A Serious Tennis Fan’s Complete Guide to the 2026 US Open: Tickets, Tips & More

▸ Returning Visitors: Click Here for Latest Updates!
- June 28: Published fully restructured new version of this post to facilitate navigation, including this PDF 2026 US Open Ticket Options and Average Prices: How to Spot a Good Deal — day-by-day ticket options and direct links to check prices and comparison shop on Ticketmaster and Stubhub.
- July 3: Added FAQ: “Which seats in Promenade have obstructed views?”
- August 3: Updated details on shade patterns in Armstrong Stadium in FAQ: “Which seats get the most shade?”
- August 27: The NYT reported that the Open would offer limited $25 evening grounds passes for purchase on-site only through Sep 6: “However, they can be purchased only on-site the evening of entry and on nights that Louis Armstrong is sold out (not including resale tickets).” When I asked the US Open box office to provide more details, they wrote: “No unfortunately we cannot confirm availability beforehand, these specific passes are on a day-to-day basis. Evenings grounds passes are only made available day of based on the capacity of the events and the stadiums.”
- August 29: My new chart outlining how scheduling should work beginning in Round 2: “Who Plays on Which Dates After R1?”
- September 1: Fellow fan Carrie reported on the late-night taxi situation: “I had a great experience with getting a yellow cab at the rideshare area by the NY Hall of Science at around 11:30pm the first two nights. NYPD organized the taxis and the taxi line and I waited only a few minutes in line before I was able to get a cab and a fast ride back to the hotel at a very reasonable cost. There were plenty of taxis waiting to pick up folks. This was probably way faster than waiting for an uber, and the police officer organizing the taxi line even made the sure my driver had his meter on when he saw I was a woman traveling solo late at night!”
- September 3: I share observation on the new post-renovation Courtside and Loge sections in my updated FAQ “What’s different about Ashe after the big 2026 renovation to Ashe Stadium?“
By P.J. Simmons
If you’re a fellow tennis fan planning a trip to the US Open — whether it’s your first visit or your fifteenth — I built this guide for you. As a serious tennis player and fan living in NYC, 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.
2026 will mark my 18th time at the 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, StubHub, 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 and practical resources to help you sort through the complexity, understand all the ticket options, and make the best decisions for your own priorities and budget so you have an incredible experience. I’ll continue to update throughout the summer and the tournament. Don’t hesitate to reach out with a question below if you can’t find what you need – I’ll reply as soon as I can.
For my returning friends: Please let me know what you think of this newly restructured and updated version (June 28), which hopefully will make navigation easier and faster for you. Please let me know what you think – I’d really appreciate your feedback!
What Every First-Timer Should Know Before Buying Tickets
Whether it’s your first Open or you just haven’t been in a few years, here are a few things worth understanding before you spend a dollar or make final decisions on when to attend.
Consider taking advantage of incredible FREE opportunities to see world-class tennis and superstars the week before the main tournament (August 23–29)
Before the main tournament begins, there’s a packed week of events at the US Open grounds (“Fan Week”) that offers many opportunities to experience the magic of the Open without spending a dollar on a ticket.
The week kicks off Sunday August 23 with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. If you have kids, this is a great day to go with lots of interactive games, music, activities.
Then, the Qualifying Tournament (Monday August 24 – Thursday August 27) is an amazing opportunity for serious fans to see major rising players and incredible tennis up close. 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. In 2021, #150-ranked qualifier Emma Raducanu went on to win the US Open women’s singles title – the first Grand Slam champion in history to come through qualifiers. Maja Chwalinska came close to doing the same at the 2026 French Open. Read why Fan Week/Qualies are so special in this excellent piece by Steven Kutz.
Throughout the entire week, there are opportunities to see some of the top-seeded players and biggest stars in unofficial practice sessions (details posted on the practice schedule the morning of).
Note: Fan week also features four special events that require paid tickets: including Mixed Doubles Rounds 1&2 (Aug 25 10am); Exhibition play with Roger Federer (Aug 25 7pm); Mixed Doubles Semis and Finals (Aug 26 7pm); and a “Stars of the Open” exhibition (Aug 27 7pm).
IMPORTANT: TO GAIN ADMISSION DURING FAN WEEK, YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER FOR A FREE FAN ACCESS PASS.
The US Open is much bigger than Ashe Stadium. Get the lay of the land before you make your plan.
Most people think of Arthur Ashe Stadium when they think about the US Open—and understandably so. It’s the largest tennis stadium in the world (almost 24,000 seats) and home to many of the tournament’s biggest matches. But the US Open is so much more than Ashe. Think of it as a massive tennis festival spread across an entire campus. On a typical day during the first week, world-class matches take place simultaneously on Ashe plus 16 other courts.
In fact, some of the most exciting tennis during the tournament happens on Louis Armstrong Stadium (almost as big as the main show courts at Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Australian Open with around 14,000 seats plus a retractable roof in case of rain), Grandstand (with 8,100 seats), Court #17 (2,800 seats) and the smaller field Courts #4-16.
Some important basic rules about how entry and seating works:
- Any of the almost 80 ticket options gets you access to the entire US Open grounds — you’ll find every option laid out in the ticket chart below (2026 US Open Ticket Options and Average Prices).
- Once you’ve entered the US Open grounds, you can access unreserved seats (on a first-come basis) in Armstrong, Grandstand, and on every other court except Ashe stadium. Ashe Stadium has no unreserved seats, so you need to buy an Ashe-specific ticket if you want to get in. Armstrong and Grandstand have both reserved ticket options and unreserved seating. Courts #4-17 are entirely first-come, unreserved seating.
- Grounds entry times vary depending on your ticket: A grounds pass or “Day” session reserved ticket for either Ashe, Armstrong, or Grandstand allows entry when gates first open (usually 9:30am). If you only purchase an “Evening” session ticket for a particular day, you’ll have to wait until 6pm to enter the grounds. Once you’re in the US Open grounds, you can stay as late as you want until closing.
Learn how player and match scheduling works to raise the odds of seeing your favorite players.
Most fans coming to the Open dream of seeing their favorite players in action. But what many first-timers don’t realize is that it’s impossible to predict which players will play on which days, on which courts, or at what time until the detailed “Daily Schedule of Play” is released shortly before the actual match day. So if you buy a ticket to the Open prior to that – which most people do – you’re buying access to matches in a particular round of play, not a guarantee that you’ll see any specific player.
The good news is that having a clear understanding of how scheduling works can dramatically improve your odds of seeing the players and matches that matter most to you. Taking a few minutes now to review these things will put you ahead of the game:
1. Start by getting the big picture of the tournament’s schedule – here’s an overview:
>> You can find a comprehensive, day-by-day breakdown of the schedule and every ticket option here: 2026 US Open Ticket Options
2. Get a sense of what day-by-day match scheduling looks like by reviewing last year’s “Daily Schedules of Play” to get a feel for what types of matches are played on which courts during the various rounds. Keep in mind this is just illustrative: for instance, just because a player was scheduled for certain days or played on certain Ashe Day or Night sessions does not mean you can expect the same for this year!
3. Go deeper: see the FAQ “How can I predict when and where my favorite player will play?” below — it explains how to make educated guesses about who plays when and where.
How to Choose the Right Tickets and Spot Good Deals
One of the most common questions I get every year is some version of: “What’s the best ticket to buy?” The honest answer is that there are many “best” tickets — it simply depends on your priorities and what kind of experience you’re hoping to have. Some fans want the energy of being with 24,000 others in an Arthur Ashe night session. Others are happy spending an entire day roaming the grounds in the early rounds, hopping from court to court. Some want to treat someone special to courtside seats in a final round. Others want the most tennis possible for the lowest price. So the goal is simply to find the ticket that’s best for you.
Below are my top recommendations—followed by a time-saving chart I built to help you compare all the options, benchmark average prices and comparison shop, and make decisions with confidence.
Don’t miss the chance to see world-class players and great matches up close on the other courts beyond Ashe Stadium.

It was awesome seeing Ben Shelton up close for the first time in 2022 on Court #10 in Round 1 (v. Borges)
For my first US Open, I spent about $250 per ticket for a seat in the upper portion of Ashe Stadium for a night match 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 Ashe match, I still felt somewhat distant from the action (it’s a mammoth 24,000-capacity 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, the very cool Court #17, and other outer courts #4-#16). Once you have this experience you’ll likely get 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 –including 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 — including Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Dominic Thiem, Sasha Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and many others.
While I recommend everyone experience Ashe Stadium at least once, I also can’t recommend more strongly that you make time to explore the opportunities to see thrilling tennis in more intimate settings on the other 16 courts.
On a tight budget but want to see a lot of tennis? Consider going during Rounds 1 and 2, and aim for an affordable Ashe Stadium (or Armstrong Stadium) DAY session ticket — often comparably priced to a Grounds Pass, but a much smarter buy.

Be sure to take in some Doubles action too. Here was Casper Ruud and his partner William Blumberg during Round 1 in 2024.
Rounds 1 and 2 (Sun–Thurs of the main tournament’s first week) are a great chance to get maximum bang for your buck. There’s so much action across the entire US Open grounds, with matches happening simultaneously on 17 courts all day — and some play stretching into the evening. Crowds are heavy but not as intense as Labor Day weekend. It’s one of my favorite times to be out there.
Many fans assume a Grounds Pass is automatically the cheapest way into the Open — but often it isn’t. Before you buy one, always compare it against Ashe and Armstrong DAY-session tickets. During Rounds 1 and 2 those are often available for a similar price (sometimes less!), and they give you everything a Grounds Pass does — early entry when the gates open in the morning, the run of the whole grounds — plus a reserved seat and rain protection (both stadiums have roofs). You may end up roaming the outer courts more than sitting in that seat — but it’s there when you want it, and it guarantees you a spot inside if one of your favorites gets scheduled in that stadium. And keep in mind: a Grounds Pass won’t get you into Ashe at all (every Ashe seat is reserved). So if having Ashe be part of your experience matters to you, a cheap Ashe day ticket in the early rounds is often the most affordable way to do it.
And because a DAY ticket lets you stay on the grounds into the evening, you’ll get hours of extra tennis on the outer courts well past 6pm — all for the price of one ticket.
If your budget can swing it, I strongly recommend getting a courtside reserved seat in Louis Armstrong stadium (especially between Sep 4 – Sep 7) and/or in Grandstand (especially on Sep 4 or Sep 5).

Me spotted on Netflix “Break Point” series cheering on Taylor Fritz and Brandon Holt at the 2022 US Open – front row during awesome match on Grandstand
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 applying the same budget towards excellent seats on Armstrong or Grandstand for a couple sessions, I generally recommend the latter.
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 of the old Armstrong stadium… It gave me a memory I will treasure forever. Ever since, I’ve made it an annual tradition to go with friends to get excellent courtside seats in Armstrong during the 3rd 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 sitting first row behind-the-server for a match between Auger-Aliassime and fellow Canadian 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 incredible proximity to the players.
If you’ve never done it, consider splurging once on a courtside Ashe seat.

Me caught on ESPN cheering very loudly for Carlitos from front row Ashe (lower left) during 2024 Round 2 (v Botic van de Zandschulp)
After dreaming for years of the possibility, I finally bit the bullet to invest in Arthur Ashe Stadium Courtside seats in 2011 for the first time. It was bliss. Ever since, I’ve made an annual pilgrimage to experience Ashe 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.
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 on Labor Day during the Round of 16 and got to witness Federer perfection from a few feet away. Best money I’ve ever spent.
