A Serious Tennis Fan’s Top 10 Tips for the 2025 US Open (Tickets and More)


By P.J. Simmons

June 7, 2025: Welcome to new visitors and welcome back returning friends! I’m updating this post as quickly as I can – so please keep checking back in the days/weeks ahead.
NEW GUIDE TO HELP YOU SPOT GOOD DEALS: Check out my new 2025 “Guide to US Open Ticket Prices: How to Spot a Good Deal” based on historical average resale pricing, with handy shortcuts to the Ticketmaster links for every single date/session/stadium. I’ve also built a new dropdown outlining the day-by-day detailed schedule within the post with shortcuts to individual sessions/stadiums. Hope you find them helpful!
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY MAY 30: Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, May 30th at 9AM ET on Ticketmaster. Amex cardholders can access a limited inventory of tickets on May 27th at 9AM ET until May 28th 11:59PM ET.
NEW SUNDAY START AND 3-DAY FIRST ROUND: The 2025 US Open main tournament will span 15 days for the first time, running from SUNDAY August 24 through Sunday September 7—with Round 1 spread over three days (Sunday-Tuesday) instead of the usual two. Beyond this extended first round, the tournament’s format remains the same –no other rounds were shifted, so the usual second-week schedule (quarterfinals, semifinals, finals) stays intact.
FREE FAN WEEK STARTS MONDAY AUG 18: Fan Week 2025 — with free entry to watch the qualifying tournament (which is awesome!!) begins on Monday, August 18 and runs through Saturday, August 23.
FULL SCHEDULE FROM LAST YEAR IN ONE PDF: I consolidated all of last year’s daily schedules of play into one PDF here to help readers get a full sense of what kinds of matches to expect on which courts every day of the tournament. (With the addition of an extra day for Round 1 on Sunday, expect that day to look like Days 1-2 last year but with fewer total matches on each day)
As a serious tennis player and fan living in New York City, I feel so lucky that the US Open is in my backyard. I absolutely love the tournament, and find nothing more educational and inspiring for my own game than seeing world-class live tennis. I can’t wait to return to the 2025 US Open tennis tournament, which will take place at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Sunday August 24- Sunday September 7, 2025!
2025 will mark my 17th consecutive US Open, and I’ve learned a ton over the years through trial and error about how to maximize the opportunity, find the best tickets and seats on the Official US Open ticket site on Ticketmaster and other reseller sites, and generally get the biggest bang for the buck. Likewise, I’ve learned so much thanks to fellow fans around the world who have shared their own insights since I wrote the first version of this post over a decade ago.
Below are my top 10 recommendations for serious tennis fans like me.
In a rush and need quick answers?
I recommend reading/skimming the entire post in order if you can, but if you’re rushed here are shortcuts to my answers to the most common questions I’ve received over the years:
- Which ticket sites are best? Note: always check Ticketmaster first and click on the “map” view to get the best initial birdseye view of what’s available (standard and resale tix), then compare with other reseller sites like Stubhub.
- Should I buy tickets now or wait? Will ticket prices go up or down?
- What are average ticket prices? What should I expect to pay?? (See also this new Guide to Average Prices for Good Deals)
- How can I be guaranteed to see Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Arena Sabalenka or any other favorite player?
- Can you explain the ticket options, I’m overwhelmed!
- What time can I enter grounds with a Day or Night Session ticket?
- What kind of matches (and how many) can I expect to see on certain days (in Ashe, Armstrong, Grandstand, etc)?
- Which seats have the best view?
- Which seats get the most shade?
- How should I get there (subway, LIRR, car, parking?)
Tip #1: Do whatever you can to see world-class players and great matches up really close— which if you’re on a budget may mean bypassing Arthur Ashe stadium in favor of the sixteen other courts where matches are played.

Me spotted on Netflix “Break Point” series cheering on Taylor Fritz and Brandon Holt (yes, I was rooting for both) at the 2022 US Open – front row during awesome match at GRANDSTAND Stadium (not Ashe!)
For my first US Open, I spent about $250 per ticket for a decent seat during early rounds in the famous Arthur Ashe stadium (1/2 way up in the Loge section) so I’d be guaranteed to see at least one Top 10 player live. While it was certainly thrilling to experience the electricity of an evening at Ashe stadium, I still felt somewhat distant from the action (it’s a mammoth 23,700-seat venue) and spent much of the time watching the match on the huge video screen. Moreover, because the tournament prioritizes putting the biggest stars on Ashe over the best match-ups, the matches I saw weren’t terribly exciting.
Since then, I’ve become addicted to the unparalleled thrill of seeing many world-class competitors from a few feet away in epic duels on several of the smaller non-Ashe courts (Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand Stadium (behind courts 4-6), the very cool Court #17, and other courts #4-#16). Once you have this experience you’ll be addicted too. While it’s rare that you’ll see the Top 5 players on those courts, you WILL see other awe-inspiring players in very competitive matches.
A collateral benefit: you’ll be ahead of the curve in seeing rising stars before they become household names, and feel the excitement of “discovering” new talent to cheer for. Over the years I’ve seen countless “next-gen” players up very close for the first time on outer courts before they were super famous — Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Sloane Stephens, Francis Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Dominic Thiem, Sasha Zverev, and so many others.
Tip for serious players: After watching a ton of pro matches, I started challenging myself to watch more deliberately from the perspective of a player who wants to improve. I wrote down ten ideas for watching a pro match that may resonate with fellow fanatics who not only want to enjoy the drama of the match but also learn from it.
(Adapted from photo in “US Open Transformation Update”)
Tip #2: If you’re on a tight budget, try to attend during the tournament’s first week (Sunday August 24- Friday August 29) and purchase relatively inexpensive Ashe DAY session tickets.
An Ashe day session ticket will get you access to all the courts on the grounds in addition to Ashe during the day, then enable you to stay on the grounds to watch matches on all courts except Ashe in the evening (Ashe day/night sessions are sold separately). You’ll get hours and hours of tennis watching for your money, as many matches on the outer courts will go well into the evening. And if you can take a day off from work and go during these first 6 days, you won’t have to battle hordes of fans for access to the non-Ashe venues– whereas things get very crowded Labor Day weekend.
Tip #3: Do NOT buy a “Grounds Admission” pass until you’ve explored whether reserved day session seats in Ashe or Armstrong are also available for around the same price!
Grounds admission tickets (cheaper tickets sold on the tourney’s first 9 days that give access to all the courts except Ashe) can be a good deal, but there are often reserved Ashe Promenade-level tickets (and, occasionally, Armstrong courtside seats) available for nearly identical prices– making them far better deals. Ashe and Armstrong Day Session tickets gives you all the privileges of a “Grounds” pass with added bonuses. In particular, buying an Ashe or Armstrong reserved seat gives you rain insurance, because these stadiums both have roofs so matches cannot be rained out.
Tip #4: Go for quality over quantity.
As a general rule, I encourage fellow fans to budget their time and money in ways that maximize the possibility of a few magical experiences versus a ton of forgettable ones. For instance, if you’re opting between multiple days of cheap nosebleed seats in Ashe’s Upper Promenade versus appying the same budget towards excellent seats for a couple sessions, I generally recommend the latter. (Note: if you’re wondering whether it’s worth it to spend a bit more to sit in the Loge level of Ashe versus the Promenade level, my answer is always yes).
BOX #1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR TICKET OPTIONS & HOW THE SCHEDULE WORKS
See US Open Official Ticket Site for all sessions above organized by stadium.
See Daily Schedule of Play for day-by-day schedule
FAQ: What Matches/Players Can I Expect to See on Each Court?
To get a sense of what types of matches are played on which courts for specific dates, I recommend reviewing the recent year’s schedules for the specific day(s) you’re considering attending:
–> See Full 2024 US Open Daily Schedules (All Days, All Courts)
–> 2023 US Open Daily Schedules (All Days, All Courts)
The US Open will likely release the 2025 Tournament’s Day 1 and Day 2 Schedule on its Daily Schedule of Play page and the US Open app on/around Thursday August 22 (start checking mid-day, usually released late afternoon/early evening).
2025 US OPEN SCHEDULE
CLICK HERE FOR DAILY SCHEDULE DETAILS AND SESSION-SPECIFIC TICKET LINKS
- Aug 18-21 (Monday-Thurs): Fan Week/ Qualifying Tournament + Main Draw Mixed Doubles. 128 male and female players compete for the final 32 spots (16 each for men and women) in the singles draws. Gates open 10:00am, Play at 11:00am.
- Aug 19 and 20 (Tues-Wed): Main Draw Mixed Doubles: Round 1 & 2 on Tuesday Aug 19 at 11:00am Tickets | Semis and Finals on Wed Aug 20 at 7:00pm Tickets
- Aug 21 (Thurs): Stars of the Open Tickets (7pm)
- Aug 22 (Friday): More Special Events/ Free Access to Grounds for Practices.
- Aug 23 (Saturday): Kids’ Day
MAIN TOURNAMENT
- Sunday Aug 24: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 24 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 24 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Monday Aug 25: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 25 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 25 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Tues Aug 26: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 26 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 26 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Wed Aug 27: Men’s & Women’s 2ND ROUND (+ Doubles 1st Round on outer courts)
- Aug 27 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 27 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Thurs Aug 28: Men’s & Women’s 2ND ROUND (+ Women’s Doubles 1st Round on outer courts)
- Aug 28 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 28 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Fri Aug 29: Men’s & Women’s 3RD ROUND (+ Doubles 1st Round and Juniors on outer courts)
- Aug 29 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 29 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Sat Aug 30: Men’s & Women’s 3RD ROUND (+ Men’s Doubles 1st Round and Women’s Doubles 2nd Round on outer courts)
- Aug 30 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 30 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Sun Aug 31: Men’s & Women’s 4TH ROUND (“Round of 16”) Note: Men’s Round of 16 Singles matches on this day will be played exclusively on Ashe and Armstrong, not Grandstand! Day session ONLY on Armstrong (11am) + Doubles 2rd Round, Juniors (outer courts)
- Aug 31 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 31 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Monday Sep 1: Men’s & Women’s 4TH ROUND (“Round of 16”) Note: Men’s Singles matches on this day will be played exclusively on Ashe and Armstrong, not Grandstand. Day session ONLY on Armstrong (11am) + Men’s Doubles 2nd Round and Women’s Doubles 3d Round + Juniors (outer courts)
- Sep 1 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grounds
- Sep 1 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Tues Sep 2: Men’s & Women’s QUARTERFINALS + Men’s Doubles 3d Round + Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals + Wheelchair and Juniors matches on outer courts. Note: Armstrong and Grandstand only feature Doubles matches from this point on, open to Day session or Grounds ticketholders).
- Sep 2 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Grounds
- Sep 2 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Wed Sep 3: Men’s & Women’s QUARTERFINALS + Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals (Armstrong), Women’s Doubles Semifinals (Armstrong) + Juniors and Wheelchair matches on outer courts
- Sep 3 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets
- Sep 3 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Thurs Sep 4 DAY: Free Entry for Day Session at 11:00AM (Community Day). Free grounds access to watch Men’s Doubles Semifinals (in 2024 was on Armstrong at 4pm) + Juniors, Wheelchair matches on outer courts. Gates open 11:00am, matches start at Noon.
- Thurs Sep 4 EVE: WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS. Note: Ashe Evening Session ticket gets access to both women’s Semifinal matches
- Sep 4 EVE (Entry to grounds anytime after 11:00am): Ashe Women’s Semifinals (Both) Evening Tickets
- Friday Sep 5 DAY: MEN’S SEMIFINALS 3:00pm), preceded by Women’s Doubles Final (Noon). Note: Wheelchair and Junior matches (outer courts). Gates open 11:00am.
