The final Grand Slam event of the season is upon us at last. The stars of the Hologic WTA Tour have already started arriving in the Big Apple for the 2024 US Open.

2022 champion Iga Swiatek, last year's finalist Aryna Sabalenka, and defending champion Coco Gauff will be the top three seeds at the star-studded hard-court showdown at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.

The first US Open women's singles champion was crowned in 1887, and this year will be the 138th edition of that discipline at the prestigious event. The woman who makes it through seven rounds without a loss will receive 3.6 million dollars for her efforts.
 
Here are key facts from the American major:

When does the tournament start?

Main-draw play at the US Open kicks off on Monday, Aug. 26. The tournament ends on Sunday, Sept. 8.

The singles qualifying began on Monday, Aug. 19 and is scheduled to end on Thursday, Aug. 22.

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The Wilson US Open Regular Duty ball will be used at the event.

The US Open is on Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4).

How big are the fields?

There will be 128 players competing in the women's singles main draw, with 104 receiving direct entry. Eight players have received wild cards into the main draw, and 16 more will claim the remaining spots by winning three qualifying matches.

There will be 32 seeded players in the singles draw and no byes. The women's singles champion will have to navigate through seven rounds before hoisting the trophy.

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The women's doubles main draw will feature 64 teams (57 duos with direct entry plus seven wild-card pairings). There will be 16 seeded teams in the doubles draw and no byes. The champion team must make it through six rounds before clinching the women's doubles title.

The mixed doubles main draw has 32 teams, with up to eight of those teams being wild-card entries. Eight teams will be seeded, with the champions needing to make it through five rounds.

When are the finals?

The women's singles final will take place on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. local time.

The women's doubles final is currently scheduled to take place on Friday, Sept. 6 at 12 p.m., and the mixed doubles final is currently scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. Schedule considerations and weather delays are always possible factors in adjusting those times.

When are the draws?

The women's singles draw will be revealed on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 12 p.m. 

The women's doubles draw will be released on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 12 p.m., and the mixed doubles draw will come out on Monday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.

Who are the defending champions?

Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, posting a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback over Aryna Sabalenka in last year's singles final. Gauff was the first American teenager to win the US Open singles title since Serena Williams in 1999.

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe defeated Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva in last year's doubles final 7-6(9), 6-3. It was Dabrowski's first Grand Slam title in women's doubles (she had previously won two mixed doubles Slams) and Routliffe's first Grand Slam title overall.

Anna Danilina paired with Harri Heliovaara to win the 2023 US Open mixed doubles title, defeating top seeds Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek in the final 6-3, 6-4. It was the first Grand Slam title for both Danilina and Heliovaara.

What are the ranking points and prize money on offer in the singles main draw?

First round: 10 points | $100,000
Second round: 70 points | $140,000
Third round: 130 points | $215,000
Round of 16: 240 points | $325,000
Quarterfinals: 430 points | $530,000
Semifinals: 780 points | $1,000,000
Finalist: 1300 points | $1,800,000
Champion: 2000 points | $3,600,000

Who is playing?

The former US Open champions in the field are Sloane Stephens (2017), Naomi Osaka (2018 and 2020), Bianca Andreescu (2019), Emma Raducanu (2021), Iga Swiatek (2022) and Coco Gauff (2023). Osaka and Andreescu received two of the eight wild cards into the main draw.

Other Grand Slam champions who will contest the main draw include reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Azarenka, Sofia Kenin, and Caroline Wozniacki.

Azarenka is a three-time US Open finalist, and Wozniacki also reached the US Open final in 2009.

Here are stats for the projected Top 16 seeds:

1. Iga Swiatek
Age: 23
Career singles titles: 22 (5 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 16-4
Best US Open result: Champion (2022)
Last US Open result: Round of 16 (2023)

2. Aryna Sabalenka
Age: 26
Career singles titles: 15 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 21-6
Best US Open result: Finalist (2023)
Last US Open result: Finalist (2023)

3. Coco Gauff
Age: 20
Career singles titles: 7 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 14-4
Best US Open result: Champion (2023)
Last US Open result: Champion (2023)

4. Elena Rybakina
Age: 25
Career singles titles: 8 (3 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 4-5
Best US Open result: Third round (2021, 2023)
Last US Open result: Third round (2023)

5. Jasmine Paolini
Age: 28
Career singles titles: 2 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 1-4
Best US Open result: Second round (2021)
Last US Open result: First round (2023)

6. Jessica Pegula
Age: 30
Career singles titles: 6 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 12-7
Best US Open result: Quarterfinals (2022)
Last US Open result: Round of 16 (2023)

7. Zheng Qinwen
Age: 21
Career singles titles: 4 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 6-2
Best US Open result: Quarterfinals (2023)
Last US Open result: Quarterfinals (2023)

8. Barbora Krejcikova
Age: 28
Career singles titles: 8 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 5-3
Best US Open result: Quarterfinals (2021)
Last US Open result: First round (2023)

9. Maria Sakkari
Age: 29
Career singles titles: 2
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 14-9
Best US Open result: Semifinals (2021)
Last US Open result: First round (2023)

10. Jelena Ostapenko
Age: 27
Career singles titles: 8 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 11-7
Best US Open result: Quarterfinals (2023)
Last US Open result: Quarterfinals (2023)

11. Danielle Collins
Age: 30
Career singles titles: 4 (2 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 7-8
Best US Open result: Round of 16 (2022)
Last US Open result: Second round (2023)

12. Daria Kasatkina
Age: 27
Career singles titles: 7 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 11-9
Best US Open result: Round of 16 (2017, 2023)
Last US Open result: Round of 16 (2023)

13. Emma Navarro
Age: 23
Career singles titles: 1 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 0-2
Best US Open result: First round (2021, 2023)
Last US Open result: First round (2023)

14. Madison Keys
Age: 29
Career singles titles: 8 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 31-12
Best US Open result: Finalist (2017)
Last US Open result: Semifinals (2023)

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15. Anna Kalinskaya
Age: 25
Career singles titles: 0
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 4-5
Best US Open result: Second round (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Last US Open result: Second round (2023)

16. Liudmila Samsonova
Age: 25
Career singles titles: 5 (1 this year)
Career main-draw win-loss record at US Open: 6-4
Best US Open result: Round of 16 (2022)
Last US Open result: Third round (2023)

How has this summer's North American hard-court swing played out so far?

Three big events have been completed on North American hard courts so far this summer. Here are the champions and finalists:

Washington, D.C. (WTA 500): Paula Badosa def. Marie Bouzkova
Toronto (WTA 1000): Jessica Pegula def. Amanda Anisimova
Cincinnati (WTA 1000): Aryna Sabalenka def. Jessica Pegula

Monterrey (WTA 500): In progress: Scores | Order of Play | Draws
Cleveland (WTA 250): In progress: Scores | Order of Play | Draws