US Open Israeli tennis story by Howard Blas on Page 8 – 2 pictures – One of Israeli wheelchair tennis champion Guy Sasson.
(photo credit: GONZALO FUENTES / REUTERS)
From Grand Slam glory to the next generation of Israeli tennis players
2026 US Open serves up tennis, Israeli stars and a new-look Arthur Ashe
Originally appeared at Jerusalem Post on August 24, 2026
The United States leads all nations with 28 players earning direct entry into the main draw, split evenly between 14 women and 14 men.
Tennis fans and lovers of the see-and-be-seen excitement surrounding the US Open will have plenty to enjoy when they enter the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, for Fan Week and the qualifying tournament, which runs through August 27.
The festivities include Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, the 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, a concert by The Lumineers and an exhibition match featuring tennis legend Roger Federer alongside longtime rival Andy Roddick and fellow US Open champions, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.
And all of that comes before the two-week Grand Slam officially gets underway on August 30. The US Open features the world’s top players competing across men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as junior, wheelchair and quad divisions.
This year’s tournament takes place during Rosh Hashanah, which begins on the evening of September 11, and concludes with the men’s singles final on September 13 at 2 p.m.
The tournament at a glance
Many of the sport’s biggest stars and fan favorites are scheduled to compete in Flushing Meadows. World No. 1s and reigning US Open champions Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner lead the women’s and men’s fields, respectively.
Just prior to the tournament, Sinner withdrew due to an ongoing right knee injury. Sabalenka, who won the title in both 2024 and 2025, is aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012-14 to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.
Sabalenka and Sinner are followed by world No. 2s Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, and Alexander Zverev, the 2026 French Open champion. World No. 3s Carlos Alcaraz, a two-time US Open champion, and Jessica Pegula, the 2024 US Open runner-up, are also among the leading names.
Alcaraz has been away from competitive tennis since April after suffering a right wrist injury during his opening-round match against Otto Virtanen at the Barcelona Open. His most recent withdrawal came from the Cincinnati Open, which was scheduled for August 11-23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The US Open field includes 17 former Grand Slam singles champions — 11 women and six men — including 10 former US Open champions.
The United States leads all nations with 28 players earning direct entry into the main draw, split evenly between 14 women and 14 men.
The American women are led by Pegula, world No. 4 Coco Gauff and No. 9 Amanda Anisimova, while the men’s field includes top-10 players Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.
Eight players — five women and three men — are entering the tournament using special or protected rankings, including Lois Boisson (No. 38), Juncheng Shang (No. 56), Irina-Camelia Begu (No. 82) and Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 84).
Both the men’s and women’s main-draw entries were based on the July 20 rankings. The women’s cutoff was No. 102, while the men’s was No. 101.
No Israelis will compete in the main men’s or women’s draw or in the qualifying tournament this year.
The US Open runs through September 13, with the singles main draws beginning August 30.
Top players team up for mixed doubles
Fans once again have an opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest players in unusual pairings before the singles and doubles main draws get underway.
The 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship runs August 24-26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with Monday and Tuesday’s matches free to attend in Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadiums.
Among the star-studded pairings are Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, and Venus Williams and Alexander Bublik.
USTA CEO Craig Tiley said the mixed doubles competition provides an opportunity to showcase the sport in a different way.
“Anytime you can bring women and men together on the same team, you showcase tennis at its best,” Tiley said. “This is exactly what the Mixed Doubles Championship does.”
The event is designed to engage new audiences while giving fans another chance to see some of the biggest stars in tennis competing together.
A new look for Arthur Ashe
The greatest stage in tennis is also in the midst of a major makeover.
The US Open is undertaking the largest single investment in its history, with the modernization of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Player Performance Center.
The project represents an $800 million investment in the US Open and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, entirely self-funded by the USTA. New York City continues to benefit from more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact generated by the three weeks surrounding the US Open.
Combined with the most recent transformation project, completed in 2018, the USTA has invested nearly $2 billion into the US Open and its home facility without using public, taxpayer or government funding.
The transformation is taking place in three phases and is scheduled to be completed by the 2027 US Open without interrupting play or limiting fan access during the tournament.
This year will be a transition period, with much of the interior of Arthur Ashe Stadium revamped. Some areas, however, will remain temporary until the project is completed in 2027.
For 2026, fans will see an upward extension of the courtside-level bowl, adding 2,000 seats and expanding the courtside experience from 3,000 to 5,000 seats. A 40% increase in the promenade-level concourse will also create significantly more open space for fans at the promenade and loge levels.