- Sep 5 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Men’s Semifinal #1 Ashe Day Tickets Men’s Semifinal #1
- Sep 5 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Men’s Semifinal #2 Ashe Evening Tickets Men’s Semifinal #2
- Saturday Sep 6 DAY ONLY: WOMEN’S FINAL (4:00pm) * Preceded by Men’s Doubles Final (Noon) (There is only one Ashe Day ticket option and it covers BOTH matches, and you can enter grounds at 11:00am). + Junior and Wheelchair finals beginning at Noon.
- Sep 6 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets Women’s Final
- Sunday Sep 7 DAY ONLY: MEN’S FINAL (2:00pm). Gates open at 11:00am.
- Sep 7 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets Men’s Final
Here is the ESPN Broadcast schedule (updated link to come)
Entry and re-entry rules:
-
- Any DAY session stadium reserved ticket for Ashe, Armstrong, or Grandstand gives you the same exact privileges as a Grounds Pass: You can enter the grounds as early as 9:30am (or 11am on Finals weekend) and stay on the grounds as late into the evening as you want. However, your Day session reserved seat in Ashe, Armstrong, or Grandstand only entitles you to those reserved seats for the Day session matches (then you have to exit your seats) — after which you can stay on the US Open grounds as late as you want and access general unreserved seating on every court (except Ashe, which has no unreserved seating).
- To enter the US Open grounds, you must pass through security then have your ticket scanned at either the EAST GATE or SOUTH GATE (see map above).
- If you have a reserved seat in a stadium, you’ll have your ticket re-checked upon entering that stadium.
- If you have tickets for Day and Evening sessions (Ashe or Armstrong) on the same day, you will NOT need to exit the US Open grounds and re-enter again. Your ticket will be checked as you enter the stadium.
- If you are in Armstrong for the Day session (either Courtside reserved or GA seating), you’ll need to leave your seat between Day and Evening sessions as they clean up. However, you may stay inside the concourse area of Armstrong (the inner-stadium areas with food stands).
** I took the photo above at the 2016 US Open from a corner courtside seat in Ashe watching the Nadal-Pouille round of 16 match on Labor Day.
Tip #5: If your budget can swing it, I strongly recommend getting a courtside reserved seat in Louis Armstrong stadium (especially between Aug 27 – Sep 1) and/or in Grandstand (especially on Aug 29 or Aug 30).
Louis Armstrong (14,053 seats) and Grandstand (8,125 seats) are the other two main show courts after Ashe Stadium – and they offer a much more intimate experience. A reserved courtside ticket for either can give you access to thrilling matches and players up close that you’ll never forget.
The first time I did this in 2010 I saw an unforgettable marathon slugfest between David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco from the FIRST ROW BASELINE! Ever since, I’ve made it an annual tradition to go with friends to Armstrong during the 3d Round or Round of 16. In 2019, I got to see Matteo Berrettini crushing balls in the Round of 16 on Armstrong from the second row (and my phone exploded with texts when my friends and I were spotted on ESPN frequently cheering for him). I’ve had similar transporting experiences in Grandstand over the years – including setting first row behind-the-server for a match between Auger-Aliassime and his Canadian buddy Denis Shapovalov.
Both stadiums also feature general admission seating on a first-come basis, but getting good GA seats can be tough and involve long lines for the higher-profile matches — so having a reserved courtside ticket gives you the dual benefit of skipping long lines plus plus incredible proximity to the players.
BOX 2: WHERE TO GET THE BEST DEAL ON US OPEN TICKETS? SHOULD I BUY NOW OR LATER?
Individual ticket sales go onsale Friday, May 30th at 9AM ET on the official US Open Ticketmaster site, as well as on reseller sites like Stubhub. Amex cardholders can access a limited inventory of tickets (mainly upper level Promenade and Armstrong – so not the time to be hunting for the best quality seats, but worth checking) on May 27th at 9AM ET until May 28th 11:59PM ET. Resale tickets (posted by subscription ticket holders) are already available on Ticketmaster, StubHub, and other resale sites.
My most important advice: DO NOT PANIC and rush into a decision! Without knowing better, too many first-time buyers panic without knowing that a little research and patience can yield better results.
The frustrating reality is that the ticket availability you see today may be different tomorrow — and the ticket situation will continue to evolve over the summer because (1) USTA/Ticketmaster use “dynamic pricing” on face-value “standard” tickets in response to fluctuations in supply and demand; 2) the tournament holds back on releasing all the tickets initially, and tends to trickle more out in the weeks/months that follow (however frustrating, I’ve learned this is fairly common practice for event ticketing); (3) more and more people put tickets up for resale on Ticketmaster and elsewhere, which can sometimes drive down average resale prices as sellers compete to unload their tickets.
THE GOOD NEWS IS: if you’re willing to exercise patience and do a little work, there are almost always good deals to be found throughout the summer – right up until the actual day of matches! This is because:
- (1) Increasing numbers of sellers post their tickets for resale throughout the summer, and sellers competing for buyers often lower prices as we get closer to the start of the US Open;
- (2) USTA ends up releasing more standard price tickets as the summer goes on (inexplicably, at random times). I have on many (many!) occasions found better seats on the resale market for around the same price (sometimes even less) as standard no-fee seats. For example: in 2022 on Ticketmaster for the Day 1 Ashe DAY session there was a FRONT ROW Loge Resale ticket available for $281 ($327 with fees), while a Standard ticket in the third row of the adjacent section was going for $347 ($372 with fees) – see this screenshot (from August 17 2022).
Before buying, I recommend reading this entire post carefully to understand all the available options, explore the resale market to get a sense of average for sessions/seats that interest you, and prioritize what’s most important to you… THEN you’ll be in the best position to get the best seats and experience for your budget.
Below are the sites that will give you access to the BEST INVENTORY of available tickets (both face-value and resale). Before buying, be sure to compare options and prices.When searching, try sorting by price, section, row… Take your time, get a good sense of what the prevailing price for what you want, and when you spot a good deal, grab it!
CLICK HERE FOR DAILY SCHEDULE DETAILS AND SESSION-SPECIFIC TICKET LINKS
- Aug 18-21 (Monday-Thurs): Fan Week/ Qualifying Tournament + Main Draw Mixed Doubles. 128 male and female players compete for the final 32 spots (16 each for men and women) in the singles draws. Gates open 10:00am, Play at 11:00am.
-
- Aug 19 and 20 (Tues-Wed): Main Draw Mixed Doubles: Round 1 & 2 on Tuesday Aug 19 at 11:00am Tickets | Semis and Finals on Wed Aug 20 at 7:00pm Tickets
- Aug 21 (Thurs): Stars of the Open Tickets (7pm)
-
- Aug 22 (Friday): More Special Events/ Free Access to Grounds for Practices.
- Aug 23 (Saturday): Kids’ Day
MAIN TOURNAMENT
- Sunday Aug 24: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 24 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 24 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Monday Aug 25: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 25 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 25 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Tues Aug 26: Men’s & Women’s 1ST ROUND
- Aug 26 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 26 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Wed Aug 27: Men’s & Women’s 2ND ROUND (+ Doubles 1st Round on outer courts)
- Aug 27 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 27 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Thurs Aug 28: Men’s & Women’s 2ND ROUND (+ Women’s Doubles 1st Round on outer courts)
- Aug 28 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 28 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Fri Aug 29: Men’s & Women’s 3RD ROUND (+ Doubles 1st Round and Juniors on outer courts)
- Aug 29 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 29 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Sat Aug 30: Men’s & Women’s 3RD ROUND (+ Men’s Doubles 1st Round and Women’s Doubles 2nd Round on outer courts)
- Aug 30 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grandstand Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 30 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets | Armstrong Evening
- Sun Aug 31: Men’s & Women’s 4TH ROUND (“Round of 16”) Note: Men’s Round of 16 Singles matches on this day will be played exclusively on Ashe and Armstrong, not Grandstand! Day session ONLY on Armstrong (11am) + Doubles 2rd Round, Juniors (outer courts)
- Aug 31 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grounds
- Aug 31 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Monday Sep 1: Men’s & Women’s 4TH ROUND (“Round of 16”) Note: Men’s Singles matches on this day will be played exclusively on Ashe and Armstrong, not Grandstand. Day session ONLY on Armstrong (11am) + Men’s Doubles 2nd Round and Women’s Doubles 3d Round + Juniors (outer courts)
- Sep 1 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Armstrong Day Tickets | Grounds
- Sep 1 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Tues Sep 2: Men’s & Women’s QUARTERFINALS + Men’s Doubles 3d Round + Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals + Wheelchair and Juniors matches on outer courts. Note: Armstrong and Grandstand only feature Doubles matches from this point on, open to Day session or Grounds ticketholders).
- Sep 2 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets | Grounds
- Sep 2 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Wed Sep 3: Men’s & Women’s QUARTERFINALS + Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals (Armstrong), Women’s Doubles Semifinals (Armstrong) + Juniors and Wheelchair matches on outer courts
- Sep 3 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets
- Sep 3 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Ashe Evening Tickets
- Thurs Sep 4 DAY: Free Entry for Day Session at 11:00AM (Community Day). Free grounds access to watch Men’s Doubles Semifinals (in 2024 was on Armstrong at 4pm) + Juniors, Wheelchair matches on outer courts. Gates open 11:00am, matches start at Noon.
- Thurs Sep 4 EVE: WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS. Note: Ashe Evening Session ticket gets access to both women’s Semifinal matches
- Sep 4 EVE (Entry to grounds anytime after 11:00am): Ashe Women’s Semifinals (Both) Evening Tickets
- Friday Sep 5 DAY: MEN’S SEMIFINALS 3:00pm), preceded by Women’s Doubles Final (Noon). Note: Wheelchair and Junior matches (outer courts). Gates open 11:00am.
- Sep 5 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Men’s Semifinal #1 Ashe Day Tickets Men’s Semifinal #1
- Sep 5 EVE (Entry 6:00pm): Men’s Semifinal #2 Ashe Evening Tickets Men’s Semifinal #2
- Saturday Sep 6 DAY ONLY: WOMEN’S FINAL (4:00pm) * Preceded by Men’s Doubles Final (Noon) (There is only one Ashe Day ticket option and it covers BOTH matches, and you can enter grounds at 11:00am). + Junior and Wheelchair finals beginning at Noon.
- Sep 6 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets Women’s Final
- Sunday Sep 7 DAY ONLY: MEN’S FINAL (2:00pm). Gates open at 11:00am.
- Sep 7 DAY (Entry 9:30am): Ashe Day Tickets Men’s Final
Here is the ESPN Broadcast schedule (updated link to come)
1. ALWAYS (!) first check the official Ticketmaster US Open tennis tournament site. I strongly recommend looking on a computer/web browser for fastest navigation and the best options for viewing availability (be sure to use the “map view” of individual seats by clicking on any individual section, try sorting lists in different ways, and use multiple browser tabs to compare across various sessions).
- This site features both (1) any standard tickets (non-resale, face value) that may be available (shown as “blue dots” on the detailed seat map for each session – most often only in Promenade, but occasionally pop up in Loge and Courtside sections throughout the summer); and (2) resale tickets (shows as “red dots” on the detailed seat map for each session).
- Surprisingly, resale tickets (red dots) can often be the best value: resellers often lower their prices to around or below face value as they compete with other resellers to attract buyers.
- Tickets remain on sale for 59 minutes after a session begins as long as tickets remain (e.g., if an Ashe Day session begins at Noon, tickets remain on sale until 12:59pm). For Men’s Semi’s in 2019, Ticketmaster kept sales open for standard seats only another 3 hours beyond that (which were in most cases about double the cost of what was available on the resale market).
- Both Ticketmaster and Stubhub make it very easy to put your tickets back up for sale if your plans change or you decide you want to switch days or tickets later.