Before you compare options, get clear on what matters most to you for this particular visit — seeing a favorite player, incredible proximity, atmosphere, the most tennis for your money, shade, flexibility, or certainty. The more familiar you become with the market, the easier it becomes to recognize real value when you see it.
Here are 4 steps to making sure you make your decision with confidence:
- Know the benefits/restrictions of each type of ticket – read “What Each US Open Ticket Type Gets You” below.
- Review the day-by-day ticket options and average prices in the chart below. It will give you valuable context for smart decisionmaking, including up-to-date price ranges of what to expect for every single ticket option plus benchmark ranges from last year’s Open.
- Comparison shop — best done on a computer. For my full step-by-step process — which sites, how to read the maps, what to avoid — see “Which ticket site should I use?” under Before You Buy below.
- Scan the topics below under “Before You Buy — Common Questions” to dive deeper into many important questions that may impact your final decision about what’s best for you.

Before You Buy — Common Questions
▸ Should I buy now or wait? Will prices go up or down?
The frustrating reality is: it depends — and it’s impossible to predict with certainty. Buying US Open tickets can be a bit like investing in the stock market: knowledge and good judgment dramatically improve your odds, but there are always surprises because so many variables are involved.
One thing many first-time buyers don’t realize is that the inventory they see today may look very different tomorrow, next week, or later in the summer. Much of the market is driven by resale, because the USTA typically makes relatively few Standard tickets (“blue dots” on Ticketmaster) available, with most inventory pre-allocated to subscribers — and even Standard tickets are dynamically priced rather than sold at a fixed “face value.” As a result, prices can move in unexpected ways.
Historically, some sessions get cheaper as more resale tickets hit the market and sellers compete, while other high-demand sessions rise substantially. Who gets scheduled on which days, courts, and sessions matters too. Last year (2025), schedulers surprised everyone by putting the blockbuster Djokovic–Alcaraz semifinal in the day session rather than at night — so day prices spiked and night prices dropped.
Resale tickets are almost always available until the last minute, so patient buyers sometimes find great deals — but waiting trades certainty for risk. The best advice I can give: familiarize yourself with typical prices for the sessions you’re considering so you can recognize a good opportunity when you see one. The chart above is built for exactly that — every option, this year’s average ranges, and last year’s day-of benchmarks (for context, not prediction). One clue: if you enlarge the Ticketmaster map and see few tickets, scarcity often signals prices may keep rising; abundant inventory often means more downward pressure.
▸ Will the tournament release more Standard tickets and Grounds Passes?
Sometimes yes — but in a completely unpredictable way. The USTA has historically released additional Standard (“blue dot”) tickets throughout the summer for some sessions, sometimes for surprisingly good seats. There has never been a reliable pattern for which sessions or ticket types get more inventory, and Grounds Pass inventory can fluctuate too. My advice: check periodically, especially in the mornings, but don’t count on it for any specific session.
▸ Will I still get good tickets if everything looks expensive right now?
Usually, yes. One of the biggest misconceptions among first-time buyers is that the inventory available when tickets first go on sale is all there will be. In reality, more resale inventory appears throughout the summer, and the USTA often releases additional standard tickets too. The market keeps evolving right up until the tournament begins — and sometimes even on the day of the matches.
▸ Which sessions are the best deals?
This varies year to year, and some of the best last-minute deals turn up when the lineups aren’t what people expected (last year, for example, a marquee semifinal landed in the day session instead of the night). Still, here are a few sessions that tend to be overlooked and have historically offered relatively good value:
- Armstrong evening courtside, week 1 — exciting under the lights in a big stadium, but demand is lower because many fans choose day-session tickets instead (understandably, since a day ticket lets you in as soon as gates open, so you can catch as much tennis as possible). The trade-off: an evening-only ticket won’t get you onto the grounds until 6pm. But it can be an affordable way to see bigger names from a far better vantage point than the upper tier of Ashe.
- Quarterfinal day sessions — the biggest-name lineups almost always go to the night sessions during the quarterfinals. With many tourists gone and locals leaning toward evenings, day tickets here are often cheaper than the Round of 16.
- Labor Day Ashe evening — historically cheaper than other Round-of-16 sessions, since many tourists have headed home and demand dips. You still get great matches, and it’s a great time to experience Ashe at night.
▸ How do I see the exact location of seats I might buy?
Use the “Map View” on Ticketmaster for any particular session provides the best reference for the exact location of specific seat(s). After you click on the session/stadium that interests you, choose Map View, then mouse over or click any of the dots to see the exact section, row, and seat number. This is also helpful if you’re comparison shopping with Stubhub or other resale sites, whose maps may only feature sections and zones and not individual seats.
KEY SEATING CHARTS AND SHADE MAPS
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM
- NEW 2026 Arthur Ashe Seating Chart
- My NEW 2026 annotated Ashe Stadium SHADE map
- Ashe “Interactive Seat Viewer” (updated for 2026) 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.
Update on the Renovated Loge Section
In previous years, I recommended prioritizing the lower half of Loge when Courtside wasn’t in the budget, because even the front rows of Loge were already relatively high up. With the new design, the front rows of Loge now sit meaningfully farther from the court (only 5 of the original 13 rows of Loge remain) – so sitting in Loge is only marginally better than lower Promenade, making it hard to justify paying much of a premium.
A warning about the first row of the new Loge section: The roof of the luxury suites just below juts out like a sore thumb from the front row, both creating a visual and emotional barrier to the court. Here’s a photo I took from the new Section 231 Row A.
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
▸ What’s different about Ashe after the big 2026 renovation to Ashe Stadium?
A lot. 2026 brings a huge change to Ashe: a major renovation added 2,000 new Courtside seats and removed around 2,800 Loge seats to make room for the expanded courtside area and newly designed luxury suites between the Courtside and Loge levels. Promenade remains exactly the same.
My initial observations after spending a few days watching play from various sections of Ashe in 2026:
The New Courtside
- Courtside seats (even higher rows) remain qualitatively much, much better than Loge and Promenade, which now feel even more remote. Overall, though, courtside feels far less intimate. And more numbers create intense crowds in the “Club Level” corridors (where you get drinks and food).
- Noise levels are worse than ever in the stadium due to the larger numbers of people in courtside and folks in suites, many of whom are drinking heavily and carry on conversations at full voice. All it takes is a few loud conversations to spark a chain reaction: background conversations become white noise, and everyone feels permission to talk loudly.
- Gone are the days when you would be embarrassed for standing in an aisle except during changeovers. The longer stairways — coupled with the highly questionable elimination of the continuous walkway at the top of Courtside — means people take too long to get to their seats.
- The addition of two cordoned-off Courtside rows (“100A-100E”) with walkway behind the umpire chair feels, to be perfectly frank, obnoxious. One the one hand, I applaud the move to put Players’ Boxes into the first row on this side (section 100A) and directly opposite (105AA). And I understand the need to reserve parts of these rows (especially 100G) for VIPs like Billie Jean King and provide special security for them. But selling the rest of these seats to ultra-rich subscribers — many of whom skip matches in favor of hanging in suites or resell the seats at out-of-reach, exorbitant prices — is infuriating to someone like me who has spent hard-earned savings on those seats in the past and literally been moved to tears of joy and appreciation to be in them watching favorite players.
The New Loge
In previous years, I recommended prioritizing the lower half of Loge when Courtside wasn’t in the budget, because even the front rows of Loge were already relatively high up. With the new design, the front rows of Loge now sit meaningfully farther from the court (only 5 of the original 13 rows of Loge remain) – so sitting in Loge is only marginally better than lower Promenade, making it hard to justify paying much of a premium.
A warning about the first row of the new Loge section: The roof of the luxury suites just below juts out like a sore thumb from the front row, both creating a visual and emotional barrier to the court. Here’s a photo I took from the new Section 231 Row A.
I’ll update the FAQ on views from seats as soon as I can with a few more photos, but wanted to share this update in real time (Sep 3, 2026).
▸ Which seats get the most shade?
ASHE STADIUM
The roof creates a huge amount of natural shade all day for many seats. The most shade is in the South and West sections. Next-best is the North. The most sun (to avoid for Day sessions) is on the East side. See my Ashe shade map. I will update this with more details after I’ve experienced Ashe post-renovation in person during Fan Week this year.
GRANDSTAND
Much less shade overall, but South and West are again better because the sun is more at your back. GA seats higher under the overhang — especially the Southwest corner — get the most.
ARMSTRONG STADIUM
Sections 1–8 (South and West) are best overall for shade, with Section 2 the best (in shade all day). Sections 11-16 (East) are the worst and sit in direct afternoon sun (however the top couple of rows are shaded all day due to the overhang from the upper deck). See this basic overview of the Armstrong shade pattern – then see these additional photos showing how various sections are impacted throughout the day. Additional details:
- Section 1 is fully shaded until around 12:30pm, then some rows and some seats in the first 8-10 rows start getting some sun). See this photo.
- Sections 17-18: Fully shaded until around 12:30pm, then lower rows start getting sun. By about 2:15, many of the first 8-10 rows (rows E-O) are getting sun – see this photo and this photo. By 3pm a few more rows in 17 and 18 get sun – see this photo. By around 4pm (not sure exact time) all of 17 and 18 are shaded completely again
- Sections 3-8 (West side/Chair umpire side) is in full sun at 11am, but the shade gradually moves down to blanket more and more rows such that by 12:30pm the top 10 rows (appx) are in shade and by around 1pm all seats are fully shaded.
- The last 2 rows in the lower bowl around the entire stadium stay shaded (under the overhang from the upper bowl).
- Sections 8-11: Rows U and above are always shaded, most other seats always in direct sun.
▸ Which sections and seats have the best views?
Most people consider “behind the server” seats (the North or South ends of the court) the best — and prices reflect it. For first-timers, that’s my top recommendation. It’s the angle used for broadcast: you can follow point construction and see the court from the perspective of the player on your side of the net, without moving your head side to side. Here’s a photo of the same perspective (from higher up seats) in 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 120 in renovated 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. Here’s a photo from Ashe courtside from that perspective.
For Loge or Promenade in Ashe, I generally recommend the lowest rows you can get regardless of location, since Loge — and especially Promenade — are already quite high up.
For Day sessions, factor in shade (West, Southwest, and Northwest get the most relief; see the shade question above). The umpire chair is never a real obstruction, but in very low rows on that side it can be a minor annoyance.
▸ Which seats in Promenade have obstructed views?
There are a handful of specific seats worth avoiding in Promenade based on reader reports in the comments over the years and posts on “View from my Seat.” Two recommendations based on every obstruction complaint I’ve ever heard about the Promenade:
1. Avoid aisle seats in Promenade rows A-E (due to large glass safety panels at the bottom of aisle stairways).
At the bottom of every aisle staircase, there’s a clear safety panel (with a metal support bar) to keep people from stumbling over the ledge. These sit at the ends of the rows, all the way around the stadium. If you’re in one of the first several rows (roughly A through E) AND in the seat or two directly beside an aisle, that glass and bar can cut right across your view of the court. Fans report this year after year, always in the same spots: the aisle-adjacent seats in the low rows. A few rows up, or a few seats over, and the problem disappears. The added bonus of skipping these seats: you’ll avoid fans walking up and down the aisles (which they’re only allowed to do in Promenade).
2. Unless you are fairly tall, avoid Row A in Promenade due to the metal safety rail. The front row of the Promenade has a horizontal rail along it. For many adults it’s a non-issue — you see right over it. But if you’re on the shorter side, or bringing kids, the rail can sit annoyingly close to your sightline to the near baseline. My advice for most folks is to avoid the first row altogether. Rows B and C give you virtually the same view with zero rail, and Row A’s extra legroom probably isn’t worth the tradeoff.
