Chris Trotman/Getty Images The final Grand Slam of the 2018 tennis calendar is upon us, with Rafael Nadal and Sloane Stephens beginning the defence of their U.S. Open titles at Flushing Meadows on Monday. Both will be in action on the opening day of the tournament as they take on David Ferrer and Evgeniya Rodina, respectively. Six-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams, world No. 1 Simona Halep and former winners Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will also feature on what should prove to be to be a thrilling first taste of action in New York. The full order of play can be found at the tournament's official website. In the United States, ESPN will be providing full coverage from noon ET, and the action can also be seen on ESPN3, ESPN+ and the Tennis Channel, with live-streaming available at WatchESPN. For viewers in the UK, Amazon Prime will be showing the tournament exclusively, and its coverage will begin at 4 p.m. BST each day. Video Play Button Videos you might like Grigor Dimitrov to Suffer a First-Round Exit Grigor Dimitrov and 2016 champion Wawrinka will kick off the action at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. The latter was unable to defend his title last year as he missed the tournament because of knee surgery, and his recovery from that has seen him endure a difficult year. He's still ranked outside the top 100, but he beat eighth seed Dimitrov in the first round at Wimbledon earlier this year. The Bulgarian won't be happy to have drawn him again, particularly as he's now further along in his recovery and returning to form. Wawrinka reached the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month, and tennis commentator David Law and writer Jose Morgado were pleased to see a strong showing from him: Dimitrov still holds a 4-3 head-to-head record with the Swiss star, but with Wawrinka getting back to his best, it could end the same way as their meeting at the All England Club. Opening Wins For Murray, Stephens Murray will be making his first Grand Slam appearance in 13 months after his own lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury and recovering from surgery. As a result of his absence, the Scot isn't anticipating a repeat of his 2012 victory here. "This one feels slightly different because, for the last 10, 11 years, I have been preparing to try and win the event. I don't think that is realistic for me this year," he said, per the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell. The Times' Stuart Fraser was impressed with him in practice ahead of the tournament, though: Murray's honest self-assessment will likely prove accurate given where he's at in his comeback, but in terms of progressing through the first round, he has been handed a kind draw, per BBC Sport's Russell Fuller: Murray may only be 382nd in the rankings after his absence, but he's still 66 places higher than opponent James Duckworth, who has already had five surgeries during his career by the age of 26. The pair have never met in competition, but Murray should be capable of getting through this match with a win. For Stephens, it has almost been a case of all-or-nothing this year in the Grand Slams. She made the French Open final, but lost in the first round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The American is eager to defend her first major title on home soil, though: Stephens warmed up for the U.S. Open with a run to the final of the Rogers Cup earlier this month. She was defeated in three sets by Simona Halep, but the tournament offered a reminder of how difficult to stop she can be when she gets going. Rodina may not be an easy opponent after she produced her strongest Grand Slam performance at Wimbledon earlier this summer by making the fourth round, but Stephens should progress here.<doc-sep>TPN/Getty Images The second week of the 2018 U.S. Open gets under way on Monday at Flushing Meadows in New York, and two-time champion Novak Djokovic is in action at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the afternoon session. The No. 6 seed faces a fourth-round clash with Portugal's Joao Sousa, who he has beaten in all four of their previous meetings without dropping a set. America's Madison Keys kicks off the action at Arthur Ashe against Dominika Cibulkova in what should be a tight contest, while Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic and David Goffin are all set to turn out at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Here is the schedule for Monday afternoon, per the tournament's official website: Arthur Ashe Stadium (Play begins noon ET, 5 p.m. BST) (14) Madison Keys vs. (29) Dominika Cibulkova Video Play Button Videos you might like (6) Novak Djokovic vs. Joao Sousa Louis Armstrong Stadium (Play begins 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. BST) (21) Kei Nishikori vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (26) Aryna Sabalenka vs. (20) Naomi Osaka (7) Marin Cilic vs. (10) David Goffin TV Info: In the United States, ESPN (live stream at WatchESPN) and the Tennis Channel will provide coverage. For viewers in the UK, the matches will be streamed live on Amazon Prime. Djokovic, 31, triumphed in New York in 2011 and 2015 and has reached five other finals at Flushing Meadows. Since 2007, he has reached at least the semi-finals every time he has competed at the U.S. Open. He will confirm his place in this year's quarter-finals by beating Sousa, and there is little reason to suggest he won't continue his perfect record against the 29-year-old. Sarah Stier/Getty Images Sousa has never before made it to the fourth round at the U.S. Open, and he has played significantly more tennis at the 2018 tournament than Djokovic. His four-set defeat of Lucas Pouille in the third round ran to three hours, 38 minutes, and he played for more than three hours against Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round. It has not been plain sailing for Djokovic as he dropped sets in both of his opening rounds, but he has had an easier run of things than Sousa. The Serb downed Richard Gasquet in three sets in the third round in a fine performance, per Metro's George Bellshaw: Djokovic has struggled with injury in the last few seasons but is on his way back to his best, and his triumph at this year's Wimbledon moved him to 13 Grand Slam titles. There seems an inevitability about him meeting Roger Federer at the U.S. Open, with the two superstars set to come together in the quarter-finals, assuming they both win on Monday. No. 2 seed Federer takes on John Millman of Australia in the evening session on Monday, by which time Djokovic should have already sealed his place in the last eight.<doc-sep>Julian Finney/Getty Images Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep, the highest ranked tennis players in the world, will both be in action on Monday at the U.S. Open in New York. On the opening day of the main draw, Spaniard Nadal faces an intriguing test against compatriot David Ferrer. The latter is playing in the U.S. Open for the final time and will be desperate to roll back the clock against the defending champion. Halep, meanwhile, takes on Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi in what has the potential to be a tricky opener. Also in action will be six-time champion Serena Williams, as well as last year's winner Sloane Stephens. Here is the schedule for Day 1 at Flushing Meadows and all the information you need on where to rewatch the action. Monday Schedule - Selected Matches Video Play Button Videos you might like Arthur Ashe Stadium Stanislas Wawrinka vs. (8) Grigor Dimitrov Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. (16) Venus Williams (17) Serena Williams vs. Magda Linette (1) Rafael Nadal vs. David Ferrer Louis Armstrong Stadium (1) Simona Halep vs. Kaia Kanepi Andy Murray vs. Jack Duckworth (3) Sloane Stephens vs. Evgeniya Rodina Victoria Azarenka vs. Viktoria Kuzmanova (3) Juan Martin del Potro vs. Donald Young The full schedule is available on the competition's website. The Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Everywhere will show a replay of the action from 4 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday. Day 1 Preview Matthew Stockman/Getty Images The first day at Flushing Meadows is always a treat for fans, and the schedule for Monday's action is poised to yield some fantastic play. For Nadal, the first round certainly could have been more straightforward. Ferrer, a veteran of the sport, is still a talented operator, and he is likely to be doubly determined to put on a show against his compatriot in what should be his final bow on the U.S. Open stage. The only time the two have met at this tournament was 11 years ago: Elsewhere in the men's draw on Monday, Andy Murray will make his return to the Grand Slam stage, playing in one of the big four tournaments for the first time since Wimbledon 2017. He faces Australia's Jack Duckworth in his opener and will be seeking to make progress towards another triumph at Flushing Meadows, having won this event in 2012. Murray's comeback means all of the high-profile names in the men's game will be on court at the U.S. Open. As Stuart Fraser of the Times noted, that's not happened too frequently down the years: Also on court will be six-time winner of this event Williams. While there have been signs of trademark brilliance from the veteran since her return to the sport after missing time during pregnancy, she hasn't been able to go all the way at recent Grand Slams, losing the Wimbledon final to Kerber this summer. Williams has still been enjoying herself in the buildup to this huge event, though: World No. 1 and French Open champion Halep may provide the biggest challenge to Williams, as she's been in fine form throughout the 2018 season. The WTA Insider Twitter account summed up how dominant the Romanian has been at the top of the women's game: The draw has also tossed up a huge heavyweight tussle in the opening round, with ATP Tour Finals winner Grigor Dimitrov up against three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka, whose ranking has dropped due to injury in recent years. Remarkably, the match is a repeat of their Round 1 showdown at Wimbledon earlier this summer. That encounter didn't disappoint, as Wawrinka recovered from a set down to win in four sets. A repeat of that would be a fitting way to begin the action on Arthur Ashe.