The 2025 US Open started Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, inaugurating a 15-day schedule and offering a record-setting $90 million purse. Men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive $5 million, the richest payday in Grand Slam history. Top seeds and defending title-holders Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are attempting to become the event’s first repeat champions in more than a decade—Roger Federer last retained the men’s crown in 2008 and Serena Williams the women’s in 2014. Sinner also enters the fortnight with his world No. 1 ranking under pressure from No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz; whichever player advances further will leave Flushing Meadows atop the ATP list. Opening-day play features Sabalenka against Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova after American Ben Shelton meets Peru’s Ignacio Buse. Novak Djokovic, still chasing a record 25th major, faces U.S. teenager Learner Tien in the night session. The women’s draw includes Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek as the second seed, while Coco Gauff leads a strong U.S. contingent seeded third. Veteran star Venus Williams, 45, returns on a wild card for a record-extending 25th appearance, nearly three decades after her 1997 debut final. She opens Monday against Czech 12th seed Karolina Muchova, insisting that “tennis is in my DNA” as she looks to add another chapter to her decorated career.