Once completed in 2027, the stadium will feature two new dedicated luxury-suite levels, fully modernized concourses, redesigned retail spaces and upgraded food and beverage areas.
The project also includes a $250 million Player Performance Center, which will provide US Open competitors with expanded, state-of-the-art amenities.
Israel’s presence at the US Open
Israeli and Jewish fans make their way to the US Open each year hoping to see Israeli and Jewish players in action. They keep an eye out for Israeli flags beside players’ names on scoreboards and comb through draw sheets for names that might have a Jewish connection.
This year, the only Jewishly identified players in any of the draws appear to be junior boys player Dan Brand, wheelchair player Sergei Lysov, and quad wheelchair star Guy Sasson.
Brand, 17, represents one of Israel’s brightest hopes for the future. The right-hander from Kfar Saba, who is coached by former Israeli tennis great Amos Mansdorf, is ranked among the top 24 junior boys in the world.
Brand competed in both singles and doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. He reached the second round of both events at Wimbledon, while at Roland Garros he advanced to the doubles quarterfinals. He will compete in both singles and doubles at the US Open, with junior play beginning September 6. Lysov, 22, is the world No. 12-ranked men’s wheelchair tennis player. He lost in the first round of the singles competitions at this year’s French Open and Wimbledon but reached the doubles quarterfinals at both Grand Slam events. He also competed at last year’s US Open and will return this year.
Sasson, 46, is perhaps the best-known tennis player representing Israel. The Ramat Gan resident has won six Grand Slam titles in the quad division.
Sasson was paralyzed 11 years ago in a snowboarding accident in France but went on to build an extraordinary wheelchair tennis career. Most recently, he won the quad wheelchair doubles title at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships with Dutch partner Niels Vink.
Sasson is currently ranked No. 3 in the world in quad singles and No. 2 in doubles. He will compete in both singles and doubles at the US Open, with wheelchair matches taking place September 8-12.
Miznon makes its US Open debut
Israel will also have a presence at the US Open beyond the courts, with chef and restaurant owner Eyal Shani making his US Open debut with Miznon.
Miznon will bring its Mediterranean street food to the tournament, offering such favorites as rib-eye roast beef pita, chicken schnitzel pita, hummus with falafel, pita chips salad with schnitzel, and its signature green beans.
Fans will have plenty of other food and beverage options throughout the tournament, including the US Open’s signature cocktail, the Grey Goose Honey Deuce, as well as offerings from official partners including Dobel Tequila’s Ace Paloma, Moët & Chandon’s Moët Serve and Clos du Bois wine at the newly opened Club du Bois Wine Lounge.
With tennis, entertainment, new facilities, star-studded mixed doubles and an Israeli presence both on the courts and in the food courts, the 2026 US Open promises to offer plenty for fans even before the first Grand Slam singles ball is struck.
Sergei Lysov’s New York breakthrough in wheelchair tennis
Now, as he competes internationally, Lysov proudly represents Israel. His racket features an Israeli flag damper, and his tennis wheelchair is adorned with yellow ribbons as a tribute to the hostages
Appeared in Jerusalem Post, September 11th, 2025
New York – You could feel the love on Court 11 as 21-year-old Israeli wheelchair tennis player Sergei Lysov battled back from one set down in his first-round singles match at the US Open in New York.
The tall grandstand had only a handful of fans – most had just left after a four-hour men’s quarterfinal and many were heading over to see No. 2 Iga Swiatek take on Amanda Anisimova. But those who stayed to watch Lysov face American Conner Stroud very much wanted to be there. Many of them were cheering loudly for Lysov.In the crowd was a delegation from the Israel ParaSport Center in Ramat Gan, where Lysov trains. Retired Israeli tennis player Keren Shlomo, who works with many Israeli athletes, was courtside, encouraging him in Hebrew. She was filling in for Lysov’s regular coach, Ofri Lankri, who remained in Israel to care for her children while her husband served in the army reserves.
Also present was Guy Sasson, Israel’s quad wheelchair Grand Slam champion, who has become part mentor, part cheerleader, and part father figure for Lysov. Together with other Jewish and Israeli fans drawn to a court where “Israel” flashed on the scoreboard, they formed a close-knit tennis family for Lysov in New York.
A Google search for “Sergei Lysov” reveals little about his personal story – only his age (21), world rankings (No. 15 in singles and No. 21 in doubles), match record (169 wins and 96 losses), and career earnings. But those earnings got a significant boost after his impressive first appearance at the US Open, where he played both singles and doubles. By advancing to the quarterfinals, he earned $21,000.