- You must have a US bank account to put your tickets up for resale on Ticketmaster.
2. Use my 2025 guide to ticket prices and what is a “good deal” (including fees) for every session/ticket type at the 2025 US Open.
3. In addition to Ticketmaster, it often pays to check StubHub or other reseller sites like those below to see if you can find an even better deal for comparable seats. If you search on both the official US Open Ticketmaster site PLUS one of the sites below to compare, you’ll get tremendous visibility into what’s available and the range of prices on the resale market. Many of these sites also keep selling tickets after a session begins for several hours (versus Ticketmaster, which stops selling 59 minutes after the session begins).
CAUTION: Only purchase resale tickets that are clearly labeled with SECTION, ROW, and SEAT numbers that match up with the Stadium Maps I include in this post; if something appears questionable or too good to be true, it probably is. Also only buy tickets available for MOBILE TRANSFER. You should receive them promptly, and be sure to double-check the tickets you receive correspond to what was advertised. If you don’t, contact the reseller and ask for a refund. While rare, there’s always a handful of unscrupulous sellers who label tickets inaccurately to make them more appealing. Stubhub and other reputable resellers will refund your purchase if you purchase a ticket that has been misrepresented (e.g. the seller delivers a ticket in a different section than advertised) – but then it will be up to you to find another ticket.
- Beyond Ticketmaster, Stubhub is my main source to check for any other deals, as it usually has the largest inventory of resale tickets.
- Other sites I’ve never had an issue with include TicketCity, VividSeats, Viagogo, SeatGeek, or Ticket Liquidator.
- WARNING: DO NOT PURCHASE FROM TickPick. I personally have had two awful experiences: sellers reneged on promised tickets, Tickpick customer service was abysmal, and they were unable to produce replacement tickets.
4. Check out the exact location of individual seats for tickets in each stadium before buying them. Learn how and see seating charts and shade maps here.
5. Do not buy off Craigslist or classified sites!
I’ve heard tons of stories over the years of folks who got scammed or had to go through considerable hassle to obtain tickets. Not worth the risk. Also know that NYC law prohibits reselling “scalping” 1500 feet away from the venue (which is effectively everywhere off the subway at the US Open), and they have undercover police on site cracking down on both sellers and buyers.
6. If you’re going with a friend(s), consider buying a combination of cheap and amazing seats.
This way, you can split the cost and trade off time in the great seat. E.g., you could trade time in seats in Promenade vs Courtside, or between stadiums (in Ashe vs a reserved seat in Armstrong or Grandstand). I do this every year with my best friends. This is a bit more challenging given evolving e-ticket technologies, and may require meeting up and trading phones – but it can be worth it.
Note: all tickets (including through Ticketmaster) are offered as MOBILE ONLY tickets (i.e., “Your Phone is Your Ticket”) – which requires having a smart phone with internet/wifi capability or downloading into your electronic wallet.
- If you do not have a smart phone (either iPhone or Android) and you purchase through Ticketmaster, they WILL help you – but you’ll have to contact their customer service directly and have them make an exception and transfer your tickets to “Will Call” pick up location on site. If you don’t own a smart phone and are purchasing resale tickets during the tournament, I’d recommend buying exclusively through Ticketmaster and not taking chances with other resellers.
- Questions? See US Open’s detailed instructions (with screenshots) on how to access and manage your mobile tickets.
Finally, if you want to explore package deals (combining tickets with optional hotel, transportation, VIP perks, etc), there are several trusted options including Championship Tennis Tours, Grand Slam Tennis Tours, and Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
Tip #6: If you’ve never done it, consider splurging once on a courtside Ashe seat — if possible after the 2nd round of play when matches start getting more competitive.
After dreaming for years of the possibility, I finally bit the bullet to invest in courtside seats in 2011 for the first time. It was bliss. Ever since, I’ve made an annual pilgrimage to experience Courtside with a few close friends at least once. What most people don’t understand about the mammoth Ashe stadium until they’ve been in person is that even Loge seating is fairly high up because (a) the stadium is very vertically oriented (seating is on a sharp incline) and (b) there are two levels of suites above Courtside before the first row of Loge even begins. So when you’re down in Courtside, you feel like you’re in another world. The feeling of being that close to greatness in Ashe’s electric atmosphere is pretty amazing. If going for a courtside seat, keep in mind that Row E is first row in sections 1-6, 31-40, 65-67; and Row F is first row in sections 7,9,11, 26, 29, 30, 60 63, 64, 41, 42. If courtside is out of your budget, aim for lower Loge rows A-C when possible.
Here’s a video I shot of Federer from the front row in 2011, the very first time I sat courtside at Ashe. I found a great deal on a resale ticket (baseline section 58) for Labor Day during the Round of 16 and got to witness Federer perfection from a few feet away. Best money I’ve ever spent.
BOX 3: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the questions I get most often, along with important stuff I wish I had known myself before buying tickets the first time…
FAQ #1: How can I predict when (and on which court) Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek or my other favorite player will play? Will they play Day or Night Sessions?
As of right now, you can’t. That’s because scheduling is a result of three factors: (1) whether a player is in the “top” or “bottom” half of their draw (which won’t be announced until on/around Wed/Thursday August 20-21 2025); (2) the tournament director’s decision about which halves of the draws will play on which days (which we won’t know until it’s announced around Thurs/Friday Aug 21-22); and (3) the tournament’s daily decisions about whether players are scheduled for Day or Night sessions and on which courts (not made until the day prior to a match).
Once it’s clear which halves of the draw will play on which days, you can at least predict the DATES (if not the time or court) your favorites will play. Last year (2024), the BOTTOM HALVES of the men’s and women’s draws both played (not always the case!) beginning on Day 1 then again on Day 3, 5, 7, and 9), and players in the TOP HALVES played beginning on Day 2 (then again on Day 4, 6, 8, and 10). When clear for 2025, I’ll post a chart like this one I did for 2024 that summarized which top-seeded players will play on which days.
HOWEVER, there’s never any sure way to predict whether players will be scheduled for DAY or NIGHT sessions. Officials try to spread the wealth and be fair to players by alternating players between Day and Night sessions. Contrary to popular belief, they do not always schedule the biggest stars at night. The one exception to this is Quarterfinals, when biggest stars (or most anticipated match-ups) are usually scheduled for the night sessions.
One thing you can count on is for the US Open schedulers to defy crowd predictions ever year, with decisions that resist generalizations. Many a fan has been heartbroken after spending a lot of money on expensive seats based on erroneous predictions. Case in point from the 2020 and 2019 US Open tournaments:
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- In 2020, Serena’s 1st Round match (on Day 2) was a DAYsession; 2d Round match (Day 4) NIGHT session; 3d Round match (on Day 6) DAY session; 4th Round match (on Day 8) DAY session again; Quarterfinals (Day 10) — a DAY session yet again!
- In 2019, Serena’s 1st Round match (on Day 1) was a NIGHTsession; 2d Round (Day 3) NIGHT session; 3d Round (Day 5) DAY session; 4th Round (Day 7) DAY session again; Quarterfinals (Day 9) NIGHT session
- Also in 2019, Djokovic was scheduled for 3 consecutive Ashe Night sessionsand Federer for 3 consecutive Ashe Day sessions (Days 3, 5, and 7).
To be absolutely sure you see your favorite player, consider waiting until the schedule is published the day prior (start checking frequently early afternoon, usually out by 5:00pm), then immediately go to the official Ticketmaster US Open page (or other resale sites like Stubhub) to grab a resale ticket. This strategy requires, however, that you monitor the ticket situation closely in the days prior and are prepared to act immediately when the schedule is announced. Also, if you see tickets becoming scarce and prices going up in the days prior, you may conclude it’s worth taking a chance and purchasing based on an educated guess.
One sure way to see your favorite player up close is to watch them when they’re scheduled for practice on the practice courts. See Tip #10
To see real examples of what kinds of matches get scheduled on which courts for specific days, look at previous years’ schedules:
–> Full 2024 US Open Daily Schedules (All Days, All Courts)
–> Full 2023 US Open Daily Schedules (All Days, All Courts)
–> 2022 Daily Schedule of Play
LEARN HOW TO MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES ABOUT WHO PLAYS WHEN/WHERE
On the THURSDAY before the main tournament begins (August 21, 2025), the “Draw” will be revealed: Singles players (128 men and 128 women) are split into two equal “Halves” of a “Men’s Singles Draw” and “Women’s Singles Draw,” each half of which will play on alternating days through quarterfinals (Day 1-10). The #1 and #2 seeds (based on ATP and WTA rankings) are placed in opposite halves of the draw (so they will play on different days). The #3 and #4 seeds are also placed in opposite halves of the draw and in different quarters from the #1 and #2 seeds. Spots for winners of the Qualifier Tournament will be indicated as “Qualifier.”
- In the past, once the US Open announces which halves of the draw will play on Day 1 versus Day 2 (which they do on the Thursday or Friday before the main tournament begins) we used to be able to predict which DATES your favorite players will be scheduled through quarterfinals: Players scheduled on Day 1 would play again on Day 3, 5, 7, and 9 if they advanced; players scheduled on Day 2 would play again on Day 4, 6, 8, and 10 if they advance.
- HOWEVER, THIS YEAR (2025) IS DIFFERENT. With an extra day added for Round 1 (three days for Round 1), we won’t be able to apply the rule above until Round 2 scheduling is released.
- Only the biggest superstars (like Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff) are sure to be scheduled on Ashe – others might be scheduled on Armstrong, Grandstand, or field courts. Schedulers have been known to put even the #1-ranked player in the world on Armstrong or Grandstand, as they did in 2021 with then #1 Simona Halep during Round 1 (on Grandstand) and then #2 Aryna Sabalenka (Armstrong). See my chart (click to enlarge) for illustrative examples of who has been scheduled on which courts.
- There’s never any sure way to predict whether players will be scheduled for DAY or NIGHT sessions. Officials try to spread the wealth and be fair to players by alternating players between Day and Night sessions. Contrary to popular belief, they do not always schedule the biggest stars at night. The one exception to this is Quarterfinals, when biggest stars are usually scheduled for the night sessions.
FYI: A fun way to get your head around the draw/brackets — and potential match-ups — is to enter the official US Open “Million-Dollar Bracket” contest. Each submission that correctly picks all 127 matches in the men’s singles bracket will share from a prize pool of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000). It’s also a great way to become more familiar with some players you may not have heard of yet but probably will soon.
FAQ #2: How do a see the exact location of seats that I might buy (in Ashe, Armstrong, or Grandstand)?
- Go to Ticketmaster, click on any session for the stadium in question, choose Map View, then mouse over or click on any of the dots to see the exact section, row and seat #.
- See all the seating charts below
- Note that for Ashe Courtside seats, each lettered “row” (e.g. “A” or “H”) actually stands for two rows: e.g., “Row A Seat 5” might actually be in the second row, Row C Seat 6 is probably 6th row). Courtside Sections 48-49, 52-63 and 66-67 go actually have two rows of “AA” seats followed by rows A-H.
- Also take note of where the umpire sits (you’ll see a little chair icon on each map — and avoid courtside tickets very close up in sections right behind or next to the chair (please note: the umpire chair is never a big obstruction, but it might be a minor annoyance to some).
- To make matters more complicated… first row for Behind-the-Server seats Courtside begin with E or F: Row E is first row in sections 1-6, 31-40, 65-67; and Row F is first row in sections 7,9,11, 26, 29, 30, 60 63, 64, 41, 42.
- In short, check out the detailed Seat Map on Ticketmaster view before buying to see the exact location.