Check out photos from other fans of particular seats in Promenade at “View from my Seat.”
Note: I am not able yet to address questions about structural obstructions in the newly renovated Courtside and Loge sections – I’ll update after I’m there this year.
▸ Day session or evening — which is the better value?
For most fans, day sessions offer better overall value. You’ll typically get more tennis, more scheduling flexibility, and grounds access from morning until late evening. Evening sessions often feature big names and a special atmosphere under the lights, but you’re usually paying for fewer matches. Which is “better” comes down to whether you care more about the quantity of tennis or the energy of a showcase night session.
▸ Is a Grounds Pass worth it?
Sometimes — but usually not. Many fans assume a Grounds Pass is automatically the best value; often it isn’t. Before buying one, always compare prices for Ashe and Armstrong day-session tickets. If they’re available for a similar price, you get all the same grounds-access privileges plus a reserved seat and valuable rain protection from the stadium roofs.
▸ Should I buy a subscription or multi-session plan?
For most serious fans, I don’t recommend it. Most multi-session and first-time subscription plans are only for Promenade seats — so high up in that huge stadium that you’ll watch much of the match on the Jumbotron or through binoculars. It can take years to upgrade to Loge (only available with the very expensive full-series plan). For the price of a full-series plan (well over $2,000 each) you could buy several amazing seats across the tournament — or two excellent seats for the Men’s Final. And there’s always a glut of Promenade Ashe seats on the resale market, so an entire series of Promenade seats can be hard to resell.
▸ Which ticket site should I use? How to comparison shop?
Start with Ticketmaster, then compare resale. My process:
- Consult 2026 US Open Ticket Options and Average Prices: How to Spot a Good Deal to learn the average price ranges for the sessions you care about.
- Always check the official Ticketmaster US Open site first — on a computer for the fastest navigation. Use “map view” (click any section), try different sortings, and use multiple tabs to compare sessions. Ticketmaster shows both Standard tickets (“blue dots” — face value, most often Promenade, occasionally Loge/Courtside) and resale tickets (“red dots”). Surprisingly, resale red dots are often the best value, because resellers undercut each other. Tickets stay on sale up to 59 minutes after a session starts if inventory remains, and both Ticketmaster and StubHub make it easy to relist if your plans change (you need a US bank account to re-list on Ticketmaster).
- Compare availability and prices with StubHub and any other preferred resellers to see if you can find an even better deal for comparable seats. Other sites I’ve never had any problems with include Viagogo, VividSeats, SeatGeek, or Ticket Liquidator. I personally no longer recommend TickPick after two very poor experiences. My “2026 US Open Ticket Options” chart linked above links directly to every specific Ticketmaster and StubHub session ticket option.
- Only buy resale tickets that specify the exact Section, Row, and Seat (or seat range) matching the stadium seat maps in this post. Double-check what you receive matches what was advertised; reputable resellers refund a misrepresented ticket (but then it’s on you to find another).
- Never buy off Craigslist or classified sites — too many scams, and NYC law bans “scalping” within 1,500 feet of the venue (effectively everywhere off the subway), with undercover police on site.
- Going with friends? Consider buying a mix of cheap and amazing seats and trading off time in the great one (Promenade vs. Courtside, or across stadiums) — I do this every year. All tickets are mobile-only; if you don’t have a smartphone, Ticketmaster customer service can move yours to Will Call.
- For package deals (tickets + hotel/transport/VIP), trusted options include Championship Tennis Tours, Grand Slam Tennis Tours, and Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
▸ Are resale ticket sites safe?
Generally, yes — provided you use reputable marketplaces. In some cases resale tickets are actually better values than standard tickets, because sellers compete on price. Before buying, always verify the section, row, and seat numbers, and make sure the ticket is clearly marked for mobile transfer.
▸ How can I predict when — and where — my favorite player will play?
While you can never be absolutely sure whether your favorite player will be scheduled for a Day or Night session (or on which court) until the Schedule of Play is released the day prior to matches, you CAN predict which DATE your favorite players will play if they advance after the Round 1 schedule is announced. Here’s a chart showing which players would play on which days after Round 1 if they advance (based on the pattern from the first two days of Round 1).
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 site 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.
Another way to see your favorite player up close is to watch them when they’re scheduled for practice on the practice courts. See Tip #9
- 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).
- 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 almost always scheduled for the night sessions.
- For Men’s Semifinals, we learned last year (2025) never to assume that the biggest starpower matches would be put on the Night session: they shocked everyone and put the Alcaraz v Djokovic match on during the Day session, and Sinner v Auger-Aliassime at night.
How to Get the Most of Your Visit
The night before you go, check the Schedule of Play
1. Download the official US Open Everywhere App (search “2026 US Open Tennis”) for the latest schedule, scores, and live updates. I also recommend SI.com’s tennis page for terrific day-to-day coverage and analysis.
2. Be sure to check the Schedule of Play here (or on the App) to identify the matches that most interest you and build your plan around that.
3. If you are targeting the first match of the day on either Grandstand or Armstrong and if you don’t have a reserved seat, aim to get in line early at either the East Gate (for Armstrong) or South Gate (for Grandstand) so you can be among the first to enter when gates open at 9:30am. Then speed-walk over and grab the best seat you can.
4. If you’re a player, you might be interested in reading my ten ideas for watching a pro match to help improve your own game— some of the ways I challenge myself to watch live tennis more deliberately from the perspective of a player who wants to improve.
Check out the practice courts for close sightings of the superstars
Check the practice schedule here (or on the US Open App) the night before and the morning of your day at the Open. Note: the best time to see top players practice without fighting as many crowds is during the Fan Week (see Tip 1).
Don’t drive unless you really have to — here’s how to get there
My top recommendation is to take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to “Mets-Willets Point.”
It’s super fast (under 20 minutes from midtown Manhattan) and drops you literally steps from the US Open’s East Gate. You can take it from either Moynihan Train Hall (8th Avenue between West 31st-33rd) or Grand Central. Look for “Port Washington” train on the monitors (signage may say “GREAT NECK” or “PORT WASHINGTON” — double-check the train number.) See 2026 LIRR schedule here. Download the MTA TrainTime app to purchase tickets. Important: the Mets-Willets LIRR stop is NOT accessible for fans with disabilities — exit instead at Woodside/61st St and transfer to the 7 train (or just take the 7 to Mets-Willets Point).
The subway #7 train is also a convenient (and the least expensive) option.
Takes a bit longer, but runs 24 hours. Stops include Grand Central. Download the MTA App for train time and routes. If you must drive: See the US Open’s driving directions and parking details. Plan extra time when the Mets are home (Aug 24-30 and Sep 4-6); I recommend arriving no later than 8:30am on Mets’ dates to be on the safe side. A good alternate parking option is the Shops at Skyview – about a 10-minute walk to the East Gate (and you can reserve a spot in advance for a discounted rate here). Consider buying a resale parking pass on StubHub for a specific lots. Fellow fan Harry notes street parking under or south of Highway 495 is viable if you don’t mind a walk.
Thinking of using UBER/ LYFT/ TAXI? They’re great getting out to the Open – but can be a nightmare coming back after a night session.
To the Open, set the destination to “Billie Jean King National Tennis Center” (drops near the South Gate) or “Mets-Willets Point” (near the 7 train, then walk the footbridge to the East Gate). After a night session, be ready for long waits and heavy surge pricing — thousands of people will be trying to do the same. Alternatives: reserve a car service in advance (I’ve used Riverside), take the LIRR or 7 into Manhattan and hail a cab there, or hail under the 7 train on Roosevelt Ave (or use the Curb app).
Consider staying nearby in Queens and walking or biking.
Fellow fan Mark stayed at an Airbnb on Queens Boulevard about 2 miles away: flat terrain, good bike lanes, and bike racks across from the South Gate — “a fun and hassle-free way to make the commute.”
Coming directly from Laguardia?
It’s only a 9-minute cab ride — or take the Q48 public bus to the “Roosevelt Av/Willets Pt” stop (around 30 minutes). You can check your bag at the US Open before you enter the grounds.
More Common Questions - Good to Know Before You Go
▸ What can I bring — and what’s not allowed? (No backpacks!)
Be sure to review this official complete 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: (in 2025 it was $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 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 (and/or lightweight neck gaiter) 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).
- 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.
▸ Can I exit and re-enter the US Open grounds?
DAY SESSION ENTRY TO US OPEN GROUNDS (Gates open usually 9:30 most days, 11:00am Finals weekend)
- With either a Grounds Pass (Day) or a DAY-session reserved ticket in Ashe, Armstrong, or Grandstand), you can enter the US Open grounds as soon as gates open (usually 9:30am, 11am on Finals weekend)
- Enter the US Open Grounds through security with your ticket scanned at the East Gate or South Gate; if you have a reserved stadium seat, your ticket is re-checked entering that stadium. Once you enter the US Open grounds with any ticket, you can stay as late as you want until closing.
- Note: DAY-session reserved tickets for Ashe or Armstrong only entitles you to that seat for the Day-session matches — after which you will have to leave your seat but can remain on the US Open grounds and access general unreserved seating on every court except Ashe (which has no unreserved seating).
- You can exit the grounds and re-enter as much as you’d like before 6:00pm (you can’t re-enter the Grounds after 6:00pm).
EVENING SESSION ENTRY (6:00pm)
- If you only have an Evening session ticket, you have to wait until 6:00pm to enter the grounds.
- If you are already in the grounds and also hold an Evening reserved tickets (for Ashe or Armstrong) for the same day, you do NOT need to exit and re-enter the grounds.
- If you’re in Armstrong for the Day session (courtside or GA), you’ll leave your seat between sessions while they clean, but you can stay in the Armstrong concourse.
▸ What if it rains?
The good news: since both Arthur Ashe and the new Louis Armstrong have roofs, far more fans can keep watching even
if it rains.
The bad news: if you’ve invested in Grandstand seats or just a Grounds Pass, there’s less consolation. Keep in mind weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable and change by the hour — there’s always hope showers pass quickly.
In the rare event of an all-day rainout (or under 60 minutes of play), the session may be rescheduled to the next day and your ticket honored then — or, if you bought directly from Ticketmaster, you may be able to trade tickets for another session this year or next (see the US Open’s somewhat complicated 2026 Inclement Weather Policy).
Worst case, look for the silver lining: you’ll be among thousands of fans you can grab a specialty cocktail with, huddle under shelter, and watch an Ashe match together on the big screen.
▸ Is grounds admission free on the second Thursday (Sep 10)?
One of the best-kept secrets: for years the US Open has quietly offered free grounds admission on the second Thursday of the main tournament (gates usually open 11am or noon; you must arrive before 5pm) — a chance to see the Men’s Doubles Semifinals plus all-star wheelchair players, the world’s top juniors, and standout collegiate players.
If you’re a serious fan — especially a doubles player — this is a day not to be missed.
▸ Food
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 2026.
- 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
▸ What are perks for cardholders?
- AMERICAN EXPRESS CARDHOLDERS: Bring your Amex card if you have one! See full Amex Benefits at US Open here. Perks from 2025 likely to be repeated in 2026:
- (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 2026.
- Click here to make a reservation to access the “Chase Lounge”
- Other past perks have included offering cool video+mobile “Chase Charge & Watch” chargers
▸ Recommended places to stay?
This is not an area of expertise for me, but I trust fellow tennis fanatic Melissa, who maintains a great list of hotels appealing to all budgets here.
Fellow fan Mark recommends staying in Queens and biking, based on his experience: “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!”
▸ Grounds access on Finals Weekend?