AdvertisementLysov’s run began with a disappointing doubles defeat, as he and partner Daniel Rodrigues fell 6-2, 6-1 to Daniel Caverzaschi of Spain and Tom Egberink of the Netherlands.
His singles match against Stroud had a much better outcome. Stroud jumped to a 5-1 lead before closing out the first set 6-4. In the second, Lysov fell behind 2-1 but fought back to win it 6-4, with both sets lasting exactly 37 minutes.
In the decisive third set, which lasted just 25 minutes, Lysov stormed to a 5-1 lead behind serves topping 93 mph. He went on to close out the match 6-3, securing his first-ever Grand Slam singles win and a place in the quarterfinals against top seed Tokito Oda of Japan.
On Thursday, in front of an even larger group of supporters, Lysov fought valiantly against the hard-hitting Japanese lefty. Oda raced to leads of 3-0 and 5-1 in the first set, and although Lysov fired three aces and hit serves at 91 mph, his comeback fell short. In the second set, Lysov struck five more aces, rallied from 4-0 down to 5-2, but ultimately lost the one-hour, twelve-minute match 6-3, 6-2.
Despite the defeat, people were impressed.
“It was a pleasure to see him play and win his first Grand Slam singles match,” said Shlomo. “He is still young and I am sure that he will keep on working hard. The sky is the limit for him.
”Boaz Kramer, executive director of the Israel ParaSport Center and a two-time Paralympic silver medalist in tennis, agreed.“
Sergei’s win at the US Open is an important milestone, and I am sure it’s the first but not the last. He will bring us many more Grand Slam wins down the road. We are proud to provide this talented and hardworking young man with a comprehensive envelope of services that helps him fulfill his potential. Raising the Israeli flag through wheelchair sports around the world these days is more important and meaningful than ever. Am Yisrael Chai.”
Sasson, who has taken Lysov under his wing, was also full of praise.
Support for Israel in wartime
“He’s a great player, man, he’s a great guy, great kid. He has a lot of potential,” Sasson said of Lysov. “The level he’s at right now is a level that’s never been seen by an Israeli wheelchair tennis player. He’s still young and has a lot to give. It really depends how he develops and whether he becomes part of the upper tier. But he has the potential to be there. He has everything – he’s aggressive, with great groundstrokes, a strong serve, and excellent returns.”
Despite his growing popularity at the US Open, Lysov is still not well known beyond a small circle of tennis insiders. Shy and soft-spoken, he was hesitant to speak to the media. But in Hebrew, his second language, he patiently shared his story.
As a child in Russia, Lysov was a talented soccer player until, at age nine, he was diagnosed with Perthes disease, also known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The rare condition affects the hip joint when blood supply to the femur’s head is disrupted, leading to bone loss and eventual collapse. While many children recover with minimal complications, Lysov faced more extreme outcomes. Today, he can walk short distances but cannot play standing sports.
He recalls being taken out of his regular school in Russia because, as he put it, “the teachers didn’t feel able to support me.”He was transferred to a school that offered resources for children with physical disabilities, where he was introduced to wheelchair sports.“
They showed us bocce and swimming too. I chose tennis and swimming, then just tennis. It’s much more intense and competitive.”It was at a tournament in Moscow that he met Sasson, who told him about the Israel ParaSport Center – known by some as “Spivak” after an early donor – and connected him with Kramer. In 2019, at age 16, Lysov made aliyah with his family. “Spivak did it all for me and my family,” he said proudly.
The center helped the family find a home in Ramat Gan and supported his tennis career. He attended ulpan before enrolling in a boarding school, which he later left.
“They didn’t like the fact that I was always out of the country at tournaments. They thought it wasn’t good for the school’s reputation.”
Now, as he competes internationally, Lysov proudly represents Israel. His racket carries an Israeli flag damper, and his tennis wheelchair is decorated with yellow ribbons in tribute to the hostages in Gaza. He even reported for his Israel Defense Forces Tzav Rishon, the initial draft process.“
They took one look at me and said, ‘We’ll call you,’” he laughed. Still, he insists he is ready to serve in the IDF, perhaps in a computer-related role.
For now, though, his focus is tennis.“
I play every day,” he said, “except on Shabbat.”
Israel’s Guy Sasson takes doubles title in wheelchair tennis after losing to partner in singles
ISRAEL’S GUY SASSON (right) celebrates with his doubles partner Niels Vink after they won the US Open quad title.
(photo credit: Darren Carrol/USTA)