KEY SEATING CHARTS AND SHADE MAPS
Arthur Ashe Stadium
- Arthur Ashe Seating Chart (view from above)
- Official Ashe Stadium Seating Chart
- My annotated Ashe Stadium SHADE map
- Ashe “Interactive Seat Viewer” to give you a sense of what view is like from specific seats – which from my experience tends to make seats look like they’re closer than they actually feel when you’re there, but helpful nonetheless.
Louis Armstrong Stadium
- Louis Armstrong Stadium Seating Chart (Official)
- Louis Armstrong Chart (with my annotations)
- Armstrong Interactive “View from Seat” Map
- My annotated Armstrong Stadium SHADE map
Grandstand
FAQ #3: When should I buy? Will prices go up or down? Will sessions sell out if I wait too long? What are average prices? What’s a “good deal”?
The frustrating reality is: “it depends.” Buying tickets for the US Open can be like investing in the stock market: knowledge and judgment dramatically raises the odds of a good decision, but there are always surprises due to the number of variables involved. Standard (non-resale) Ashe tickets usually sell out fairly quickly (except for Ashe stadium’s “Promenade” section, where there are usually quite a few available throughout the summer). However, there are almost always resale tickets available until the very last moment because thousands of fans post their tickets for resale. You can almost always get tickets closer to the tournament – and you may end up finding a phenomenal deal if you are patient. However, waiting longer to purchase requires you to have a higher risk tolerance than those who’d prefer the certainty around making arrangements sooner. Resale ticket prices can vary significantly, especially closer to the tournament. Prices can plummet when lineups are predicted to be lackluster… or they can skyrocket if fans speculate that certain marquee players (like Federer) will be scheduled. In 2017, after it became clear that both Federer and Nadal would be scheduled on the same days throughout the tournament, prices spiked sharply for the days they’d be scheduled if they advanced and dropped significantly for the opposite days. Then, after Federer got knocked out in quarters, prices for semis and finals declined quite a bit. The best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with average prices on Ticketmaster for the days/sessions you are considering over the course of several days so you can recognize a good deal when you see one and spot the trends.
This year, prices are shockingly high across the board. Tennis is having a moment, thanks in large part to the massive popularity of the likes of new young players, particularly Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff!
Here’s my NEW chart (updated May 2025) that outlines my best guesses for what I’d consider a “good deal” (including fees) for each session/ticket type. The estimates are based on this year’s average resale market prices and my tracking of the past two years’ pricing trends for both standard and resale tickets. Please use it only as a rough guide – but hopefully it will be a helpful starting point to gauge expectations as you explore and make the right decisions for you.
FAQ #4: Which seats get the most shade?
For Ashe: The roof creates a massive amount of natural shading all day for a large number of seats. The sections that get the most shade are in the South and West sections of the stadium; Next-best for shade are in the North. Sections with the most sun (to avoid for Day sessions) are on the East side. Click on the photo/map below for details. For the new Armstrong: Situation is similar to Ashe, now that there’s a roof. In short, Sections 1-8 are best for shade. West-side sections (Chair Umpire side) get the most shade; and when not in shade, at least the sun is at your back. Rows K and above (approximately) are shaded soonest (by about 12:30pm), then the sun gradually moves down to cover all rows by about 2:00 pm. East-side sections get the least shade and are in direct sun most of the afternoon. However, Rows T and above (approximately) get shading all day. South sections (behind-the-server) get more shade than North sections: South sections start out almost entirely shaded until about 1pm, then the sun starts wrapping around clockwise, such that sections 17-18 end up losing shade mid-afternoon. See photo/map below. For Grandstand: There’s much less shade overall, however South and West sections are similarly better because sun is more at your back. General admission seats that are higher under the overhang, especially Southwest corner, get the most shade.
FAQ #5: What happens if it rains?
The good news: Now that both Arthur Ashe and the new Louis Armstrong stadiums have roofs, now up to 37,771 more fans each day will be able to see matches even if it rains. The bad news: if you invest in great seats for Grandstand or simply buy a Grounds Admission pass, there isn’t much consolation. Keep in mind that weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable and can change on the hour (I have literally been at Flushing Meadows when my iPhone said it was raining and it wasn’t). There’s always hope that showers will pass quickly. In the highly unlikely event of all-day rain out or under 60 minutes of play (which happened to me unforgettably in 2012 on the day I treated 6 friends to pricy Armstrong front row seats), the session may be rescheduled until the next day and your ticket may be honored then — or, you MAY be able to trade in tickets through the US Open for another session this year or next year if (and only if) you purchased directly from Ticketmaster (see the somewhat complicated US Open Inclement Weather Policy). In the worst case scenario, I recommend looking for the silver lining: you’ll be surrounded by a ton of other fans with whom you can grab a US Open specialty cocktail, huddle under a shelter, and watch an Ashe match together on a big screen.
FAQ #6: Should I buy a subscription or multi-session ticket plan?
For most serious fans, I don’t recommend it. Most multi-session plans for Ashe (and first-time subscription plans) for are only for “Promenade” seats — so high up in that huge stadium you’ll end up watching a lot of the match on the Jumbotron or through binoculars. It could take years to get the chance to upgrade your seats to Loge (only available if you purchase the very expensive full-series plan). For the full series ticket plan price (well over $2,000 each) you could buy several amazing seats for multiple sessions over the tournament (or 2 excellent seats for the Men’s final). Finally, there is always a glut of Promenade Ashe seats on the resale market, so if you buy an entire series of Promenade seats you may have a challenge reselling any you don’t need.
FAQ #7: Which are the best sections/seats with the best views?
The vast majority of people would consider “behind the server” seats (i.e., those on North or South ends of the courts) to be preferable — and prices generally reflect this. For first-timers, this area would be my top recommendation.
- This is the vantage point they use for filming for broadcast, because it enables you to follow point construction and see the court from the perspective of the player on your side of the net.
- From these seats, you’ll never have to move your head side-to-side to follow the ball.
- FYI: seats in these sections start several feet higher in these seats than sections on the side (this is why these rows begin with higher letters E instead of AA or A).
- Here’s a photo of the perspective from higher up seats in the new Armstrong. Here’s another photo from Ashe courtside front row.
Corner sections are also widely considered to be highly desirable — and for good reason. They carry many of the same advantages of the above, with the added benefit you can see the player on your side of the net from the front as their hitting the ball not just the back. Here’s a photo from the new Armstrong from that perspective.
As a serious player myself, I personally love sitting courtside as close as possible in lower rows of sections where seats are practically on the court, perpendicular and near to the actual baseline (e.g., section 58 in Ashe) because it gets me physically even closer to the players and more on the same level. Sitting in the lower rows, I feel even more like I’m on the court with them. I feel the speed of the game. In these seats, I personally enjoy watching one player at a time sometimes to see their footwork, how they prepare for the next ball, etc. I took the video of Federer I included in my post from this perspective (from section 58). Here’s a photo from Ashe courtside from that perspective.
When considering Loge or Promenade seats in Ashe, I generally recommend prioritizing seats that are in lower rows regardless of location— simply because Loge (and especially Promenade) are already quite high up to begin with. For Day sessions, I strongly urge folks to factor in potential shade benefits (seats on West side, SouthWest, and Northwest tend to get the most shade relief). See FAQ #4 above. With regard to the umpire chair, it really is never an obstruction but may feel a bit of an annoyance to some if you’re sitting in very low rows on that side — simply because you may not always have a complete view of the player on the other side of the net. See this photo for example. I personally don’t mind this for reasons I mention above, and this is ONLY an issue when courtside in very low rows.
Tip #7: The night before you go
Check the app or click this link for the detailed daily Schedule of Play for the following day’s schedule and make your game plan so you can beeline directly to the court where the match you care about will happen (including, potentially, the practice courts– see Tip #8 below). You should also download the official US Open Everywhere App (search on app stores for “2025 US Open Tennis”) to track the latest schedule, scores and live updates. If someone you really want to see will play on Grandstand or Armstrong, get to the grounds as early as you can so you can be among the first in line when the gates open at 9:30am then speed-walk to those stadiums and grab the best seat you can. Check out the day-to-day coverage at SI.com’s tennis page, which is always terrific.
Tip #8: Check out the practice courts for close sightings of the superstars
Check the practice schedule the night before (and morning of) to see when/where players are practicing (you can also see it on the official US Open App).
Note: the best time to see top players practice without fighting crowds is during the free Qualifier Tournament and week before the main tournament (see my Tip #10 below).
Tip #9: Do not drive unless you really have to. Especially if the Mets have a home game.
Option 1: Take the subway #7 train (see 7 train schedule here, runs 24 hours, PM times in bold, see stops here, which include Grand Central). Note: you no longer need a MetroCards for the NY subway– you can simply TAP YOUR PHONE AT THE TURNSTILE if you are set up for tap-and-pay..
Option 2: (FASTEST, only 15 min from Midtown NYC): Take the LONG ISLAND RAILROAD (LIRR), which departs from Penn Station from the new “Moynihan Train Hall” (entrance on 8th Avenue between West 31st-33rd, directly across from Penn Station). to the “Mets-Willets Point” station (the signage will say either “GREAT NECK” or “PORT WASHINGTON” – double check the train number before boarding). Look for the “Port Washington” train on the monitors to find the right track. IMPORTANT: The LIRR stop at Mets-Willets is NOT accessible for fans with disabilities — so anyone with disabilities should exit the LIRR at Woodside/61st Street Station then transfer to the 7 train (or just take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point Station).
- To purchase LIRR tickets:
- Download the very easy-to-use NEW MTA TrainTime App. Within the app, click “Trips”, then at the top fill in From “Penn Station” and To “Mets-Willets Point” then see all the upcoming train options. Click the train you want and select “Buy” and it will show options for one-way or R/T. Ticket(s) will then be in your “wallet” in the app for you to use whenever you like; you just have to press “activate” right before you board your train of choice.
- Alternatively, you can also buy a ticket at Penn Station in the Moynihan Hall using an ATM-like ticket machine (or at the window). But the app is way easier.
- For return trips from the Open, you’ll need to show your ticket at the US Open’s LIRR entrance (top of the ramp near the East Gate) — the individuals checking tickets can also sell you a one-way return ticket if you need and you can use a credit card (tip: you do NOT need to line up at the ticket window!!).
- Here is the 2024 LIRR schedule until September 2 (Labor Day)
- Here is the 2024 LIRR schedule from September 3 until the end of the tournament
- If you fly into Laguardia (LGA) you can take the NYC “Q48” public bus from Laguardia to the US Open (the stop is listed on the MTA website as “ROOSEVELT AV/WILLETS PT BL STATION.” LGA is very close to the US Open grounds, but the bus trip could take around 30 minutes.
If you must go by car…
- See the US Open’s driving directions and details on parking lots.
- Plan extra time (more than you think) Monday Aug 25-Sunday 31 when Mets are playing home games and parking will be limited or not available at Citi Field. Consider reserving a parking spot here.
- Recommend putting in GPS “Citi Field” to get you to the general area – if parking isn’t available at Citi Field, there should be traffic cops around to redirect you
- US Open recommends using “Grand Central Parkway exit 9E or Whitestone Expressway (678) Exit 13D.”
- You’ll see signs and be directed to available public parking ($25 for cars).
- Citi Field will be the primary lot (“Yellow Zone” parking) except when the Mets are playing at Home (see the Mets home schedule). On those dates, according to the US Open you’ll be “directed to guest parking lots 1-6” (which the map confusingly labels as A-H– sorry I can’t provide any more clarification on this!).
- If you must drive on a day the Mets are playing, ARRIVE AS EARLY AS YOU CAN – like around 8:30am if possible – to avoid major hassles.
- The entrance to Citi Field parking is located at 126th Street and Shea Road, Corona, NY. GPS address to that intersection is “126 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368.
- Consider buying a parking pass on Stubhub to lots A, B, or C (which are closest). Here’s the detailed transportation map showing parking lots.