Grounds Admission tickets usually get issued at some point over the summer for Finals Weekend (Fri-Sun Sep 11-13) on Ticketmaster.
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 a random act of kindness for fellow fans during the tournament. Our tennis community is big, but in a way it’s small — and our passion is infectious; do something kind for someone today, and they’re likely to pay it forward.
For instance, if you’re leaving your great Ashe (or Armstrong or Grandstand) seat for the day/night while matches are still going, as you exit consider consider gifting it to a fan who’s waiting outside the entrance hoping someone like you might offer. Giving someone on grounds your seat when you’re done isn’t as easy as it used to be, given tightened Ticketmaster restrictions preventing transferring after the ticket is scanned and preventing screenshots from within the Ticketmaster app… But with a little creativity and effort you can pretty easily make it happen, and the gesture might create a lifelong memory for someone else. Here’s how:
- Take a screenshot of your ticket in your phone’s WALLET (Ticketmaster will block screenshots from within the app).
- For Armstrong or Grandstand, simply text someone else the screenshot and it should hopefully suffice.
- For Ashe:
- If gifting to someone already IN the stadium, a screenshot from your wallet should suffice — including if you’re leaving the Courtside/Club level area entrance and you want someone already in Ashe to benefit from your seat (from Loge or Promenade.
- If gifting to someone already in the Open grounds but not in Ashe already: You’d need to walk with them to the Ashe entrance, re-scan your ticket (telling the ticket scanner that you’re letting your friend go to your seat) AND give them a screenshot (which they’ll need to show to ushers or for entry to Club level); OR you’d need to walk with the friend(s) as if you were going to re-enter with them, hand the friend your phone to get scanned, then have the friend discreetly pass the phone back after they are “in” (then just turn around as though you changed your mind about entering themselves at this time).
I’ve gifted a lot of tickets over the years, and it always feels wonderful.












Hey P.J. Super informative post, thanks a ton. I’m currently looking at taking a day off work and attending the day session for Weds, 9/5. Upon looking at ticket prices, it seems that Loge seats at Ashe are the same price, if not cheaper, for the evening session. Given that you get to see two matches for both sessions, is there a benefit for buying the Day session? Specifically, I’m wondering if it allows you to see other matches in the evening not on Ashe (although I’m not sure if there will be any played). Any advice would be appreciated,… Read more »
Hi Ozzy, thanks! You’re correct that the value in terms of matches on Ashe will be exactly the same (2 matches during day session, 2 for evening session). The benefit to Day session is that once you’re in the grounds you can stay as long as you wish. You can enter as early as 9:30am (and can arrive earlier to line up) and take advantage of first-come unreserved seating for other matches on all outer courts (except Ashe). Matches on Ashe don’t start till noon, but outer court matches start at 11am. During round 2, matches do stretch out well… Read more »
But isn’t it fair to say that on 9/5, which is the Quarters, there will not be much to see on the outer courts, except juniors and doubles and wheelchair matches?
Hi Tom, yes, no singles matches take place outside Ashe after Monday. See last year’s schedule for that day to have a good sense of what else will be going on. P.J.
P.J. – great information, especially for my wife and I who will be going for the first time and will have two days to spend there, Monday, 8/27, and Tuesday, 8/28; we have a max budget of $400 each for each of the two days and were hoping you could give us advice on how best to spend that money for our first time to the US Open – many thanks.
Hey Jim, thanks! A couple options I’d recommend: OPTION A Mon DAY – Cheap Ashe Promenade level seat (standard face-value) $65 (be sure to see my shade map!). Spend most of your day on OUTER courts, go into Ashe to get a glimpse of a famous player Mon EVE – Standard Ashe level seat $125 or resale seat unto $150 (see e.g. 105 J $156 including fees) Tues DAY – Cheap Ashe Promenade level seat $60. Same idea as Monday. Tues evening – Same as Mon evening either Standard Loge seat in high row for $110 or better seat via… Read more »
Hey PJ! great post! I am on a tight budget around $150 and looking to go on Thursday Aug 30th. Should I go for a promenade ticket or stretch my budget to $200 to look for a loge ticket?
Hi Gautam, thank you! I’d stretch your budget if you can. It makes a big difference. And with a Loge ticket, you’ll have the possibility of sneaking up to empty seats (within your section) whereas with a Promenade ticket you will definitely not be able to move into Loge area empty seats. Check out Section 103 row C on TM Exchange, excellent deal in very very good location (with shade much of day). 121 N would be my second choice (less shade, higher row). I looked only for single tickets (fewer available) so if you’re searching for 2 there may… Read more »
Hey PJ, thanks for the reply! 121 N was significantly cheaper than 103 C (tax inclusive $130 compared to $234) so I went for that. If the prices were closer I would have stretched my budget. What do you think?
Also, which courts would you recommend I go to after the 2nd round matches at Ashe?
Hey Gautam, sure thing. 121 N will be just fine and a good deal for that price! Sorry, I think that 103 C seat I saw must have been sold or they raised the price, because both were almost the same price when I looked. As for which other courts, a couple thoughts: 1) Be sure to check the schedule the night before you go (on the app or see link above) so you can see who will be on Armstrong and Grandstand for 11am matches (your 1st Ashe match won’t start till noon). If you see something appealing –… Read more »
Hi P.J.:
Your info & tips are spectacular! Thanks so much! If buy nosebleed tickets for Monday 8/27, how easy is it to move down to empty seats in lower sections? Do you get stopped and are asked to show ticket? Sent back to purchased seats? Thanks Again!
Hi Rosie, thank you!! It’s generally pretty easy (especially Mon-Thurs of first week) to sneak down into empty seats WITHIN the same section you purchased or in an adjacent section sharing the same stairwell. However, it’s very difficult (and not advisable) to try doing this in an entirely different section (e.g. from a Promenade section to a Loge section), as there are monitors checking tickets at the top of each Loge section. (FYI it’s impossible to access Courtside level seats at all without a Courtside ticket). I always tell folks contemplating doing this to be sure to be ready to… Read more »
Hi, This was very helpful. This would be my first time. We are a family of 4. Per suggestions on above post, I am thinking of buying cheap Ashe tickets for Sunday Sep 2. And hopefully watch some great matches on outside courts. We are interested in watching Singles matches.
I am trying to get a sense of wait for the outside courts. What are the chances that we will be able to sit together and watch a match if these are first come first serve seats. Thanks so much,
Hi AJ, thanks so much. The Sunday of Labor Day weekend attracts some of the biggest crowds of all. It should be possible but not easy to find four open seats together during round of 16 men’s singles matches (which will be exclusively on Armstrong and Grandstand) — the best way to approach it would be to queue up very early (like around 8:30am) then go directly to that court as soon as gates open to grab the seats (this may mean sitting through another match you don’t care about). It will be easier for women’s singles matches, but still… Read more »
Hey P.J. Thanks again for being the #1 source of info on attending the US Open.
I used to receive regular emails from your site containing exchanges from the comments section. I stopped receiving them 2+ months ago.
Is that service still available? If so, how do I register again?
Hey Oliver, thank you! So I confess I’m not really sure – I didn’t realize that was even possible. I am a lot less knowledgeable about WordPress than I am about the Open… Let me check with the IT expert I reach out to with these kinds of questions. Do you think it’s possible you received automatic emails notifying you when there were replies to comments you submitted (or to threads you commented on)? That might make more sense. P.J.
No. I received them all. I posted a question here for US Open 2016 which I attended but didn’t go in 2017. I was updated with the comments via email up until 2+ months ago. I’m going again this year that’s why I’m more interested with the exchanges.
For my original post from July 31, 2018, I did not receive an email notification when you replied. I think in 2016, that was the case.
Hey Oliver, thanks so much for letting me know. I’ll check with one of my friends who knows WordPress well and can help me figure it out. I don’t think I’ll be able to change this before this year’s Open (sorry!), but I’ll make sure I email everyone who posts a comment whenever I or others reply. Thanks again, P.J.
Hi! Thank you so much for all this wonderful info. I have purchased tickets for my husband’s birthday and myself have minimal tennis/US Open knowledge so this have been super helpful! One question I can not seem to find an answer to though. I have purchased seats at Arthur Ashe for 7pm 8/31 and am considering purchasing tickets for the day as well. When I look at the parking (we are coming from PA suburbs so public transportation would be tough) there are two parking passes for each day. For instance, 8/31 has tickets for session 9 and session 10.… Read more »
Hey Dana, you’re so welcome, thanks for saying that! It’s funny, I had the same question myself last year with exact same scenario… I had to drive one day, and had a parking pass for what would have been the first session, but was staying through the second. I went ahead and parked using my first pass only and picked up my car late that night with no incident. I never asked anyone the question officially and haven’t seen anything clear on this in writing… So in short, I’m almost 100% you’ll be fine with just that first pass to… Read more »
Hi P.J! Firstly wanted to thank you for writing such detailed information about US Open! You did an excellent job here 🙂 I was wondering if you could advise on something, I am attending US Open first time. I would like to take my husband to US Open as his birthday present and we could go on 1 or 2 September. I looked at Ticketmaster and there are so many tickets\seats available and not sure which one to choose. Of course we would like to see big stars but as I understood you can never know for sure who will… Read more »
Hi Olga! Thanks so much for your kind words. So I just spent quite a while looking at various ticket options for Sep 1 and 2 and prices continue to be super high on average. I definitely think you should go with Ashe or Armstrong tickets because of the roofs in case of rain. But trying to figure out a good combo of day and evening sessions has been tough. A couple of options I’d consider with that budget: (1) Focus on the best tickets you can afford in Ashe Sunday Day session (see esp Loge sections 103, 135, 136).… Read more »
Hi P.J, I am sorry I missed your response because I was sure I’ll get automatic notification or something. Thank you for responding so quickly and giving so many insights and tips. I will definitely follow your advise (4) & I’ll buy tickets for Sunday. Due to me missing your response the section 29 tickets were sold 🙁 I guess someone was quicker. Shall I buy tickets for section 26 now (they cost more) or it would be ok to buy section 102 or section 111? In terms of evening session how many matches are there, just asking because I… Read more »
Hey Olga, sorry for the delayed reply! FYI Just checked: there’s still a single standard ticket in section 27 row J for $500. I would do that if you can afford it! P.J.
Thanks so so much! Do you happen to know what time they allow cars to start parking in the morning?
Sure thing, Dana! I’m not sure about what time parking lots open – I’m pretty sure it’s very early (like 7am or even earlier), but haven’t been able to find anything definitive in writing on that… P.J.
Hi P.J. Thank you for the great article. I was wondering what you would recommend for someone like me, who is probably only going to be in NYC Aug 31 and Sep 1. I am probably a slightly above average tennis fan, but have never been to a match before. If I just wanted to take in the experience for probably that Saturday (September 1) and watch a bunch of tennis without really caring too much about who I see, what would you recommend? I also just finished law school and do not have very much money to splurge. I… Read more »
Hey Bob, thanks so much. A few thoughts: If there’s any way you could spend the day at the Open on Friday the 31st instead of Saturday, your dollar will go much further and you’ll have to battle slightly smaller crowds for the general admission seating in the outer (non-Ashe) courts. For instance, there’s a single seat in Ashe Loge section in the third row behind the server (in shade most of day) in section 103 row C for $250 plus fees – and comparable seats for Sat are way way higher. Friday is third round of play just like… Read more »
Hi P.J.
Thank you for the advice. This was very helpful. I am a Rafa fan, and since most tennis fans are Federer fans, do you think when the schedule is out and we know the days that both of them will be playing (since we know one will be one day, and one will be the other), tickets will go down for the days Nadal will be playing? I am thinking most people will want to see Federer, and prices would be significantly more during the days he plays….
