Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

The British players do have opportunities.

But most of those players are lower ranked and underdogs - the favourites are the likes of Katie Boulter who has had a couple of bad defeats against players outside the top 100 recently and is playing Carol Young Suh Lee who is 143 in the world.

Cameron Norrie is seeded but has a tricky opener, and we'll see Arthur Fery but he has a horrible draw.

You wouldn't necessarily expect many British wins but for these qualifiers, what an opportunity to make some ranking points and a name for themselves.

Image source, Getty Images

Among the three previous meetings between Cameron Norrie and Luca Van Assche, the pair met at the 2023 Australian Open, with Norrie coming out on top in that first round encounter in straight sets.

They have since met in Auckland and Metz, with both of those coming in 2024 and Norrie edging both in three sets.

Based on those recent meetings, then, this should be very competitive.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Cameron Norrie is about to begin his US Open against French 22-year-old Luca Van Assche over on court five.

Norrie leads the ATP head-to-head between these two 3-0, so will be confident of making his way to the second round for the seventh time.

The British number one, whose best US Open run took him to the fourth round in 2022, reached the semi-finals in Los Cabos and the fourth round in Canada this month, but exited in the second round to world number two Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati.

Norrie goes into his latest slam as the 29th seed, so drawing the 40th-ranked Van Assche is certainly not one of the more straightforward starts he might have wished for.

Image source, Getty Images

There have been just three British singles champions at the US Open in the Open era.

Virginia Wade won it in 1968, then Andy Murray in 2012 and, of course, Emma Raducanu achieved a fairytale triumph five years ago.

British fans were treated to a sensational semi-final run by Arthur Fery at Wimbledon this summer. Can anyone repeat or better that in New York?

Fery is one of nine British players set to feature in the main draws at the US Open.

Joining him in the men's draw are Norrie and Jan Choinski, qualifiers Toby Samuel and Harry Wendelken, and lucky loser Jacob Fearnley.

Katie Boulter is joined by qualifiers Fran Jones and Harriet Dart in the women's draw, but Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu are missing through injury.

Here's a few of the matches taking place on day one in New York that we'll be keeping a close eye on this evening, as four British players take to the courts:

• [3] Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 Elena-Gabriela Ruse
• Katie Boulter v Carol Young Suh Lee

• [7] Daniil Medvedev v Hugo Gaston
• [29] Cameron Norrie v Luca Van Assche
• Jacob Fearnley v Martin Landaluce
• Toby Samuel v Tomas Machac

Welcome all to day one of the 2026 US Open!

Over the next fortnight, for the fourth and final time this year, the sport's biggest stars go head-to-head in pursuit of landing one of its biggest titles.

There will be twists and turns. Shocks and surprises. Thrills and spills.

We'll be here to bring it all to you. Glad to have you on board...

Image source, Getty Images