- Fellow fan Harry pointed out: “If you are willing to walk a bit, street parking underneath or south of Highway 495 is a viable option.”
- Uber/Lyft/Taxi TO the Open:
- You can have the driver put in “Billie Jean King National Tennis Center” if you want to have them drop you near the SOUTH GATE. If you’re aiming for the EAST GATE, try putting in “Mets-Willets Point” as the destination – this will take you directly to the spot on Roosevelt Avenue where the 7 train lets people off, then you can just walk up the stars and across the foot bridge to the East Gate. But that option MAY not be available if they are blocking off traffic, which they occasionally do.
- If considering a taxi or Uber/Lyft home after a night session, be prepared for a long wait, hassles, and a very (very) expensive ride with surge pricing. Getting an Uber/Lyft after an evening session when literally thousands of others are trying to do the same can be a nightmare. I tried it in 2016 as an experiment and here’s what happened: (1) Had to go to designated “zone 3” pickup area for cabs and users– a long walk from the South Gate near the globe (trying to meet them by the 7 train at Roosevelt is really tough given heavy traffic); (2) three Uber drivers cancelled on me after accepting before I finally get one; (3) Surge pricing was in effect, with a ride that should have cost $45 being quoted over $120.
- If you must hire a car back home after a night session, you might try the following instead:
- (1) Reserve a car service pickup in advance. I’ve used Riverside and they’re always reliable (and they have an app as well) – but you can find many other car services in NY if you Google.
- (2) Take the LIRR or 7 subway train into Manhattan (or to another local stop like “Junction Blvd”), then call Uber or a hail a cab
- (3) Try to hail a cab on the street just under the 7 train (Roosevelt Ave); or download the “Curb” app for NYC taxis and hail one that way from that location.
- If you’re lucky enough to be driving a Cadillac to the Open, you’ll get complimentary parking (Cadillac replaced Mercedes-Benz in 2022 as a major sponsor)
Alternatively, consider staying in Queens and biking! Fellow fan Mark shared his experience in 2019: “We packed our bikes and stayed at a nice AirB&B on Queens Boulevard, a little over 2 miles from the stadium. Queens has a great network of dedicated bike lanes and a friendly attitude toward bikers, and best of all – the terrain is flat! Once at the grounds, there are bike racks across from the South Gate entrance and in front of the security tent that handles baggage claim. It is a fun and hassle-free way to make the commute for anyone that so inclined!”
Tip #10: Take advantage of these amazing FREE opportunities to see incredible players up close:
- AUG 18-23 FREE “Fan Week“: If you’re a serious fan, don’t miss the FREE qualifying tournament Monday August 18- Thursday August 21, the week before the main tournament begins. 128 of the world’s best male and female players (whose ATP and WTA rankings were just shy of qualifying automatically for the US Open) will compete for the final 32 spots (16 each for men and women) in the singles draws. 2021 US Open women’s singles champion Emma Raducanu became the first in history to win a major after playing in the qualifiers – a reminder this is an amazing opportunity to see major rising players! It’s also a great opportunity to see top-seeded players on practice courts. Read why Fan Week/Qualies are so special in this excellent piece by Steven Kutz.
- Gates open at 10:00am. You must arrive before 5:00pm to enter.
- Qualifier Tournament matches start at 11:00am
- Official practices (of main draw players) start earlier. However, fans won’t have access to any player practices scheduled before 10:00am, For practices on Ashe, you need to register for a Fan Access Pass to access practices in Ashe (which you can do via the app).
- To understand how players qualify to play in the US Open and why qualifiers matter, see this explanation by Laurence Shanet
- Watch top seeds (including Federer) practicing during this entire “Fan Week. Check the practice schedule here (also available on the app) the day before/ morning of to see when your favorites are scheduled to practice.
- Click here to register for a “Fan Access Pass,” which gives you certain perks (including access to special preferred seating for some practice sessions). Note: the Fan Pass check-in is located by the East Gate on the left.
- FRI- SAT AUG 22-23:
- US Open Media Day at 11am ET on Ashe Stadium, with players answering questions. Fans must register for the event via Fan Pass.
- “Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day” Sat Aug 23. If you have kids, this is a great day to go– lots of interactive games, music, and activities.
- Free access to practice sessions: Go see top players practicing up close by taking advantage of free access to the US Open grounds the day before the main tournament begins to watch practice sessions – it’s one of the best-kept secrets that the grounds are open to the public all day.
Box 4: What to Bring and What NOT to bring (Backpacks not allowed!)
Be sure to review this list of prohibited items before going!
To help clarify some common confusions:
- You CAN bring a drawstring bag (click here for example) but NOT a backpack with two straps
- You CAN bring a digital camera with video capabilities (however they do NOT allow “Video cameras or recording devices”, which includes GoPros)
- You CAN bring a plastic or metal water bottle 24 oz or less to refill on site (but NOT anything glass!)
- You CAN bring a fanny pack: but if you do you’ll still need to go through the “with bag” security line
- You CAN bring sunscreen in lotion form only, NOT aerosol cans
- According to the US Open bot on the website: “Outside food or beverages (excluding alcohol) CAN be brought into the US Open grounds, but must fit into one sized bag. There are no exceptions.”
- There is storage outside both East and South Gate entrances if you need it: $10 per locker, $20 for large items including suitcases). Bag check for American Express cardholders is discounted (1 bag per card).
Be prepared to wait in a potentially long security line if you have any bag at all (i.e. an enclosed object that doesn’t fit in your clothes), whereas you can breeze through a separate express line for those without bags.
Before Leaving, Don’t Forget…
- Download your mobile tickets from to your mobile wallet (e.g. Apple Wallet or something like WalletPasses on Android)
- Sunglasses and sunscreen (lotion not spray)! If you forget, La Roche offers free samples just inside the EAST gate entrance.
- A backup phone charger (e.g. a Mophie) if you have one – although there are Chase-sponsored free chargers on site.
- A lightweight white towel to protect exposed skin from sun or to sit on when in unreserved seats, which can get hot and uncomfortable.
- Reusable plastic water bottle (to refill using any of the many water fountains). Evian is $6 for a small so bring your own!
- If taking subway (7 train), fill up your subway Metrocard in advance for your return trip in advance if taking 7 train so you don’t have to wait in long lines; If taking LIRR (my favorite) you need to get your ticket before boarding
- A small umbrella if rain may be in the forecast
- Dress in layers as it can get hot during the day and occasionally chilly at night
- Contacts wearers: A very small bottle of contact lens solution in case you get something in your eye
- FYI: There are two entrances to the grounds: (1) the main entrance, the “East Gate,” located near the Subway/LIRR; and (2) the “South Gate” entrance near the iconic World’s Fair “Unisphere” (globe) – see map above. While lines tend to be shorter by the South Gate, the wait may end up being about the same because there are fewer attendants and metal detectors.
Box 5: FREE ADMISSION ON SECOND THURSDAY (September 4)!
SEE MEN’S DOUBLES SEMIFINALS Plus the World’s Top Wheelchair, Junior, and Collegiate Players for FREE
Gates open at 11:00 AM
One of the best-kept secrets is that you can usually enter the US Open grounds for free on the second Thursday (gates open at noon, must arrive before 5pm) and see the Men’s Doubles Semifinals plus all-star wheelchair players, the world’s top juniors, and incredible collegiate players.
If you are a serious tennis fan, particularly if you’re a doubles player, this is a day not to be missed.
A FEW MORE RECS
- I agree with every word of “Here’s How to Have the Best Time at the U.S. Open: Tips, Tricks and Transportation“ by the brilliant Sports Illustrated writer Jon Wertheim. Note: if you haven’t yet seen Wertheim’s 2018 Strokes of Genius documentary on the Federer/Nadal rivalry, RENT IT! It’s one of the best documentaries on anything I’ve ever seen, beautifully capturing so many of the unique aspects of tennis that make us so passionate about our sport.
- Bring a backup phone charger if you have one. However, there are several re-charging stations, but after all the photos and video you take with your phone and use of Wi-Fi you’ll run out of juice quickly.
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FOOD: There are a bunch of options on site, but they aren’t cheap! See my chart outlining examples of the food stands by area on the grounds.
- This PDF includes several menus from past Food Village stands. Every year there are some new additions and substitutions, but many of these will still be around in 2025.
- Korilla BBQ is one of my favorites, but lines are usually among the longest.
- Poke Yachty is absolutely delicious and lines move quickly because they’ve nailed their system.
- Oyster Bar behind Grandstand has killer ceviches and lobster rolls.
- Hill Country BBQ, Curry Kitchen, Fish Shack and Fly Fish are also delicious.
- Restaurants in Queens not on the grounds
- Need an affordable hotel room? Fellow tennis fanatic Melissa maintains a great list of hotels appealing to all budgets, starting at $25 per night.
- AMERICAN EXPRESS CARDHOLDERS: Bring your Amex card if you have one! See full Amex Benefits at US Open here. Perks from 2024 likely to be repeated in 2025:
- (1) Amex Card Member Lounge on the 2d Level of the Amex “Fan Experience” (where anyone can also play a “Glow Tennis” mixed reality interactive game and get a complimentary manicure with tennis themed nail art).
- (2) Centurion Suite in Armstrong (Exclusive to Platinum and Centurion Members). Book in advance on Resy
- (3) Book complimentary court time in NYC area at over 500 tennis and pickleball courts and unlock special access to peak reservation times when using your Amex.
- (4) Check your bag for a reduced fee at East or South Gate
- (5) Get a one-time $20 statement credit when you spend $100 with your enrolled card at participating US Open merchants
- (6) Get a free earpiece/radio to hear ESPN match commentary
- (7) Skip lines and grab concession items quickly (checkout-free shopping) at the Amex Shop in South Plaza .
- CHASE CUSTOMERS? Check this Chase site for updates on perks for 2025.
- Click here to make a reservation to access the “Chase Lounge”
- Other past perks have included offering cool video+mobile “Chase Charge & Watch” chargers
- Sign up for the “Fan Pass” on the app to be entered into a sweepstakes and track your activity on site. Scan your personal barcode at various stations around the event to collect “badges,” which can redeem for prizes.
- Do your shopping for US Open gear early in the tournament – stores run out of the popular sizes fast.
- $25 Grounds Admission tickets will be available for Finals Weekend (Fri-Sun Sep 5-87 on this Ticketmaster page. Note: these grounds ticket options are not yet showing up on main Ticketmaster pages displaying the other stadium ticket options. You can’t access Ashe with these tickets, but you can walk the grounds, see juniors and wheelchair finals, and watch Ashe matches on the big screens.
FINAL TIP: “PAY IT FORWARD” WHEN YOU CAN!!
If you have the opportunity, consider performing a random act of kindness for fellow fans during the tournament. Our tennis community is big, but relatively speaking, it’s small… Our passion for our sport is infectious; do something kind for someone today, they’re likely to pay it forward. Last year, a reader emailed me saying he had an emergency and couldn’t go to the tournament but had amazing New Grandstand seats – he asked if I knew anyone that would really value them for free so they didn’t go to waste. I was able to share with a fanatic who’s in town on a budget, who as you can imagine was elated. In past years, I’ve gifted a lot of tickets myself – and it always feels wonderful. It takes seconds to “transfer” tickets from Ticketmaster/Ticketmaster Exchange to others simply by putting in an email address.
BOX 6 (INDEX): OUTLINE OF COMMON QUESTIONS AND IMPORTANT LINKS
This post has gotten long over the years to include many more details, so I’ve created the outline below with shortcuts to help you find what you need more quickly. Click below for shortcut links to key topics and FAQs I get most often:
CLICK HERE FOR OUTLINE OF COMMON QUESTIONS AND KEY LINKS
WHERE TO BUY TICKETS: How to Get the Best Deal? Which sites can I trust?