Hi Sam, my pleasure. It’s hard to predict exactly… While I am quite confident that prices will stay steady or increase on days Fed is playing (and especially for sessions he’s scheduled to play), it’s hard to know how prices will be impacted on the alternate days Rafa is playing. First, Rafa IS super popular too. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it depends on who else ends up being in that same half of the men’s draw (and which women are scheduled to play alongside that half). For instance, say Serena Williams and Andy Murray and Djokovic all end up… Read more »
Hi P.J. Thank you so much for all this precious information!! I benefited a lot from it last year when I went to the U.S Open! Last year, I wen to semi-finals but sadly Fed stopped just one round earlier :(. So, this year I really want to raise my opportunity to see him and I target at the round of 16 on Sun / Mon. It seems there are two strategies. 1) Buy tickets for all four sessions and try to resell the ones that I don’t need at the end. 2) Wait till the schedule is clear and… Read more »
Hey Ken, yeah it’s a tough call… (1) Yes, the only way to guarantee would be to purchase all 4 Ashe sessions Sun/Mon of R16 (assuming Fed makes it through) (2) The downside of that strategy: the potential risk of losing some/all money on tickets you try to resell. Promenade tickets are always tough to resell (unless Fed is playing). Loge much easier. I recommend this strategy only for folks who would be OK financially in worst-case scenario of not being able to resell (3) An advantage of waiting is that you can target your entire budget for the best… Read more »
Hello P.J,
And thank you for everything. 🙂
A question about schedule being released on Saturday; up in your post you wrote:
“…usually released online the Saturday before the tournament begins at 5pm EDT”
And here in the comment section you say: “beginning around noon”.
I’ll be in Philly that day, and will look for a wifi spot, but this timing confuses me now. OR was I lost in translation? 🙂
Thanks again,
Darko
Hey Darko, apologies for the confusion! I should adjust the text in the post to make clear that there’s no set time that they release the schedule for Day, but it’s always the Sat before (this year Aug 25) and I’ve never seen it released before noon… It’s worth starting to check around noon, but it may not be released until later in the afternoon. I think last year it was around 5pm. PJ
Dear P.J., thank you very much for all your helpful information. I have many questions, and appreciate your help. We (2 adults) are staying in Manhattan; do you recommend the LIRR over the subway to travel to the US Open, and if so do we purchase a “City Ticket” or is there some other ticket we should purchase? Can we get a “round trip” type of ticket, and do we purchase it at Penn Station or can we get it online? We have reserved tickets for September 2 day session Armstrong, 6 rows back from courtside, when do you recommend… Read more »
Hi Bonnie! So it depends on where exactly you’re staying in Manhattan. If you’re near Penn Station (W 34th St) then I’d strongly recommend the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) – so quick and easy. Just go directly to Penn Station, follow the signs to LIRR, and there are automatic ticket machines where you just choose your destination (METS WILLETS station) and swipe your credit card. Yes you can purchase a round-trip ticket at that time (no need to buy online prior). However, FYI for your return trip from US Open there will be LIRR attendants at the US Open LIRR… Read more »
Hello P.J. — this is a most amazing web site, exactly what I had been searching for! You are most kind to reply to everyone so thoughtfully. I have a question for which i haven’t seen the answer yet. My former high school doubles partner and I are planning to attend the Day 5 day session. As official old fogies, I have a standard flip phone and he does not own a cell phone! Your info said that without a smart phone, we need to buy resale from the Ticketmaster Exchange site (or Standard from the Ticketmaster site, followed by… Read more »
Hey Chip, how great you’re going with your former HS dubs partner! So I think the best strategy would be to check on Ticketmaster (and Ticketmaster Exchange) sites for the tickets you want to purchase, then call the US Open box office directly at 718-760-6363 before purchasing them to explain your situation and ask what they suggest. They may tell you to call Ticketmaster – or perhaps they can help you directly. But either way, probably best to call the Box Office first. I will also try to call them tomorrow to get a definitive answer on this scenario for… Read more »
Hey Chip, I just called the box office and they suggested you call Ticketmaster directly to place the order and tell them you’d like to have the tickets physically mailed to you. P.J.
Hi, as others have said before, thank you so much for the fantastic amount and quality of information you put together. This year will be our first time going and your information has been tremendously helpful. One few questions about the free entrance Sunday Aug 26th. In your opinion, would you guess many players will be there Sunday Aug 26th to practice? If so do you have any idea about what hours players might usually practice there (primarily mornings or all day?). About what time is the Center open and closed that free Sunday (ex 10am to 6pm? Or something… Read more »
Hey Tom and Katrina, you made my day– thank you so much! I do anticipate many great players will be around that day (I plan to go myself). The first practice usually is scheduled at 10:00am, so it pays to get there early and line up so you can enter when gates open (usually at 9:30am) and go directly to whichever court has scheduled someone you want to see. Practices take place on all the courts. I don’t think there’s any hard stop to the end of the day, as courts are usually booked by the pros for practice into… Read more »
Hi PJ – thank you for following up with the Box Office! My partner, Jay, called Tickmaster and here’s what he found out: “The Ticketmaster reseller rep told me that they did not have any tickets that could be printed or mailed via UPS.” Apparently we have to pick them up at the on-site Box Office — ‘will call’ I think. Can you tell us where that would be? I expect that we’ll arrive at the E gate. Thanks much!
Chip
Hey Chip, I’m sorry it’s all so confusing! That does track with my understanding from how it worked last year. And I’m 99% sure that Will Call will be at the East Gate box office (you can’t miss at the bottom of the ramp coming from the bridge where the subway and LIRR drop you off). And while I’ve been assured in the past that they will help if folks absolutely can’t access mobile tickets after buying them online, I do think it would be safest to buy the tickets by calling Ticketmaster and telling them before giving your credit… Read more »
Hello!
Cheers for all this valuable information. I will be in NYC Aug 31 and want to catch round 3. I am contemplating between getting Armstrong day session courtside tickets, Arthur ash day loge tickets or the grandstand. What would you recommend, also if I decide on Armstrong what section would you recommend? I think seeing a competitive match between players in the top 20 would be ideal for me.
Thank you in advance
Hi Nabeel, you’re welcome! Would definitely recommend Ashe or Armstrong because they have roofs. If you can afford it, three are a small handful of standard (face-value blue dot) courtside Ashe tickets for day and night sessions on Aug 31 that are great deals; they’re all in sections that would be good from sun/shade perspective– that would be my first choice. Second choice would be Armstrong either South sections (e.g. sections 1 or 18) behind the server or SW or NW corner sections 2-4, 6-8 (better for sun). With Ashe, you’ll see superstars like Federer, Nadal, Serena; with Armstrong, you’ll… Read more »
Hello P.J.
Thank you for the information. I’m trying to help my dad, who is a fan and a tennis player who has gone to other tournaments in Latin America but never to the US. He is traveling to NY for the finals on Sep 9th. For the tickets, I already checked ticketmaster site for seats and prices. In addition to this, is there any other day/park pass that he should buy to get into the facilities? This is my first time searching/reading about the US Open Tournament… I am sure I missed this info in your article.
Thank you,
Hi Tatiana, there’s only one type of ticket for that final day: an Ashe Day session ticket (there’s only one Day session ticket that will get him into the grounds and also a reserved seat in Ashe for both the women’s doubles match and men’s singles final). P.J.
Hello! First off, thank you so so much for all this useful information. I am just wondering if you can give me some recommendations about me trying to come up for my first live tennis experience. As it happens I am Swiss and this means that I am unfortunately a fan of the most popular player so I would say my #1 priority would be to see Fed play. After that I also just want to be able to experience Ashe as close to the court as possible, and the whole grounds/other stadiums too… I have Thur Aug 30 –… Read more »
Hi Chad! You’re most welcome. I’m a huge Fed fan myself, so I get it 🙂 Here’s what I’d do if I were you: (1) Spend all your budget Thurs and Friday, which maximizes your potential to see Fed (2) If you buy all 4 sessions (day and night each day) you will 100% see him as long as he makes it through to 3d round) (3) Prioritize best seats for Thurs and Friday evening (4) Thursday evening (2d day of 2d round play), I’d recommend standard seat in section 116 J $135 – can’t beat that price. (5) Friday… Read more »
Thank you very much P.J.
Hi PJ, Thank you for setting up such an informative page with the latest info that I could not find anywhere else. I read your post thoroughly and enjoyed it very much! 🙂 My question is rather odd. I just bought my Arthur Ashe Loge tickets for Second Round on Aug 30, Thursday (Day) via Stubhub. I received physical tickets and I was quite surprised to see that the original price for these tickets were $115 with tax included (I ended up paying about $180 plus fee per ticket). When I looked on Ticketmaster for comparable Loge section, the lowest… Read more »
Hey Sean, you’re very welcome – so glad it was helpful! What you described sounds quite normal. What almost certainly happened is that someone who bought a subscription for their seats (i.e., the same seats for the entire tournament), and the price for subscription tickets is slightly discounted per session — hence the $115 they paid versus $130 being offered to single-session ticket buyers. I’m sure you’ll be just fine! P.J.
Ah that makes sense! 🙂 Maybe next time I’ll get subscription tix too….
Thanks so much for your quick response. I’m so excited for my matches!! Hope you’ll have a great time at this year’s open too.
You’re welcome, thanks thanks! One note about subscriptions – they are never available for Loge section, only Promenade — and people can only keep putting in for upgrades each year, which is how your seller got them. I generally advise folks against trying to subscribe to Ashe Promenade seats unless they’re happy with just those seats; they can be really hard to resell, and usually for what you’d spend on a subscription you can get much much better quality seats individually… So in short, don’t feel badly about not getting a subscription 🙂 P.J.
Hi, if buy a evening ticket could be see the ground matches during the day, like courts 2-16?
Hi Frank, unfortunately not – evening session tickets only enable you to enter the grounds at 6pm (sometimes 5:30 if security guards are lenient). P.J.
Some time between this morning when I checked and this evening, USTA put a batch of standard price (face value) tickets for ASHE courtside online for Friday Aug 31 evening. Didn’t check any other venue or date, but this the biggest batch of new standard price seats I have seen. As you have noted many times, it seems to be random when the USTA releases new seats but the USTA did push out an email today that made me curious enough to recheck the site. While there is always a possibility of a better deal on the resale market later,… Read more »
Hey John, yes indeed, thanks for pointing out! Just noticed myself today that there are a bunch released for several sessions. Great that you grabbed them! P.J.
Yeah, I just managed to get two tickets for Ashe night session, section 38, row G, for $550, on Monday second week (face value). It should be a nice place to be, I guess? Hope Roger gets to the 4th round and play at night on Monday. 🙂
Petter, those are fantastic seats – you will be thrilled! I’ll be there that night too and can’t wait 🙂 P.J.
Hi, P.J.! I’m looking for tickets for that night right now! I’ll be the one wearing a hat. 😉
🙂 🙂
Do you think final day ticket prices (cheap seats) could still go down more?
Thanks again!
