Serena Williams was the three-time defending champion in the women's singles event and was also trying to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988, having won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, but lost to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals.

There are singles and doubles events for both boys and girls (players under 18), which is part of the Grade A category of tournaments, and singles, doubles and quad events for men's and women's wheelchair tennis players as part of the NEC tour under the Grand Slam category.

Starting from the 2016 edition, the Arthur Ashe Stadium will have completed retractable roof and matches will be played on newly built Grandstand.

Because Serena Williams could become the first woman to win all four major tennis titles in a calendar year since Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1988 and because she could tie Graf's major title count of 22, the women's final sold out before the men's final for the first time.

[2] In the United States, the 2015 US Open was the first under a new, 11-year, $825 million contract with ESPN, in which the broadcaster holds exclusive rights to the entire tournament and the US Open Series, thus ending CBS Sports' 46-year association with the tournament, and availability of coverage on broadcast television.

Competitors in Legends Exhibition, Wheelchair and Champions Invitational events earn $570,000 while players' per diem is estimated at $1,478,000.

The qualifying competitions took place at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25 – 28, 2015.