- Where to get the best deals on tickets? See Box #2
- Read my full advice for getting best deals on tickets (Box 2)
- What are reliable ticket sites?
- Ticketmaster – Official site – always check first then compare options on reseller sites. It also includes most resale tickets from the official Ticketmaster Exchange (resale tickets are shown as red dots on seat maps, standard non-resale tickets are blue dots)
- You can also checking Stubhub, which is very reliable and occasionally features good deals from sellers that aren’t on Ticketmaster.
WHEN SHOULD I BUY? WILL PRICES GO UP OR DOWN?? What are average prices?
- When should I buy my tickets– now or closer?
- Will sessions sell out if I wait too long?
- Will prices go down or up?
- Should I buy a subscription ticket plan?
- How can I recognize a good deal?
- What are average prices?
I WANT TO SEE SPECIFIC TOP PLAYERS, WHICH TICKETS SHOULD I BUY?
- How can I be sure to see Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, etc)? See FAQ #1
- Can I predict when my favorite player will play on a specific day or night? See FAQ #1
- How does the draw influence when players are scheduled? Do rankings affect the draw?
WHAT TIME CAN I ENTER WITH A DAY OR NIGHT SESSION TICKET (and how long can I stay)?
- Once you enter the Grounds of the US Open (through the East or South Gate), you can stay as long as you want and access non-reserved seating in any stadium (except Ashe, the only stadium where every seat is reserved and requires a ticket).
- If you enter with a Day session ticket, you can stay on grounds all night and access unreserved seating in any all stadiums (except Ashe), including Armstrong general admission seating for night matches on first-come basis.
- If you have a day and evening ticket the same day, you will NOT need to exit the US Open grounds and re-enter again
- If you have both Day and Evening session for Ashe on the same day, you will need to exit and reenter Ashe Stadium (they clear the entire stadium between Day and Evening sessions)
- If you were in Armstrong for the Day session (either Courtside reserved or GA seating), you will need to leave your seat between Day and Evening sessions (as they clean up). However, you may stay inside the concourse area of Armstrong (the inner-stadium areas with food stands).
- See Box #1 (Ticket Options Explained)
WHICH SEATS ARE BEST? BEST VIEW? SHADE?
- Which sections have the best view?
- “How do a see the exact location of seats that I might buy?
- Related: See my annotated Seating charts (including some shade maps) for all stadiums (including New Armstrong)
- “Which seats get the most shade?“
- Related: Annotated Ashe Stadium SHADE map
- Related: Annotated Armstrong Stadium SHADE map
CAN I BRING AN SLR CAMERA, BACKPACK, FOOD, WATER BOTTLE, ETC?
- Can I bring…
- An SLR camera with video capability? YES
- A plastic water bottle? YES, just not glass bottles – and they must be 24 oz or less. They can be plastic or metal.
- A backpack? NO, but you can bring a drawstring bag
- Food? YES, in “limited quantities” (they don’t define limited). “No sealed packages of any kind”
- See Red Box #4 above (“What to Bring and Not to Bring”) and review official list of prohibited items here
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BRACKETS
- See full Men’s Draw (bracket) and Women’s Draw (bracket)
- I prefer the more easy-to-read ESPN version of Men’s Bracket and ESPN version of Women’s Bracket
WHAT IF IT RAINS?
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS? SUBWAY OR CAR OR LIRR?
- See Tip #9 above
- 7 train subway schedule
- 2019 LIRR special schedule for 2019 US Open through September 2
- 2019 special schedule for 2019 US Open September 2-8
- Detailed transportation map showing parking lots
- Q488 bus from Laguardia Airport (5 min away)
HOTELS?
US OPEN POLICIES, RULES, AND OFFICIAL GUIDE
GOT A QUESTION OR COMMENT?
Please submit below and I’ll reply as soon as I can – I’m limited to replying over weekends and evenings given my demanding real job, but will do my best to help!
P.J.
PJ – What a PHENOMENAL job you have done this year with your 2025 US Open Ticket Prices – How to Spot a Good Deal? page. I am amazed that you included links to the TM site that go directly to the stadiums for the day chosen. You have made my life so much easier. Now if prices would just come down. I’m flabbergasted by Ashe loge prices. In 2023, I paid b/t $215-$240 per ticket for Ashe loge row F for Day 1 & 2, am & pm. Now, worse loge seats are double that. In just 2 years.Shocking.… Read more »
Courtney! Wow, thank you thank you so much. So gratifying to hear it’s helpful. I have been trying to make time and figure out best format for something like that for a long time – so really appreciate the feedback. Thank you again!
This article is so incredibly freaking helpful and I can’t thank the author enough. My only remaining question: if you buy a DAY ticket for Ashe, I know you can stay throughout the day and go to a night session at any of the “lesser” courts, but can I exit midday and come back in during the evening of that same day to then snag a seat at a “lesser” court? Or must I stay in the grounds all day?
Hi Demi, you made my day, thanks!! Yes, you can exit and re-enter the grounds during the day BUT there’s a big catch: you have to re-enter before 6pm with a Day session ticket. After 6pm, they’ll only accept evening session tickets for re-entry. PJ
Looking at Armstrong tickets, and wondering how many matches will get put on that court for first round day sessions now that R1 is over 3 days – any ideas?
Hi Natalie, I’m honestly not sure, haven’t heard anything – but my hunch is that the number of matches on Ashe and Armstrong and Grandstand won’t change for round 1 this year, even though it’s over 3 days. For Armstrong Day, I suspect they’ll stick with 2 women’s singles and 1 men’s singles as in previous years. But that’s just my guess. PJ
Hi! My high school kids are very into tennis. I bought tixs for stars of the open. Any advice? Have you been? TIA!
Hi Julie! That’s awesome. I have only gone to that event when it was on Armstrong in previous years – it was super fun because the players all seemed to be genuinely having a great time. My recommendation would be to go as early as you can to get in line so you can get the best seats possible (given that it’s GA seating within the various tiers). If you got Courtside level tickets, try to snag seats to the left of the umpire chair in lower rows near the NW corner where players will enter/exit – which will be… Read more »
Just got 3 tickets for 330$ (110 pp)
US Open Tennis: Session 2 (Louis Armstrong)
7:00 PM (event local time) at Section 3 | Row Q | Seats 23-25
Do you have thoughts on whether its going to be a good view and if it was a good deal?
Thank you!
Hi Eric, the view from there is good. Assume you mean 2d session on Day 1 for LA? If you look at that session here you’ll see Standard seats in the same row of that section now going for $261 – and seats in the last row of that section going for $200. So you scored!
Best transportation from Mid town Manhattan?
Fran, please see Tip #9 Options #1 and #2. I always do option #2 – the LIRR.
Which sites are legitimate to purchase US Open tickets besides Ticketmaster? Thanks
Hi Fran, please see my Box 2, Point #3 for my thoughts on that question.
Thank you for doing this! I noticed the link for 2025 Guide to US Open Ticket Prices: How to Spot a Good Deal is broken. It says no results found when I click on it. Just wanted to let you know so you could maybe reupload that chart.
Hey Chandler, thanks for your thanks! I have been having some issues with updates via WordPress taking effect slowly. Could you try one more time and let me know if it works for you??
It’s working now! Thanks
Fantastic thanks so much for letting me know!
Got my grandstand tickets for 29th. Back in section 1. Love it out there. Thanks for the recommendation many years ago
Hey I’m so glad to hear that! It’s such a special stadium. Hope you have a great time!
I got my grandstand tickets for the 29th as well section 7A. Hoping for some exciting matches.
Wonderful to hear, I love Grandstand so much and the 29th is an awesome day to be there. Enjoy!
Hola muchas gracias por tu guía, saludos desde Guatemala, Mi niño niño participará en New Jersey en el Little Mo internacional, aprovechando quiero que viva su primer experiencia viendo a Los grandes jugadores. Para el 21 de agosto es Stars of the Open pero ya no hay entradas. Quiero conseguir courtside pero están muy caras en reventa, crees que deba esperar o 250 dólares es un precio razonable ? El único día que puedo asistir el es primero el 24 de agosto, me recomiendas comprar Armstrong? Y ya por último es viable comprar desde el extranjero? En ticketmaster Gracias y… Read more »
Hola Juan! Es posible que vayan ofrecer más entradas para el evento Stars of the Open durante el verano, pero no hay forma de saberlo con certeza. Si se publican, las entradas “courtside” probablemente superarán $300… Pero vale la pena seguir comprobando aqui cada mañana para ver si publican más. Dicho esto, se puede entrar/asistir gratis entre el 18 y el 22 de agosto – y es una oportunidad excelente para ver entrenar a muchos de los grandes nombres (y ver el torneo clasificatorio). Puedes consultar el horario de entrenamientos cada mañana para saber cuándo y dónde entrenan los jugadores.… Read more »
I thought about buying the cheapest ticket at Arthur Ashe and depending on the game, upgrading my seat. What do you think of this strategy? Thank you
Hi Flavio, it’s unfortunately not so easy to upgrade, because: – They only offer upgrades at the box office on site – Upgrades are only available when there are better standard ticket seats available (blue dots on Ticketmaster map) – which is never something you can count on. While they do release more standard tickets throughout the summer, there’s no pattern or predictability. Most lower Promenade and Loge standard tickets go very quickly when they appear. So in short, you can take your chances – but you have to be prepared for the strong possibility upgrades won’t be possible for… Read more »
Hey PJ! Thinking about getting 2 unreserved seats in Arthur Ashe, and was curious if that’s something that’s a guaranteed seat or if it’s if you’re lucky after buying the ticket. Would love some insight on this as prior to buying tickets!
Thanks again
Hi Clayton! There are actually no unreserved seats in Ashe during the main tournament (the single exception is Fan Week special events, including the Main Draw Mixed Doubles Aug 19-20). All listings for Ashe during the main draw on Ticketmaster or resale on other sites should have clear sections and rows and seat numbers.
Hi PJ, This will be the first time attending and I’m overwhelmed by all this info. We want to make sure we see the popular players like Djokovic, Sinner, Carlos, etc. Do you recommend buying the 1st, 2nd or 3rd day for the first round match? I think I should buy the Ashe Day pass, but does that give us access to all the stadiums? Any info and recommendations is truly appreciated.
Hi Fran, I understand why it can be really overwhelming for a first-timer! If you purchase Ashe tickets on either Day 1, 2 or 3 you’re guaranteed to see big names – but unfortunately there’s no way to predict which ones in advance. See my FAQ #1 for details on why and how to think about strategy. Ashe Day tickets will give you a reserved seat in Ashe and access to unreserved seats (first-come basis) on all other courts, including Armstrong and Grandstand. Let me know if you have more questions as you keep exploring.
How many matches are there in a day? If we stay in Mid town Manhattan which transportation do you recommend? Train, Taxi, Uber? Appreciate all your input
Hi Fran, the number varies significantly based on the day. Check out the detailed daily schedule from last year here to get a sense of what to expect day-by-day. (Note: this year there’s an extra day on the first Sunday, but that day will look a lot like the first Mon and Tues from last year — except with around 1/3 fewer total matches each day during Round 1 as compared to last year.
For transport, see my Tip #9 for all the options. I usually take the LIRR myself from midtown.
Thanks for your well-detailed information. Glad I read it last night before getting the tickets today. I was able to get an Armstrong Day Loge seating (Sec 120) for $92 during today’s public sale. Looks like a good deal!
Does the ticket I got give me access to Armstrong unreserved seating during the evening session and the other field courts? Thanks!
Hi Abi, great to hear it! Yes, once you’re in the grounds with any Day ticket you can access unreserved seats in any of the courts except for Ashe.