Debra Wright
Hi Debra, do you mean for Men’s Final on Sep 9? If so, below are thoughts I recently shared with a fellow fan on that question (if not, please let me know and I can try again!): “Right now prices are very high on average for the men’s final session and I can’t imagine them going up much more. Last year, once it became clear that Federer was out and it would be Anderson v Rafa, prices dropped a lot — several promenade seats were available the day before the final for around $195/$200 and there were excellent Loge seats… Read more »
Hi PJ, first of all brilliant website – this page in particular is really incredible and so helpful. My wife and I will be in New York during the first week of the US Open and we’re planning to attend a couple of sessions. We had initially thought of two days (Tues & Weds) and doing one evening session in Ashe on either of those days. However Natasha’s message below got me thinking that maybe 3 days could also be cool and pretty much guarantee us seeing both Nadal & Federer. I’m a keen tennis fan and my wife used… Read more »
Hey Andrew, thank you SO much! This is tough – I can see pros and cons of various options. So I’m going to write this as though I were advising close friends coming in from Europe with similar background to what you’ve given me (feel free to ignore this and go with your gut!): (1) For me, an amazing US Open experience is about quality not quantity. So while I know you’re thinking about 3 days, with your $500 budget I’d focus on best possible seats for those two days rather than spreading it out over 3. This means you’ll… Read more »
Hi P.J.!! You have no idea how useful this blog post has been for me. Believe it or not, my IPhone recognizes your blog as my favorite webpage. (If you, check out the stats you will see that someone from Colombia, South America, has been reading this every single day since June. Well, it’s me!!) This year will be my first time in the US Open. I got tickets for the first two days and also for the quarter finals. I have a question about the quarter finals. I got a Day Session ticket for the Louis Armstrong Stadium (I… Read more »
Hola Isabel, que bueno escucharlo! I’m so glad it’s been helpful, you made my day. For the Tues Armstrong session on Sep 4, you’ll be able to leave and come back so long as you re-enter before 5:30pm, no problem. However, just want to make sure you’re aware that you’ll be seeing doubles matches only that day. I personally find world-class doubles incredibly exciting to watch, but many fans prioritize singles – so just wanted to be sure you knew so you wouldn’t be disappointed. (I mention this in my “Schedule at a Glance” above, but perhaps should call out… Read more »
Hi again PJ and thanks for all your help. I have now rearranged my schedule and sold my promenade Ash tickets for Friday and Saturday first week. I will be replacing them with GS or day LA tickets. I am very interested in GS tickets as I like a seat close to the action for as many games as possible, however prices seem very inflated compared to face value for GS seats compared to LA. I know LA is new and they are trying out a new price model, but still. I am looking at LA for Friday at 250$… Read more »
Hey Stefan, my pleasure. First, I’d definitely prioritize Armstrong over GS for Sunday (round of 16); there’s only one session that day (whereas all days previously are Day and Evening sessions), so there will likely be at least one extra match scheduled (albeit still just one men’s R16 singles match)– plus they will put bigger names for singles matches. Just looked very quickly at a couple sites and saw a single seat in section 12 row G and section 7 row P on Ticketmaster that look good (not sure they’re the best deals, but caught my eye). For Saturday, GS… Read more »
Thanks P.J. but my question was regarding Friday and Saturday, the ticket you refer to for GS Saturday is the one for 280 I guess? The basis of my question also was if it’s a better deal to go with LA since they are sold at Face value. The GS tickets are near triple Face value.
Thanks again!
Apologies Stefan, read too quickly! Yes, I think unless you find an exceptional deal for Grandstand in a dream seat you should prioritize Armstrong for both days — above all for the roof in case of rain. On Friday, you should have no problem getting into general seating in Grandstand (albeit with some wait) if you want to experience that stadium. Even GA seating in Grandstand is excellent given its small size (new Armstrong will be almost twice as large). P.J.
Great info. My husband is a 4.0 player on the road to a 4.5 too..your information is so helpful, we are coming to us open this year, our whole family plays, thanks so much
Hi Stacy, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know it was helpful – and how great to know your husband is also “on the road” and your whole family plays. Enjoy the Open! P.J.
Hi P.J.! I learned so much from this site, thanks for sharing all the great info. I’m a long-time tennis (and particularly US open) fan, first-time attendee. I’m thinking of doing Day session Ashe tues-wed-thurs 8/28-30 rounds 1 and 2. This way, I have access to all the day matches and will surely catch some of the superstar players. What do you think? Should I also get evening session to guarantee seeing a star player? Thanks!
Hi Natasha, thanks very much – I’m so glad to hear it! Sounds like a great plan. You might consider getting an evening ticket for WED night to optimize your chances of seeing marquee players. Here’s why: Let’s say, for instance, you want to see both Nadal and Federer. They will almost 100% be in opposite halves of the draw because their ATP rankings are not likely to change (given how many points they are ahead), which means they’ll play on opposite days until Semis. Either half of the draw could be scheduled to start on Day 1– so imagine… Read more »
Yes, makes sense, thank you!
One more question if you don’t mind: Could I do the same on quarterfinals days (9/4-9/5)? Basically, would the Arthur Ashe seated ticket also grant access to GA at Armstrong? (I noticed the Armstrong match starts 1 hr before Arthur Ashe.)
Thanks!
Hi Natasha, sure thing. Yes, an Ashe ticket (any ticket, in fact, that gets you into the grounds) entitles you to access first-come general admission (unreserved) seating in Armstrong and all the stadiums other than Ashe. Just to clarify, during QF days all singles matches will be played on Ashe; Armstrong will feature doubles only beginning Tuesday that week (and later in the week may include some juniors and wheelchair matches too). P.J.
P.J., Thanks so much for all the work you do to provide such helpful information for the US Open! I’m planning a trip for my family (wife and two boys) to spend a day at the Open this year. It will be the first time for the kids. The 11 year old is very into tennis. Wife and younger son aren’t so much. We’re likely going to go on Friday, 8/31. I was going to take your advice and get either Ashe or Armstrong reserved tickets for rain insurance. We would plan to spend our time watching the more intimate… Read more »
Hey YC, thank you! I love hearing that your 11 year old loves watching the top players practice – put a huge smile on my face. That’s awesome. Great questions, though I need to qualify any answer with: “it depends.” If it were me, I’d probably prioritize based on what I thought would make my 11 year old fanatic son most happy — because your wife and other son will probably be fine regardless. Perhaps ask him hypothetically if he’d rather see someone like, say, Sasha Zverev or Dominic Thiem in a battle closer up with awesome seats on Armstrong… Read more »
P.J. – you rock. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Do you think there’s a difference between these sections in Armstrong – 9, 10, 18?
Thanks!
Hey YC, my pleasure! Section 18 will almost certainly be a much better choice in terms of sun/shade (I say that because it’s a new stadium and can’t guarantee, but it’s the South side and typically that area (plus seats to the West) get the most shade. Apart from that, they’re all great sections to sit in. P.J.
I see tickets in Section 18 row R for $203 before fees. In your experience, does that seem like a good deal. I’m going to go ahead and purchase 😉
Hey YC, yes, for that section and day looks to be a very good deal! P.J.
Funny. I was looking at the night tickets instead of day. There are a set of 4 on Armstrong on 8/31 in row R for $289 pre-fees. Is that a good deal? Thanks so much!
Hey YC, yes seems to be a solid deal albeit not an exceptional one. Just checked quickly on Ticketmaster and saw four in section 8 row M for $251 + fees, which is not as sweet a location as being on South side behind the server but is a bit closer row and would save $. My sense is that there will continue to be good deals coming up on Armstrong, so don’t feel huge pressure to pull the trigger if it’s not exactly what you want in your budget as you’re likely to find another really good option if… Read more »
Thanks for your advice! I’ll continue to monitor over the next 1-2 weeks.
I’m sorry for bugging you again. I’ll leave you alone after this one, I promise :).
Looking at Ashe tickets this am, I see there are 4 in 103C for $334 before fees on 8/31. That seems like a good deal for seats with shade. With these we’d be close, have a shot at seeing the top 4 playing, and still be able to get into Armstrong for the day. The fam is getting really excited (almost as excited as I am!) What do you think?
Hey YC, No worries! Those are very good – and that area is awesome behind server. I’d check 136 C as well (a couple dollars less, even better vantage point). Also look at 135 F – a lot cheaper a few rows back. If you can afford Row C, I DO think it’s worth being in that third row, but if that’s stretching budget the 135F seats are good. For that day, definitely arrive EARLY (like 9:00am if you can) and go grab four seats together in Armstrong (for the 11 match, which starts an hour earlier than Ashe). Otherwise… Read more »
Pulled the trigger on 136 C. I bought through your affiliate link. Thanks for the tip and for all the help!
Fantastic, you will love those seats – excited to hear how your 11 year old enjoys it all. Please let me know! P.J.
Makes total sense! Thanks for the quick reply! Have a great day!
Hi! Again, many thanks for all the useful information on this site.
Regarding loge tickets in Ashe stadium, do you think it is more important to get a good (low row) ticket in the corners and on the side (sections 123-133 and 105-115) than behind the baseline (116-122, 101-104 and 134-136). I have never been in Ashe before, but from the map it seems that the corner and side sections are a bit further away from the court than the sections behind the baseline.
Best regards,
Petter
Hi Petter, if the choice is, say, between 1st to 3d row on the side (eg 126-130 or 108-112) versus towards the last row in other sections, I’d personally choose the closer row. If it’s just a matter of a few rows difference, I’d choose the behind-the-server seats first, then corner seats as a second choice (corner is an excellent vantage point too). What most people have a hard time appreciating until they’ve gone to Ashe is that there are two stories of box seats separating courtside from Loge — so even first row Loge section is appreciably higher than… Read more »
Excellently written and a extremely helpful article, PJ. Thank you very much! US Open will be my second grandslam and as schedule would have it, I will be able to watch the Men’s Final only. I have been tracking the prices on ticketmaster and they have been in the range of ($315-$330) including the convenience fees. My question is, is it worth to wait and track the other sites mentioned above till a couple of weeks before the final date? Also the second part is I am a huge Rafa fan and got a chance to meet him and get… Read more »
Hi Saif, big thanks to you for your kind words, which I greatly appreciate! I do think it’s worth holding out. Right now prices are very high on average for the men’s final session and I can’t imagine them going up much more. Last year, once it became clear that Federer was out and it would be Anderson v Rafa, prices dropped a lot — several promenade seats were available the day before the final for around $195/$200 and there were excellent Loge seats as low as $595. To be very clear, I’m not suggesting that will happen again this… Read more »
Your website has been very helpful. Many thanks for that, PJ!!
I’m really excited for my two day @ Arthur Ashe
Kind regards from Switzerland,
Patrizia
Patrizia, I’m so pleased to hear it! Thanks so much for letting me know. I hope you have a fantastic experience! P.J.
Hi PJ,
First, THANKS for this wonderful site. As a first-timer, the insights you provide are invaluable!! I would love your input on Arthur Ashe seats for the last night of Round 16 (9/3). I’m looking at tickets in Section 35, Row G and Section 58, Row B; and I can’t decide between the two options. I’m not overly concerned about the cost difference between them. I really just want the best experience. I so appreciate your thoughts! Thanks!
Stacy
Hi Stacy, thank you very very much for your enthusiastic thanks! 🙂 You’ve chosen two incredible options. They both have a lot going for them. The vast majority of people would consider 35 (behind the server) to be preferable (and prices reflect this): it’s 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. You’re a bit higher up (this is why these rows begin with higher letters E instead of AA or A) which provides a… Read more »
Hi PJ,
What are your thoughts on Grandstand Day session Thursday Aug 30
Section 13A Row S
$123 + fees
Thanks again!
DUEY
Hey Duey! Those are excellent seats for an excellent price. However, I’d urge you to consider section 5A row T for same price – better from a shade perspective because it’s SW side of the stadium and there’s a large overhang that casts a shade on those seats (and sun will be at your back for most of the afternoon). P.J.
