ESPN’s Prime-Time Coverage is the Most-Viewed US Open Early Round Telecast Ever on ESPN Networks

ESPN Leads all Networks, Broadcast or Cable Wednesday Night Among Men and Adults

Tonight on ESPN2: Serena & Venus Williams in Doubles at 7 p.m. ET

Friday Round Three: Serena vs. Tomljanovic on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET

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Wednesday night’s US Open match with the legendary Serena Williams – in what is expected to be her final event and defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in a dramatic and well-played second-round contest 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 – peaked in the last quarter hour (9:30-9:45 p.m.) with five million viewers. The entire 5.5-hour telecast (two matches) averaged 2.3 million viewers, up 289% over last year’s equivalent telecast.

Also, Williams vs. Kontaveit helped ESPN lead all broadcast or cable networks among Men and Adults among 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 and placed it as the second most-viewed network among households and P2+.

Williams’ next match will be Friday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. vs. Ajla Tomljanovich, a 29-year-old from Australia currently ranked No. 46 in the world.  The two have never played.

Williams Sisters in Doubles Tonight on ESPN2

Tonight, on ESPN2 at 7p.m. ET, Williams and her sister Venus – who are 14-0 in Major finals in women’s doubles and have won three Olympic Gold Medals in women’s doubles – will team to play their first-round match.  Across the net they will see Czech compatriots Lucie Hradecka, a two-time Major champion in women’s doubles with one also in mixed doubles, and Linda Noskova who is playing doubles for the first time in a Major tournament.  The two are 20 years apart, at 37 and 17, respectively. The second match on Ashe will be a meeting of 22-time Major winner No. 2 Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini of Italy, 35 and ranked No. 60.

Friday at the US Open (all times ET)

ESPN begins at noon and continues non-stop through the evening with the first day of Third Round matches.

• Ashe Stadium:
  • Starting at noon, Andy Murray will face No. 13 Matteo Berrettini, followed by an All-American match up of  No. 12 Coco Gauff and No. 20 Madison Keys.
  • Starting at 7 p.m., Serena Williams will meet Ajla Tomljanovic, followed by defending US Open champion Daniil Medvedev vs. Yibing Wu of China.
• Armstrong Stadium:
  • Starting at 11 a.m., No. 5 Ons Jabeur faces. No. 31 Shelby Rogers of South Carolina, followed by No. 5 Casper Ruud vs. American Tommy Paul and No. 29 Alison Riske-Amritraj from Pittsburgh playing Xiyu Wang of China.
  • The 7 p.m. doubleheader will start with 2019 winner Bianca Andreescu and No. 17 Caroline Garcia and conclude with Nick Kyrgios meeting J.J. Wolf of Ohio who was the top-ranked college player in the U.S. in 2019 while at Ohio State.

ESPN & the 2022 US Open – Third Round

* The Western Michigan at Michigan State college football game previously scheduled to air on ESPN at 7pm ET will now air on ESPN2 at that same time. 

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