<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments American Madison Keys opens the day session on Arthur Ashe against Dominika Cibulkova and will be followed by Novak Djokovic against Joao Sousa. Maria Sharapova will be aiming to continue her 23-match unbeaten run in US Open night matches when she plays Carla Suarez Navarro then Roger Federer's clash with John Millman is the last match of the day. On Louis Armstrong, Kei Nishikori takes on Philip Kohlschreiber, Naomi Osaka plays Aryna Sabalenka and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic faces 10th seed David Goffin. On Grandstand after doubles matches, Marketa Vondrousova is up against Lesia Tsurenko.<doc-sep>
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will headline Monday's play at the U.S. Open, as the second week gets under way at Flushing Meadows. Federer will be seeking to book his spot in the quarter-finals following an excellent display against Nick Kyrgios in the previous round and is the big favourite against Australia's John Millman. Djokovic is also expected to progress without too much fuss against Joao Sousa. Elsewhere, this side of the women's draw is wide open following a number of shocks. Maria Sharapova, who is looking for her first U.S. Open title for 12 years, goes up against Carla Suarez Navarro in what has the potential to be one of the matches of the day. Here is the broadcast information for Monday at Flushing Meadows, the schedule for the day and a preview of what's to come. Monday Selected Schedule Video Play Button Videos you might like Arthur Ashe Stadium (14) Madison Keys* vs. Dominika Cibulkova (6) Novak Djokovic* vs. Joao Sousa (30) Carla Suarez Navarro vs. (22) Maria Sharapova* John Millman vs. (2) Roger Federer* Louis Armstrong Stadium (21) Kei Nishikori* vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber Aryna Sabalenka vs. Naomi Osaka* (7) Marin Cilic* vs. (10) David Goffin *Picks to win For the schedule in full visit the U.S. Open website. TV Info: In the United States, ESPN and the Tennis Channel will provide coverage. For viewers in the UK, Amazon Prime. Monday Preview TPN/Getty Images Even though he's now 37 years old and hasn't triumphed at Flushing Meadows for a decade, it's always a treat to see Federer strutting his stuff at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Against Kyrgios, the Swiss was at his imperious best again. While the Australian can be a dangerous opponent when he gets on a roll, Federer was able to absorb everything he had to offer and use his quality to race to a three-set win. The main talking point was an outrageous forehand winner around the net from Federer. Even his opponent was full of praise for the 20-time Grand Slam winner: If Federer showcases the same quality again, then Millman faces a major battle if he's to make it into the last eight. The same goes for Sousa, who will be out to spring a surprise against Djokovic. While the Serb wasn't at full tilt in wins over Marton Fucsovics and Tennys Sandgren, in the previous round against Richard Gasquet, he really did move through the gears to secure a three-set victory. In the past, the Portuguese hasn't fared particularly well against Djokovic either, per tennis journalist Jose Morgado: Still, the Wimbledon champion is expecting a challenging match. "He's a fighter, he's a grinder," he said, per BBC Sport. "He will not hand you the victory, you've got to earn it." While almost all of the pre-tournament favourites remain in contention in the men's draw at Flushing Meadows, a number of big names have been eliminated from the women's bracket. EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/Getty Images It means Sharapova has an excellent chance of winning her first Grand Slam for the first time in four years. On her way to the last 16, the Russian has yet to drop a set and is playing some of her best tennis of the season. In addition, the 31-year-old is scheduled for one of the later starts. Per Stuart Fraser of The Times, she has an excellent record in this slot: Suarez Navarro has the talent to end that run, although she may be feeling a little jaded already at the tournament. All of the Spaniard's matches at the competition have been three-set contests up to this point. Madison Keys is in action first and will receive plenty of backing from the home supporters when she takes on Dominika Cibulkova, as the American seeks to better her runners-up finish from a year ago.