2026 Men's U.S Open Tournament Preview, Outrights, and Quarter Winners!

The US Open is here.

Let's do a little tournament overview, John.

Dating back all the way to 1881 in Newport, Rhode Island, the US Open has actually been a clay and a grass event, but since 1978, an outdoor hard court event.

Fans will be piling in from the eastbound number seven train into the 146th edition of the US Open, which will once again take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.

The big headline, John, no Jannik Sinner.

There were rumblings all summer long.

He didn't play any of the hard court summer.

And then there was that big, "Oh, someone knows something.

The, the prediction market moved." Well, they were right.

They actually might've known something.

He's not here, but rival Carlos Alcaraz is back in the draw from his wrist injury.

We haven't seen him since Barcelona, and he's back sporting his fourth hairstyle of this calendar year.

A lot of negative buzz, though.

You know, no lead-up.

Say what you will about his performance in the mixed doubles with Serena, you know.

And then, John, you add in a disappointing hard court summer from Alex Zverev, who was your Roland Garros champion, and you've got what people are saying is a wide open draw.

We shall see.

A record $108 million in prize money is on the table for the 2026 US Open.

That's up $18 million.

The champion will be awarded $5.5 million, John.

You actually make $128,000 just to get in the main draw, so pretty sweet.

The courts here, John, I always like to talk to the lay of the land.

We have four show courts here, including Arthur Ashe, which is under a $800 million three-phase renovation, which people will be seeing now.

They're adding 2,000 seats.

There's also Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand, and Stadium 17.