Hey PJ – any thoughts on how the first round will work now that it’s spread over 3 days? There aren’t more matches presumably, are they just cutting back on the ones they used to put on Mon and Tue? Wondering if there will be quality matches on Sunday…Thanks!
Hi Lisa, there will be the same total number of matches, just divided by 3 instead of 2. I’m confident they will spread the wealth evenly across the first three days, including Sunday!
makes sense – got my tickets for Sunday day one! Thank you!!
Forgot to mention with Sunday start they took away (free) “photo day” one of the chillest and best days.
They are giving less tennis for more money. Which is something that occurs every year in new and exciting ways. Sometimes it’s major shafting like when they split the men’s semis into two sessions and sometimes it’s the slow march of taking more of theupper Armstrong seating (all of which thru Row A are terrible seats anyway) and making them paid reserved. I’ve been attending since they opened in 1978 when kids could sneak in and go a lot more than the blog author so trust me when I say it’s SOP, however, it’s been accelerating post-pandemic (2021).
Thanks as always for your detail and dedication, PJ.You may have covered this but on the cusp of general public tickets going on sale this morning – does it tend to be a better option to try and buy tickets today or surf the resale options over the coming weeks? I snagged some great lower level, shady section Armstrong R1 resale tickets last year (thanks to your guidance) for not much more than ground passes. Hoping for similar luck this year but not sure if I should join the fray this morning or just play the refresh game over the… Read more »
Hey Courtney! You are the perfect example of someone who is a good candidate to try to get tickets today because you are a seriously educated buyer, know what you’re looking for, and will be better able than most to spot good deals in your price range. Most others today will experience frustration and be prone to panic buying, thinking that there will be no other options over the summer – whereas you know that often patience can be a virtue for reasons I mention in Box 2 and FAQ #3. Good luck!!
Thanks!
This is awesome. Thank you for laying it out so clearly! I got tickets for mixed doubles semis & finals on Wed evening 8/20/25. The ticket says: GEN ADM LOGE, SECTION GALG11, ROW GA6, SEAT 3. I’ve looked at the stadium seating map but can’t find this section. Can you help me figure it out? Thanks!
Hi Kara, thanks! I haven’t purchased tickets for that event so can’t be sure – but it appears they are using a different seating system for those paid events during Fan Week, with all seats being unreserved but different tickets/prices for Loge versus Promenade. Looks like you got Loge GA (general admission ie unreserved) seats- but I’m confused about the section 11 and row number and seat number… Did you buy these on Ticketmaster during the Amex pre-sale? If I find out more in the days ahead I’ll let you know.
Yeah, I bought from Ticketmaster during Amex pre-sale, but it was weird bc when I tried to look at ticket prices for Mixed Doubles for the previous day, it said it wasn’t available to the public yet. So I have no idea how I was able to get my tickets to the SF & Finals. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Please let me know if you find out anything more about the seats bc I also believed that it was supposed to be general admission, no assigned seats. Thanks bb
Hey Kara, yes it’s a mystery to me why you have section/row/seat numbers for that event… everything on that page on Ticketmaster indicates it’s totally unreserved by section. Regardless, so you should be fine as long as you bought them on Ticketmaster!
First off, PJ thanks for your amazing work this year and the new features on the site! Next, How in the world are Ashe promenade tickets already at $250+? B/c of Amex sale? And how did people buy ground passes already? The presale is Amex, right? This is nuts that so many tickets have been bought for exorbitant resale prices. So much for my strategy to buy cheap Ashe to use as a grounds pass. Think ashe will come down closer to the event? Once again disappointed in the ticket situation. Roland Garros knows how to do it. Official resale… Read more »
Hey Courtney! Thanks so much. Yes, all we’re seeing now are resale tickets from subscribers and/or tix from the limited Amex pre-sale inventory. Public sale begins tomorrow, so once more inventory is available and US Open releases more tickets over the summer then supply will go up and prices will likely go down for Promenade seats across several sessions…
well I joined the queue at 9:30 (I overslept!) and I am now 10,901 in the queue. So… nevermind tickets today. Last year, my strategy was to get Ashe Day tickets for the first five days and use them like grounds passes, plus hang out in Ashe when I wanted. (based on your advice!) This year, I am thinking of doing something else, with great risk – waiting until the schedules come out each night, then getting a ticket for a stadium I might want to be at, regardless of price (within reason). I want to treat myself to seats… Read more »
Hey! You are describing the strategy I generally take for most of the sessions that I attend, with the exception of certain specific sessions I want to bring people to and need to plan an advance.
You are the wizard, so I’ll do it your way this time. I hate paying scalpers though if they have snatched all the tickets for where I want to be. Well, c’et la vie!
Thanks
Hi PJ, do you know the date US open Chase lounge reservation open?
Hey Mike, unfortunately can’t help with that one, sorry!
Hello! Is there a risk that Grounds tickets will sell out completely? Considering that I am very interested in seeing certain players who will likely play on the secondary courts, is it safe to wait for the schedule to be announced before purchasing Grounds tickets?
Hi Sergio, it’s highly unlikely they will sell out on the first Sun-Thurs… Last year there were plenty available for the first 3 days, then the 4th day (Thurs last year) showed as sold out the night prior then the tournament released more on Thurs morning. However, the Friday-Sunday of Labor Day weekend did sell out. There’s virtually no risk you wouldn’t be able to get some kind of ticket to get you in the grounds (e.g. an upper tier Armstrong or Ashe seat if GA is sold out) the day before or day of – it’s just a question… Read more »
Thank you so much for your advice. I am quite worried, as I always like to attend on 5-6 days in the first week. Now the system only lets me book one day and forces me to complete the order without the option of chosing more dates. I only need one ticket per day, so the number is not the issue. It used to be possible to mark the dates and then you could chose one day after the other (and also which court). Has that changed? I managed to get one ticket for 24 Aug today and then got… Read more »
Hi Nicole, sorry you had a confusing experience – the pre-sale is always frustrating. And tomorrow when public sales open you can expect an even bigger crush on the Ticketmaster site. Although I don’t recall the option you mention of being able to select multiple individual tickets on different days before checkout – so I think your best bet is to try again tomorrow when public sale opens and, if you aren’t successful in getting what you want, just keep checking over the summer. Good luck!
Hi P.J., thank you for your prompt reply. I was lucky and was able to purchase all tickets in regular sale last Friday, although I was on the train back from Roland Garros and afraid that I would have internet disruptions. Hope everybody will be able to get what they need. Love your website!
Thank you and great to hear it, Nicole!
I have done the Fan Week the last 2 years and my son wanted the live matches…Labor Day Weekend is the only weekend…I was able to score 103 Row C for Night Session – Sat Aug 30…but I’m realizing not the best value since I have to wait till 6pm to get in…any recs on what to do to get into a Day session…we plan to go Sat and Sunday of Labor Day weekend…no night session in Armstrong on Sunday so I won’t make that mistake again..though I realize these are good night session tickets…My son will ask why we… Read more »
Hey Bill, thanks so much and I share your wish that we had a Wimbledon-style system for Ashe/Armstrong Courtside seats!! For Aug 31, you should have no problem getting a grounds pass throughout the summer for that first Saturday – just don’t wait too long as they eventually sold out last year for that day. I would also keep an eye on availability of decently priced upper-tier Armstrong seats as an alternative for that day if you can swing it, though, as rain insurance and the massive pressure on relatively few courts/seats that day, which is always a mob scene.
Thanks PJ and again amazing site, your due diligence is much appreciated. I was luck and snagged Armstrong Sun Aug 31 Sec 123 for $200 with taxes/fees. I wanted to buy a grounds pass for Sat Aug 30 but when I go only Verified Resale show up…are there really no grounds passes for Sat Aug 30…when should I check back…I really don’t want to pay $280+ for a grounds pass when I already spent $$$ for an Armstrong Night session ticket for Sat Aug 30…will immerse for 2 days with my son and wife…I went Armstrong as it’s so much… Read more »
Hi Bill, thanks so much on all counts 🙂 Great to hear you had some success. For the Sat Aug 30 grounds, there will likely be some more that pop up over the summer – unfortunately there’s no rhyme or reason as to when, so would be good to check periodically (mornings best time to check for new tickets that are released). Because the tournament uses dynamic pricing (based on market demand) for the “standard” tickets, the prices may stay pretty steep for that day (which probably has the highest demand for grounds tickets of any day throughout the tournament… Read more »
Hi PJ – First time US Open attendee and we will be attending Thursday or Friday (9/4 or 9/5) I care most about doubles and I saw that Thursday you can be admitted for free. Do I need to buy another ticket to see the doubles finals or is that included in free admission? What other tickets would you buy on that date to see singles? Ashe? Right now it seems the only affordable options are 300 level so I’m tempted to wait and buy the week of for lower level seats. Please let me know your thoughts!
Hi Angie, yes Thursday Day will be free grounds admission – although I believe the only main tournament doubles match for that day that you’d be able to see with the free admission will be Men’s Doubles Semifinals. The Thurs EVE Ladies’ Semifinals on Ashe is a ticketed session, not free. See my detailed schedule for full breakdown of all the options and my FAQ 3 thoughts on the question of “when to buy.”
Thank you for all your hard work putting this together! I’ve never been to the US Open, and had no idea where to begin, but you saved the day. I had so many windows open while doing the Amex presale… all of the window but ticketmaster were you and various diagrams and info haha. Snagged some Armstrong Loge 101 Row A. I feel pretty good about those – will I be happy with those for the day session? Also, would I get access to unreserved seats in Armstrong for the night session? Or do I have to exit after the… Read more »
Hey Chris, I’m so gratified to hear you found it helpful! Good snag on those front row loge seats for Armstrong – they’re a good bargain and being in those lower rows the in the Armstrong upper section is key. You’ll be fine in those seats for any matches you want to see in Armstrong, then can wander and see other things on outer courts when you are in the mood to wander. You will have to exit between Day/Night sessions – but with any Day ticket, once you’re in the grounds you can access any GA unreserved seats… you’ll… Read more »
Well that presale went terribly. It said not to use multiple devices or tabs so I just joined for the 8/24 Armstrong day session. Got in after 6 minutes but the only thing available was almost $300 a ticket. Wanted to look at Ashe or grounds passes, but it made me rejoin the queue at the back which was thousands deep at that point. Is there any way to be able to look at other days/stadiums without rejoining the queue when it goes on general sale?
Hey Brian, I know – it’s always the same thing. I got on to check it out for research purposes this morning at 8:59am and I was “800” in line at 9 sharp LOL… Eventually experienced what I always do: a very limited inventory of not-great seats, and in many cases there will be better options available as we get closer (either because the tournament will release more or via resale market). The first day of public sale will be the same scenario in terms of hordes trying to access… Once the mad rush slows down (it already has), you… Read more »
Hi PJ
Thank you for this Amazing details.
Do you know where and when i could book an entry to Centurion Suite in Armstrong ? I’m a Platinum amex holder and the link you provided doesn’t work.
I will try to go on thursday during the free week (last day of qualifying) and then on sunday on Armstrong for the 1st round. I’m currently waiting for the Amex presale who’ll begin at 9 am 😉
Hey Guillaume, thanks for your thanks! I just fixed the link (here’s the correct one), thanks a million for pointing it out. At the bottom of the page it says: “Same-day reservations will become available through Resy at 10am ET each day of the tournament, starting on August 26, 2024. Each day, eligible Card Members will be able to choose an available reservation time on a first come, first served basis.” Hope you have a great time!
Hey PJ, thanks as always. Just curious. Are you pretty confident (as you say) that only R1 is shifting around? Meaning, for instance, if I buy day session Armstrong tickets on the middle Sunday, can I expect to see 4 round of 16 matches, as in the past number of years? Or is everything a bit uncertain?
Looking forward to another ticket-buying season! Thanks again.