Hi PJ, Thanks for the great tip! I pulled the trigger and bought them. Thanks ? again! Also, I’m planning on doing… Ashe Promenade Night session opening ceremonies Monday Aug 27. Ashe Promenade Day session Tuesday Aug 28 (mostly to check out All the other courts unless you’d recommend Loge seats?) And Ashe Courtside Evening on Wednesday Aug 30 (does it matter what section for evening session as far as shade is concerned?) Would you recommend anything in particular? Thanks again so much for All your tips and advice! On another note, I can across your ‘note’, that I copied… Read more »
Duey, thank you so much on all counts! Sounds like an excellent plan. Courtside tix are so expensive, so they feel all the more satisfying when you’ve saved money on other tickets in order to splurge for them. Unless you find upper Loge seats for virtually the same as lower Promenade price, I’d say stick with Promenade to save money. You really should plan to spend lots of time on outer courts on that Tuesday August 28 – such a great time to see so many awesome players up close. As for which Courtside seats, doesn’t matter at all from… Read more »
Hi PJ,
Thanks again for all your wonderful advice.
What are your thoughts on Ashe Wednesday Night
Section 66 Row G for $556ea + fees?
Should I wait for better seats for cheaper to come on sale?
Thanks
Hey Duey, those are very good but there are also some standard seats (face-value) that just popped up recently in 45 F (first row in that section) for $450 – terrific value, and rare when those standard seats pop up. If you want to be directly behind server, those section 66 seats are great, but corner is also excellent. P.J.
Hey PJ,
One more thing. Do you think it’s worth it to buy ticket insurance? Or bc I’m buying through ticketmaster, it should be fine?
Hi Duey, I haven’t personally and don’t think it’s worth it for most situations. I’d review carefully the fine print (see this) in terms of what it covers (e.g. illness requiring you to see a doctor, etc). P.J.
Hi PJ,
Thanks so much again for your oh so helpful advice. It is so much appreciated.
I’m considering Tuesday & Wednesday Ashe Day sessions, more to check out All the other courts. Should I spend a bit more and buy in sections 301or 340 just in case it rains or a player I like is playing? ie. 301 F or G for $85
Or just buy a cheaper in row and section?
Thanks ? so much again!!!
Hey Duey, sure thing! I’d personally go for something like 334 C (front row that section) standard ticket for $85 on Tues (or 339 D for $90) and 301 D for Wed ($90) because chances are there will be something you do actually want to see on Ashe and spending the extra $20 or so for lower rows in Promenade is worth it. There’s always a chance you can sneak up within your section if others aren’t there, but for a marquee player (I.e. one you’d really want to see like Federer) it will be harder to do that. P.J.
Looks like we are going to drive into Newark, NJ train to Penn Station and then hopefully catch the LIRR to Met. That is not coming up as an option yet though. Keeps referring me to the 7 which takes 45min to an hour.
Hey Gina, there’s a special LIRR schedule that runs just during the US Open from Penn to Mets-Willets station – the schedule won’t be released until about a week before. The option will show up then. P.J.
Ok, Thank you, can you tell I am excited to go again?? You have contributed to my obsession. So do you think I should also get evening tickets for Ashe? I forgot that you mentioned that Ashe went from 3 to 2 matches.
– Also what did you think of the new Armstrong stadium? I really liked the old one, all of the seats seemed like good ones.
– Another question, we are interested in eating at Aces the information is a little confusing, do you have to have a certain type of ticket to eat there?
Hey Gina, love the passion! If your budget permits, I do think Ashe evening is worth adding to your agenda. The atmosphere is really special during night matches under the bright lights of such a huge stadium. But if your budget doesn’t allow, rest assured you’ll still be able to see a lot of really interesting matches on the outer courts that Thursday during 2d round well into the evening. The new Armstrong looks amazing. There’s no question it will be less intimate than the old Armstrong, but I’m really confident it will be an outstanding venue based on how… Read more »
This will be our first US Open visit. We will be attending 8/30-9/3. Please advise what tickets you would recommend for each day. I started reading through the comments and my head started to spin trying to figure out what to purchase!
Hi Nancy, can you please give me a little more info – your budget, interests and priorities (e.g. whether your #1 goal is to see a famous player, whether you have kids, whether you’re players yourselves, how many of you, whether you want to watch a ton of tennis like day and night every day or just some sessions, etc)? P.J.
It will be my husband and myself attending. We are both tennis players. We would like to attend one evening match in Ashe Stadium. We would love to see a famous player but our main goal is to see lots of good tennis along with some time in the city. Would like to stay under $750.00 if possible.
My husband and I will be attending. We are both tennis players. We would like to attend 1 evening in Ashe. What evening would be best for Ashe? Friday-Sunday. . We plan on spending our days seeing as much tennis as possible. We would love to sit court side at least once during the day in order to see all the action! . Any advice you have on ticket recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Trying to stay under $1000 for our 4 days at the Open.
Hi Nancy, a few thoughts: (1) If you have to choose one evening I’d recommend Sunday evening: it’s the first day of round of 16, so matches will be more competitive. There also tend to be more good deals that evening than Fri/Sat, because more tourists tend to favor sessions before Sun evening so demand slightly less for Sun evening. Some standard (face-value) tickets just opened up on Ticketmaster for around $175 each in last row of Loge, which is usually wheelchair accessible but they have not designated as such so they are open to anyone to purchase (2) Courtside… Read more »
Thank you so much for your input on this! You are truly a blessing to those attending the US Open. I am totally impressed with all the information and knowledge you have shared in your post.
Nancy, thank you so, so much! I am so grateful for your kind words. Hope you and your husband have an incredible experience. If any other questions come up, please don’t hesitate to ask. P.J.
P.J. – I have purchased Loge tickets for 9/2 evening. Trying to decide if my best bet is to buy Ashe Promenade for 8/31, 9/1, and 9/3 (flight home leaves late evening) or attending less days and spending more on tickets for fewer days. Would love to be closer to see action. Would you recommend grandstand on 9/1? Found $220.00 tickets. Do you think its a good idea to purchase tickets for Monday the 3rd? Do you think it’s worth waiting to buy tickets closer to tournament start or should I pull the trigger? Tickets seem to be high right… Read more »
Hi Nancy, some thoughts that may help: Sep 1 is definitely a good day for Grandstand given that it’s still 3d round so there will be several matches schedules and only one session (I.e., no separate night session, so your ticket will be good all day and into evening if matches continue, which they usually do). See Day 6 on last year’s schedule here for a sense of what you might see. Grandstand is an awesome, intimate stadium – the only downside is no roof if it rains. I generally favor quality over quantity with my own US Open experience.… Read more »
Hi there, This is amazing! I will be making my first trip to the US Open and I these tips are a life saver! I plan to visit all the grand slams, so I’m hoping that maybe you have tips for those tournaments too? 🙂 Anyways, I’m trying to find the best reseller tickets for the US Open Men’s Final (as I was too late to grab them when they were first released). I’ve been looking for a few weeks and realize that TickPick offers the cheapest price, and no hidden fees. But it seems too good to be true.… Read more »
Hi Jaclyn, thank you so so much for the kind words of appreciation – I deeply appreciate them! I have been to Wimbledon and the French so happy to help when the time comes (still need to get to Australian myself!). At some point I’ll try to pull together reflections for them, but happy to help in the meantime if you just reach out. As for TickPick, I have actually used it and all the others I mention above myself and had solid experiences. They all offer very, very strong buyer protection (and they have very severe penalties for sellers… Read more »
Hi P.J., Thank you so much for your quick reply! I will definitely contact you when I go to visit all the other grand slams. It’s a life goal that I plan to achieve. I have been searching for finals tickets for quite some time and found a pretty good deal on TickPick. The only thing is, they are listed as “e-tickets” with the description as “mobile tickets, QR code”, and they don’t say the seat number. Are the US Open tickets scanned with a QR code? Should I stay away from buying this cuz they also don’t say the… Read more »
Hey Jaclyn, you’re so welcome! As long as there’s a section number and row letter (and you’ve checked on the map that you like that area), should be just fine. And yes, if the seller has committed to transfer electronically, then they are committing to get it to you in a standard way that will be acceptable. As of last year, the US Open started prioritizing e-tickets with a code to scan – so most tickets are electronic. P.J.
Hey PJ! First off, I just want to say how helpful this page has been. I’m from Toronto and although I watch every year, I’ve never been to the US open and I’ve learned a lot from here. My question is not about tickets (I got the ones I wanted the day they went on sale) . I have 2 questions actually. I’ve read that everyone is allowed to bring in 1 bottle of water. However, I haven’t seen a specified size anywhere. So can I walk in with like a 1.5L bottle? Also – their website says you can… Read more »
Hi Marianne, I’m so glad to hear it! So I know their guidance is frustratingly vague… My experience is that they are fairly lenient. It’s at the discretion of each security guard, but they are people just like us and don’t want to give people a hard time unless folks are taking advantage. I’ve seen many people bring lunch (and with some small tupperware containers), and while I can’t guarantee 100% I’m almost certain that a plastic 1.5 L bottle of water should be just fine — as will certainly be a couple sandwiches, apples, and snacks!. P.J.
Thanks so much PJ!
PJ. You and your detailed info are simply awesome!! Would love to meet you at the Open in Queens.
Marianne, even if you’re water bottle is small, there are plenty of water station to refill all throughout BJK. Enjoy!
Thank you so much, Leigh, likewise!! P.J.
Hi. Curious if you think it’s a good use of money for Saturday September 1 – to buy 11 am and 7 pm tickets for four of us that are more courtside – around sections 13 to 58.
Hi Sonal, if this is your first time and you’re considering courtside, I would probably recommend purchasing good Loge seats for the Day session (to save money) and then splurging on Courtside for the evening session only. This way, you will save some money, still have a good experience for the Day session, but then really (really) appreciate your Courtside seats for the evening. If you decide to do courtside during the day, avoid section 13 (avoid any East side section) because of the sun. Anything to the left of section 7 on the seat map (i.e. 1-6 and 58-67… Read more »
PJ,
Is it possible that USTA organizers will put the bigger stars on during the day session over that weekend, in order to appease ESPN? I heard, maybe incorrectly, that ESPN has coverage during the day over that weekend, and then the night coverage is picked up by the Tennis Channel, which is obviously less popular or available than ESPN.
Daytime tickets over that weekend are more expensive, whereas during the other days of the tournament, the nighttime tickets are usually prices higher. Any insight as to this?
Thanks!
Hey Tom, having looked at patterns over the years, it’s really hard to make generalizations. Last year they put Federer on Saturday night. This year it looks like there will definitely be ESPN coverage at least Friday and Sunday evening that weekend – possibly not Saturday night, but I don’t think it’s a safe assumption that because that’s the case there will be better players put on day session. I’ve seen no discernible pattern in that regard over the years – always surprises. Fairness to the players does seem to be paramount. The only thing that is abundantly clear: Federer… Read more »
By the way do you think they would ever do a queue like at Wimbledon for Arthur Ashe?
Hi Gina, haven’t heard about any plans… It’s such a massive stadium compared to Wimbledon’s Center Court, so I think it’s unlikely given the potential complexity. But I do keep hoping myself they do something along those lines some day! P.J.
Hi PJ,
Oh my goodness. I have been super busy. You told me to be patient in regards to getting tickets for Thursday Aug. 30th. But have I waited to long? Any good suggestions. My group has agreed to one of your suggestions which is to get a nice seat in Arthur Ashe and then maybe a seat in one of the other courts or an Arthur Ashe nosebleed seat. Do you think that is still a good strategy? I loved the Grandstand seats we had 2 years ago. Looking forward to your suggestions and warnings.
