Sports Mole provides an in-depth breakdown of everything you need to know about the 2024 US Open, including dates, how to watch and who is playing.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner dominated Down Under. Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek conquered the Roland-Garros clay, and the former and Barbora Krejcikova swept aside the SW19 competition to hoist the Wimbledon trophies aloft.

Now, the final major event of the year is upon us, as the world's most celebrated tennis talents ramp up their hard-court preparations for this year's US Open, the 144th edition of the Grand Slam tournament.

Following an unforgettable Paris Olympics in which tennis often made the headlines, fans and famous faces alike will flock to Flushing Meadows to witness a fortnight of gripping New York action.

Here, Sports Mole runs down everything you need to know about this year's US Open, from dates and prize money to the defending champions and British hopefuls taking part.

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When is the 2024 US Open?

The 2024 US Open main draw starts on Monday, August 26 and runs for two weeks until Sunday, September 8, although the qualifying competitions commence on Monday, August 19 and run for four days.

The singles tournament will conclude with the men's final on September 8, one day after the women's finalists go for glory.

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When will the 2024 US Open draw be held?

The US Open draw takes place on Thursday, August 22, the final day of qualifying, and is due to be held at 12pm New York time (5pm UK time).

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How can I watch the 2024 US Open?

Fans in the UK can watch this year's US Open on Sky Sports, as well as their respective streaming service Now TV, while viewers in the USA can stream the tournament on ESPN.

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How much prize money will players win at the US Open?

Male and female singles players are paid equal prize money at the US Open, with the winners of the singles tournaments banking a mammoth $3.6m, equivalent to around £2.7m as of August 19.

Those eliminated in the first round still go home with a healthy $100k (£77.2k) cheque, while even the losers from the first round of qualifying are paid $25k (£19.3k).

Full 2024 US Open singles prize money breakdown:

Champion: $3.6m (£2.7m)
Runner-up: $1.8m (£1.4m)
Semi-finalist $1m (£770k)
Quarter-finalist: $530k (£409.2k)
Last 16: $325k (£250.9k)
Third round: $215k (£166k)
Second round: $140k (£108.1k)
First round: £100k (£77.2k)
Qualifying third round: $52k (£40.2k)
Qualifying second round: $38k (£29.3k)
Qualifying first round: $25k (£19.3k)

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Who are the defending US Open champions?

Serbia's Novak Djokovic and American home favourite Coco Gauff - neither of whom have won a Grand Slam this year - are the defending champions from the 2023 edition, where the former overcame Daniil Medvedev to win his 24th major title.

The 37-year-old has since added a coveted Olympics gold to his haul of success, and should he retain his crown at the US Open, he will become the player with the most outright Grand Slam titles with an unprecedented 25, leaving Margaret Court in his wake.

While Djokovic won Grand Slam number 24 last year, a 19-year-old Gauff etched her name onto a major trophy for the first time by defeating Sabalenka in the women's final on home soil.

Now 20, Gauff has since reached the semi-finals of the Australian and French Opens this year, while also winning the women's doubles title in the latter with Katerina Siniakova.

US Open defending champions in full:

Women's singles: Coco Gauff (USA)
Men's singles: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Women's doubles: Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) & Erin Routliffe (NZL)
Men's doubles: Joe Salisbury (GBR) & Rajeev Ram (USA)
Mixed doubles: Anna Danilina (KAZ) & Harri Heliovaara (FIN)
Men's wheelchair singles: Alfie Hewett (GBR)*
Women's wheelchair singles: Diede de Groot (NED)*
Men's quad wheelchair singles: Sam Schroder (NED)*
Men's wheelchair doubles: Stephane Houdet (FRA) and Takashi Sanada (JPN)*
Women's wheelchair doubles: Yui Kamiji (JPN) and Kgothatso Montjane (RSA)*
Quad wheelchair doubles: Sam Schroder (NED) and Niels Vink (NED)*

* There will be no wheelchair tournament at the 2024 US Open due to clashes with the Paralympic Games.

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Is Emma Raducanu playing at the US Open? Which other Brits are competing?

Despite a lack of hard-court preparations, having opted against entering qualifying for the Cincinnati and Canadian Opens, Emma Raducanu is on the entry list for the women's singles draw and will play at the US Open barring any late injuries.

The 2021 champion is one of three British women guaranteed to feature in the first round, a contingent led by national number one Katie Boulter, while Harriet Dart will also be in the pot for Thursday's draw. Heather Watson, Sonay Kartal, Yuriko Miyazaki and Francesca Jones will also bid to reach the main draw from qualifying.

On the men's side, Jack Draper waves the flag highest for GB on the back of a strong run in Cincinnati, where he reached the quarter-finals, while Dan Evans is also involved. However, Cameron Norrie has pulled out with a forearm injury, while Andy Murray retired after the Paris 2024 Olympics.

There are six British men in the qualifiers - Billy Harris, Liam Broady, Oliver Crawford, Jan Choinski, Jacob Fearnley and Paul Jubb - the latter two of whom will face each other in round one.

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Is Rafael Nadal playing at the US Open? Who are the other players to watch?

Four-time champion Rafael Nadal made the entry list using a protected ranking, but the ailing Spaniard is confirmed to be missing this year's tournament, admitting that he could not give "100%" this year after his plethora of injury problems.

The 38-year-old was never expected to be a serious contender for Djokovic's crown, though, as the likes of Alcaraz, top seed Sinner and a vengeful Medvedev try to usurp the Serbian.

Germany's Alexander Zverev will also make a desperate attempt to win his first Grand Slam title, while home favourite Ben Shelton bids to better his run to last year's semi-finals.

On the women's side, Sabalenka and Swiatek headline the challengers to Gauff's title - also keep an eye out for Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen and Italy's Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up in both Wimbledon and the French Open.

Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina - despite the latter's illness woes - cannot be discounted either, and the tournament will also represent Danielle Collins's final Grand Slam after the American announced her plans to retire earlier this year.

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