tennis I played, there were a lot of situations where I was a lot crazier than a couple of people walking back to their court with drinks – Honey Deuces,” said 2023 U.S. Open semifinalist Ben Shelton, referring to the signature cocktail the tournament sells for $23 a pop.

“I don’t mind,” added Shelton, the 2022 NCAA champion for Florida and winner at Ashe on Monday. “I’m sure some players will be upset about it this week.”

Most of the players, including defending champion Coco Gauff, agreed with Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic’s response: “It doesn’t really bother me that much.”

After all, even the loudest slam has plenty of distractions – from noisy crowds late into the night to airplanes rushing past and the rattling of trains nearby.

US Open tournament referee Jake Garner acknowledged that this “might take some getting used to from the players’ perspective” as they would find it disruptive. On the other hand, Garner said in an interview: “It might be seen as a radical thing for the sport of tennis, but I’m not sure trying to improve the fan experience and make it more entertaining for them should be so radical.”

During several matches at the grounds on the first day of the two-week event, competition generally went smoothly as ticket holders walked up and down stairs, strolled along sidewalks or just lounged around. Occasionally, a player scheduled to serve would pause a little longer before starting a point, or a receiver would raise his hand and ask for more time.

What is missing: The usual admonitions from the chair umpires: “Please get to your seats quickly!”

Rachel Ferman Halkias, who works for YouTube and has attended the US Open more than half a dozen times, was delighted when an usher let her in after 12th seed Daria Kasatkina won the first game of the second set on Court No. 7.

“I was actually prepared to wait longer, but I like this. Otherwise I would have been standing on the steps for who knows how long. As long as it doesn’t bother the players, it’s a good thing,” she said. “I agree with all the rules of tennis, but let’s move forward.”

Kasatkina said the problem is when there is movement behind the baselines; if people move on the sides of the court, it’s not a big deal.

“It’s hard to compare it to other sports because tennis is one-on-one and you’re very focused. In team sports, there can be 10 or 20 players moving at any given time. Also, in team sports, it’s loud from start to finish and you get used to the noise when it’s constant. When you’re playing in complete silence and then suddenly there’s a noise somewhere,” she said, snapping her fingers, “you notice it.”

Lisa and Ferenc Miskolczi, a New Jersey couple watching at Louis Armstrong Stadium, appreciate the different rules.

“It’s the only sport where you have to be quiet for them to play. It’s quite weird that they can’t concentrate,” said Lisa, a senior accounting manager. “So I’m happy for the change – and the players have to get used to it.”

One of the reasons Garner of the US Open gave for the change was to avoid spectators missing large parts of the match, especially during the first three games of a set.

Ferenc, a healthcare project manager, agreed.

“When you have 100 fans lined up outside and a game can last 13 or 15 minutes, it’s frustrating,” he said. “This needs to be extended to other tournaments as well.”

Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, expects this.

“I think,” said Berrettini, “that will be the future.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.