Hi John, sure thing! Yes safe to assume they will schedule 2 men’s and 2 women’s round of 16 matches on that middle Sunday as in the past. PJ
Did that session last year and it was the best value of the tournament!
First of all, thanks so much for putting together this incredibly helpful and resourceful site—it’s fantastic. I’m planning to head to the US Open this year and will be bringing my toddler. We’re hoping to attend Kids’ Day—do you know if we need to reserve tickets ahead of time for that? Also, I’d love to take a day or two off work to come during the first few weekdays. Realistically, with a toddler, that’s probably the only time I could explore solo. What kind of ticket would you recommend for just soaking in the atmosphere and walking around to catch… Read more »
Hi Vincent, you’re most welcome, thanks for your thanks! No tickets needed for entry to Kids’ Day (Saturday Aug 23), but there MAY be some exclusive events or seats that are ticketed (they keep adding some every year during Fan Week so one never knows) so keep checking the Kids’ Day Page for updates. For Day 1-3 of the main tournament during Round 1, if you’re with your toddler I’d probably recommend an Armstrong reserved seat – won’t get you into Ashe, but will enable you to see some big names on Armstrong and have a reserved seat to retreat… Read more »
Thank youz and if not with toddler after day 3?
I think the answer depends most on whether you’d be happy (or have FOMO) not going into Ashe at all. I’d recommend taking a close look at the daily schedule from last year to get a sense of what a typical day would be like. For rounds 1 and 2, there are so many great matches on outer courts that you may feel fine skipping Ashe (the only stadium that doesn’t have any GA seats, ie every seat is ticketed). But you may want to have the option of going into Ashe to check it out (not recommended with your… Read more »
Thank you, sir. I was able to snag 2x Day Session passes for 3rd Round Men’s / Women’s Ashe Passes in section 316.
Great to hear it!
Hi PJ and friends,
I got an update from the US Open (I’m one of the series subscribers so sometimes get more info or earlier info) and for 2025, they have added 2000 new courtside seats in Ashe (to appx 5000 seats). They’ll even be padded haha. Who knows what the price tag will be but hopefully there will still be some decent deals…
Supposedly they have also made general improvements in Ashe as well with larger concourses and more amenities.
Maura
Hey Maura, good to hear from you as always and thanks! However, I believe the expansion of courtside seats won’t be complete until 2027 (see details here).
Great info…. just curious, are some tickets held back by the Tennis Center and become available for same day sale at the box office??? Thanks
Hey Ted, Yes—some tickets are held back by the USTA and can get released closer to the tournament or even on the day of – kind of like “house seats” on Broadway. But there’s no clear pattern as to how many, when, or for which sessions they might become available. Also, importantly, there’s no special stash at the box office. What you will see as available online as standard “blue dot” tickets is the same inventory the box office can sell. So always check Ticketmaster before heading over—if blue dot tickets are showing, you can buy them in person and… Read more »
Hey, not sure if you already addressed this… do you know if they’ll be charging for any of the mixed doubles matches during fan week?
Hey ML, great question. Unfortunately, the tournament has been a bit cagey on this. The most recent post says “More information on the US Open Mixed Doubles Championships including players and ticket details will be shared in the coming weeks.” I think it’s a strong bet that they will ticket for courtside seats and suites only and make the Loge and Promenade open seating and free. But no confirmation on that yet…
Hi, we will be travelling across from the UK for fan week and would love to obtain fan access passes. Does anybody know when registration will open please andxehst the process will involve? Thanks for any advice. Fsynir
Hi Gaynor, fan week is great – you’ll love it. I’d recommend downloading the US Open app and keep checking for when the registration opens. There will be plenty available, so you don’t have to worry about doing it really early.
Is there any sort of pricing chart for the “regular” (ie non resale) seats? I’m flying in and will be able to attend Day 1 day session. I’m going to go with a bunch of friends and we really want whatever is cheapest as our plan is to just bounce around the outside courts. Trying to figure out what that cheapest ticket will be (grounds pass, Armstrong upper, Ashe promenade?) and what that price would be. I mean, probably worth it to buy an Armstrong or Ashe ticket anyway in case it rains. Also should I buy in the Amex… Read more »
Hi Brian, unfortunately the US Open doesn’t publish a standard “face value” chart because they use dynamic pricing—meaning prices fluctuate based on demand. But I’ve put together a 2025 pricing guide that should help you ballpark what’s typical for the cheapest seats in each section. For Day 1, your cheapest options will likely be: Grounds Pass, Upper Armstrong reserved, or Promenade Ashe (the highest level). If your main plan is to roam the outer courts, a grounds pass is perfect—but if there’s any chance of rain, spending a little more for Ashe or Armstrong (which are both covered stadiums) is… Read more »
Thanks for the detailed response! It’s especially tricky this year because Day 1 has been moved to a Sunday which I’m sure will increase demand for the day session. I’d be happy to get upper Armstrong tickets for under $100 but don’t know if that’s really realistic.
Hi – great info! Do you anticipate a tangible difference in the finishing times of the action on the grounds pass courts on Day 1 (sun 24th) due to the first round matches now being spread over 3 days? I love the late night action but wondering if that is unlikely on the Sunday. Thanks
Hey Rusty, yeah I suspect matches will wrap a bit earlier than we’re used to on those first 3 days – but play will definitely still stretch into the evening (like you, one of my favorite things). And of course if there are rain delays on any of those first days, that would definitely push things later into the evening.
Can you recommend your counterpart for attending Wimbledon?
Hi Elizabeth, I actually used wimbledondebentureholders.com myself when I went several years ago – they were 100% reliable. You can check Stubhub to compare prices on the unofficial, unsanctioned resale market for context. There’s an overwhelming amount of sites out there with advice… Here are some good sites I’ve found that align with my experiences: https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/wimbledon-tennis-championships-our-top-tips https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10-things-no-one-tells-you-before-you-go-to-wimbledon/ https://www.perfect-tennis.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-getting-wimbledon-tickets/ (older but still helpful) Also from a friend: >> “You can fairly easily get tickets through the queue process. We didn’t have any tickets when we arrived in London, but easily got tickets through queueing to the matches we wanted to see… Read more »
Hi! Do you have any insight on any of the hospitality packages offered? Specifically the courtside premier or overlook packages? Looking for something special for a birthday present but unsure what the best options are. Thanks!
Hi there—great question, and what an awesome birthday idea. If you’re going more for the overall experience—good food, drinks, and a special vibe—the hospitality packages like Courtside Premier or Overlook can definitely make the day feel a bit more VIP. They include premium seats and access to lounges with upgraded food and amenities. (Other readers please chime in if you’ve done these to share your experiences!) But if you’re mainly going for the tennis, I’d honestly suggest skipping the packages (which I think are wildly overpriced). For the same price or less, you can usually get great courtside seats and… Read more »
Love this information and headed to 2025 tourney
Thanks, Richard! Updating for 2025 now…
Thanks for the great advice as always. Is there a way to determine at any given match on which side of the umpire’s chair a specific player is going to sit?
Hey Larry, you’re welcome! Unfortunately no way to know where they’ll sit in advance.
P.J. -Happy New Year. Do you have any experience or knowledge of travel to one of the other slams with any of the tour groups? I’m looking to check boxes on my bucket list!
Marc, a verrrrrry belated HNY to you, with huge apologies for not seeing this sooner to reply! I’ve gone to all 3 of the others slams but have done it on my own without tour groups. But the three groups I mention in the post all have earned good reputations. Please let me know if you end up having experiences good or bad with them or others!
Hi! Never been to US Open and i hope to assist in 2025! Do you know when are going to be available to purchase ticket plans to assist next year? and if it open the sale for everyone? thanks in advance!
Hi Raul, SO sorry not to have seen this when you first submitted the question!! Hopefully you found what you were looking for about the ticket plans in the meantime. I’ve just updated my post so hopefully there’s stuff in it that will also help you. Feel free to come back with any questions! PJ
Do you have a rough sense for when ticket plans go on sale – looks like they sold out completely so must have been a while ago?
Hi there, in the past they’ve begin taking deposits as early as November for the following year. I’d recommend emailing usopenticketoffice@usta.com and ask about their plans for next year to be sure.
Hi PJ! I found your site when planning my first trip to the US Open last year. It was super-helpful — thank you! We had a great experience and returned this year. I recommend this site to everyone I talk with about attending.
Do you have any tips for The Championships Wimbledon or do you know of a site similar to yours that demystifies the process of getting tickets?
Ellison, my huge apologies for not catching this comment sooner! After last year’s event I had a super busy fall and wasn’t able to keep up… Thanks so much for the kind words! Here are some posts I’ve found that align with my experiences at Wimbledon: https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/wimbledon-tennis-championships-our-top-tips https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10-things-no-one-tells-you-before-you-go-to-wimbledon/ https://www.perfect-tennis.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-getting-wimbledon-tickets/ (older but still helpful) Also from a friend: >> “You can fairly easily get tickets through the queue process. We didn’t have any tickets when we arrived in London, but easily got tickets through queueing to the matches we wanted to see at a super affordable price.” >> “If you can… Read more »
Thank you so much! This information is really helpful and makes me less worried about leaving things to chance and experiencing the queue. We didn’t get tickets through the ballot and debenture and hospitality package tickets are SO expensive compared to attending the US Open. We’ll be fine with just getting on the grounds and possibly buying tickets that have been turned in late in the day.
Hi Ellison, you’re so welcome and so glad to hear it!
Hi P.J., Great blog and sharing your passion for tennis both in learning to play and watching for the past 5 years after ignoring it for so long. With your tips, I was able to score 3R tickets for this year for even cheaper than 2023 at face value. Took advantage of Fan Week festivities too and even better, first row seats for the 2nd Thursday Men’s Doubles SF matches, all for free. Thank you very much and looking forward to more amazing tennis posts and tips.
Nick, I am thrilled and so grateful to hear this – thank you!!
Hi PJ, I found your website last year as I was planning our first trip to the US Open. We had a great experience and I have raved about it so much and shared your helpful tips with so may people that I feel like I might be responsible for this year’s record attendance! 😉 I’m now interested in trying to add a couple of days at Wimbledon to a trip to England next summer and am wondering if you have any tips to share or know of any resources similar to your site that focus on Wimbledon. I’d be… Read more »
Hi again! Just saw this one too. Yes, that was me at the Alcaraz van de Zandschlup match 🙂
Hi.. Thank you, your information is spectacular. I am a huge tennis fan and have not been to the US Open in over 20 years. Definitely want to attend in 2025- any idea when AMEX will have presale day for 2025? Is it usually that last week in May? Thanks again.
Hi Laurie, thank you so much! The exact dates can vary slightly each year, but yes the Amex presale is usually the week prior to individual tickets going on sale (which is usually late May or early June). Hope you can make it next year!
Thanks for this post! I used it to maximum extent in planning a trip for my wife and me, and it was a tremendous help, especially being our first (hopefully) time! Only observation is that the Q48 from LGA is not an express bus (at least, the one we rode hasn’t – could have been user error), so it was about 30-35 minutes to the gates. We had allowed ourselves ample time so it wasn’t a factor. Excellent resource, thanks for all the work you put into this!
Hey Mike, you’re so welcome, thank you so much for taking time to let me know it was helpful! And huge thanks for sharing the experience on the Q48, which I’ve never taken myself. I’ll update the post right now to reflect that, really appreciate it. Thanks again!
Hi PJ, do you know if the grounds are free to enter tomorrow (Thursday) for the juniors and doubles as in past years? I should know this… Thanks!
99.9% sure they are! Didn’t see any promotion for it, but haven’t heard anything to the contrary (and they don’t have grounds passes on sale for the day). If I’m wrong, I’m terribly sorry – but can’t imagine they would reverse course after all these years.