Hi Gina! Not sure I quite understand if you mean just getting 1 good seat then trying to trade off with your friends – but if so, I do sometimes do that with good friends and it works out well. You just all should be clear in advance about how you’ll approach it so it works out equally 🙂 For that Thursday, I just took a quick look at a few sites and saw some relatively good deals for Day session in Ashe, Sections 122, 123 and 135 Row B (second row)- prices much less than many other Loge seats… Read more »
Hi PJ, A few questions: 1) If you buy a UPS ticket from Stubhub and need to resell it before the tournament, do you have to account for shipment time or does Stubhub send the new buyer a new ticket? I tried to find that info on their site, but I never found a clear answer. 2) I managed to snag an Ashe Labor Day evening ticket (Sect 22 | Row F) for $440. I have been hoping to grab a day ticket for a similar price, but that seems impossible! $750 is the cheapest I’m finding on Ticketmaster. Should… Read more »
Hey Mark! (1) When you buy a ticket through a ticket brokering site like Stubhub or even Ticketmaster Exchange, you are purchasing THROUGH, not FROM them… You’re actually buying from an individual (or company) who is reselling through the marketplace that Stubhub or other brokering site provides. So it’s the seller who is on the hook for delivering the tickets and actually mailing them or sending electronically. Stubhub and other similar sites guarantee you’ll get what you paid for — so if something happens they provide protection. But only if something goes wrong. So long way of saying: if you… Read more »
Yes That is exactly what I mean. We have one friend who is basically just coming to come. But I have a friend coming home from the DR and she is a true fan like me. We want to trade off. Thank you so much, I am going to check these tickets out right now.
Got Ashe seats. Nothing fancy, but $10 less then a Grounds pass. So $247.00 for seats not in the nosebleeds and left enough in the budget to pick up evening seats if we’d like. Thank you for all the help. Now to figure out the travel.
Sounds good, Gina!
Hi PJ, Thank you so much for all of your insight! Super excited as this will be my first time at the Open. While I would like to see as many top players as I can, I would hugely disappointed if I did not get to see Serena play. Our plan is to be there Friday, the 31st and/or Saturday the 1st. Would you recommend buying day and night sessions on Arthur Ashe for both of those days now? And then once we know, we could resell the other day. Of course, this is assuming she makes the 3rd round.… Read more »
Hi Brett, thank you for your kind thanks! I’m excited for you for your first Open! This will be my 11th and I still get as excited every year. First, there’s virtually no chance they would ever put Serena on Armstrong for any round (except for doubles, which they did once for her and Venus). As for your question about whether to purchase for all 4 sessions now and try to resell later, I would say only if you have the means to potentially lose the money if you don’t sell them (or lose some money if you don’t sell… Read more »
Hey , great article, you covered everything. I love the grounds pass and sitting on a smaller court right up close and personal-its the way to go, so intimate. They even had to stop the match for my infant son who was crying-sooo cool! Do you know how often they put more grounds passes for sale for the first week? It says on their site they have some available on the day of if you get there early. Do you know how many of these same day ground passes they usually sell?
Hey Pete, thanks! There’s no easy answer to this one. I can only share with you what their official policy is on their website: “Each day that Grounds Admission tickets are sold, there will be a LIMITED number of Grounds Admission tickets held over to be sold on the day of the event. The number does vary, and it does depends on the number of tickets sold in advance, and is subject to availability. Ultimately, the number of Grounds Admission tickets sold is determined at the discretion of the Facility Manager.” P.J.
Hi, a group of 4 of us are planning to go to tenis Saturday September 1st-Monday September 3rd, and spend Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th exploring New York- for Monday the 3rd, we were thinking about buying two tickets on Grandstand ( $190 each, Section 14 row O) and two tickets on Armstrong ($269 each, Section 17 Row R) this way we cover both stadiums and can trade off- do you think this is a good idea?? Last year they put Del Potro and Thiem on Grandstand and it was an amazing match, so we’re hoping they’ll put… Read more »
Hey Blake, I do something similar almost every year with friends. The only risk is that you’ll all want to be at the same match at the same time 🙂 For Grandstand Labor Day, I believe it’s very likely (but can’t guarantee) that they will put one of the four men’s round of 16 matches on Grandstand (as well as one on Armstrong, one on Ashe Day, one on Ashe evening). I think there would be a revolt among Grandstand series subscribers if they put two of the men’s R16 matches on Armstrong that day :). P.J.
Hi PJ,
I’ve came across your article on google! My mother in law is coming to the US from China and she loves Federer. I’ve never been to one so I’m seeking advice from an expert! The ticket choices are a headache lol
I know there is no way of predicting the games, but what’s the best ticket for the best chance to see him? She is in her 60s and this is probably her one in a life time opportunity to see him before he retires!
Thank you,
Sherry
Hi Sherry! That is wonderful she’s coming. My recommendation is to ask her to keep her schedule open completely for Monday and Tuesday (day and evening) and follow the guidance I lay out in FAQ #1 above. To be absolutely sure, you can wait until the Sat afternoon before the tournament begins and the day 1 schedule is announced — then be prepared to buy tix immediately. If he’s scheduled for day 1 (Mon) then you’ll know which session and can spend your entire budget on that (this strategy requires that you check constantly on Saturday so you are aware… Read more »
PJ:
Who are the athletes (men and women) that have the biggest effect on ticket prices rising. Obviously Federer, but who are the other names that will drive up ticket prices?
I know you previously said that Andy Murray has a negative effect on prices, which I was quite surprised to read.
Thanks!
Hi Tom, good question – however I don’t have a well-researched, comprehensive answer- just anecdotal data. Nadal commands big crowds, but less than Federer. Murray, Novak and Delpo do attract many fans too, but nowhere near as many as Fed and Nadal – so the impact on prices is less pronounced. Serena on the ladies side also draws massive fans – but if she loses then subsequent sessions also tend to decline. Apart from them, I haven’t seen any other superstars have such a clear impact on prices. I’m hoping that all the incredible rising stars to end up captivating… Read more »
Hi. Looking to spend about $200 per ticket during a weekend session. What is your recommendation?
Hi Pete, to get the most value for your money, I’d recommend getting an Ashe Day session ticket for Saturday Sep 1, which is during the 3d round of play (see what that looked like on last year’s schedule here). For $200 you’ll only be able to get a Promenade seat, but if you scour all the sites I mention above you should be able to find tickets around Row E-G (aim for that low if you can). The benefit is that you’re assured to see someone famous playing in Ashe; there’s a roof so insurance in case of rain;… Read more »
PJ, How much of a mark-up should I expect to see on resale sites? For example, if face value Ashe loge seats are listed at $130, what price should I expect to see that would be a “reasonable” buy on the resale market? I understand that re-sellers are trying to make somewhat of a profit. A $130 face value ticket has to be listed at probably $170 just to break even. But then there’s also those dreaded Ticketmaster fees to watch out for. Face value fees are like $18-30 per, depending on the price of the ticket. But for those… Read more »
Hey Tom, great question. As far as I can determine from my research, service fees by the ticket resale intermediaries (I.e. Ticketmaster Exchange and other who enable resellers to post their tickets for sale) are a percentage of the ticket price set by the seller– not a flat fee. Here’s what I’ve noted: Ticketmaster charges around 6-10% fee for face-value tickets (regular blue dots, not the premium package ones, where it’s much less because I think they build fees into the crazy high prices). Ticketmaster Exchange adds around 16.5% for resale tickets (+ a nominal “delivery fee” of a few… Read more »
P.J., Thanks for taking the time out of your day to respond. I really appreciate your insights. It is very helpful and I’m glad you’re such a great resource. I definitely agree with you and have seen from personal experiences that the various websites offer varying deals. Definitely pays to check them all out. For example, I’m seeing Louis Armstrong resale (red dot) seats which are better seats and cost LESS than the face value (blue dot) seats, even with the higher fees on resale tickets. Allow me to share an experience with Stubhub, as a word of caution to… Read more »
Thanks for sharing that, Tom!
Hello PJ,
What are your thoughts on the following tickets: LA Stadium on Sunday 9/2, Section 3, Row R for $250 including fees? I was looking to be closer, but looks like face value is $320+Ticketmaster fees, so I’m inclined to pull the trigger now with a seemingly good deal.
Also how many matches would you expect that day on LA given there is no night session? Sorry if you already answered that question.
Thanks in advance and thank you for compiling the best comprehensive US Open guide on the internet.
-Lucas
Hey Lucas, thank you so much for the nice words!! Yes, the fact that it’s coming in under face-value price indicates a solid deal. With the caveat that there’s always a chance an even better seat for the same price or something cheaper will come along, that is an excellent section from a viewing and shade perspective and without question a good deal. They haven’t said for sure about # of matches on that day (they’ve only said there will be 3 during Day sessions on Mon-Sat of week one and 2 during evening sessions); however as it’s Round of… Read more »
Thanks P.J.
Your tips were of the utmost help last year when we took our two tennis obsessed kids to the US Open. Thank you! This year though, with one headed to college around the same time and the timing just not working, we are considering going to the Citi Open instead. Can you give me any help with some insight there? Thanks so much,
Hi Jacqueline, so glad to hear it!! The Citi Open is great (albeit very hot 🙂 I’ll be there for qualifying weekend only, wish I could do more but have a trip planned with family the week of the actual tournament. It’s a fantastic way to see excellent tour players in a much more intimate setting (only 7500 seats, which is smaller than the US Open’s Grandstand). I’d recommend getting reserved box seats because they are so relatively inexpensive and for the price you get tremendous proximity to players. West side of the stadium will get the most shade, so… Read more »
Hey PJ,
What are your thoughts on pricing for Wednesday Aug 29 Ashe Evening Sesh SECTION 33, Row H for $539 each + fees
Should I wait or pull the trigger?
Thanks again!
Hey Duey, while there’s always a chance something cheaper will come along as we get closer, that is unquestionably a very solid deal in an excellent location! PJ
Hi and thank you for my number one info spot for us open, this year will be my first after attending Wimbledon and Roland Garros several times. Will be attending first six days, starting Monday night and then everything until Saturday night. As of now I have nosebleed seats for everything and grandstand Dow Wednesday and loge for Tuesdays day session. I bought them for rain safety but now I understand Armstrong also has roof and seems much better. What are your thoughts on lines/queues for Grandstand and Armstrong during my days. I will arrive at morning and leave after… Read more »
Hey Stefan, I’m thrilled you found the post helpful and great to hear that such a hard-core tennis fan is coming for your first US Open. The atmosphere is so unique – you’ll love it. I think you’ll be just fine for queues for Grandstand and Armstrong Mon-Thurs week 1 (and other outer courts beyond those two should likewise be pretty easily accessible). Crowds will be heaviest on Friday and Saturday, if history is any guide. No problem at all to bring a few bagels and bananas – they just crack down on excessive stuff. As for reselling, I’d probably… Read more »
Hi PJ and thank you for your fast reply. I understand that it’s hard to speculate on the new Armstrong court and Grandstand but just to comprehend a little better Monday to Thursday is it likely I just queue up and enter at next break or is it likely I miss a few games? I know it’s subject to games in hand but how long does play continue outside Ash on a first week game day. For instance I would say between 8 and 9 at Wimbledon with an absolute deadline at 11. My dream is just to start watching… Read more »
Stefan, you are a true fan! Love you passion!! Yes, it’s almost certain you’ll have to queue up to get in – but shouldn’t be terribly long Mon-Thurs. And there should be TV monitors where you can watch the match while waiting (at GS and the new LA stadiums). Play during Rounds 1 and 2 (Mon-Thurs) usually goes quite late. Can’t promise until midnight, but I have certainly been there myself until then for occasional matches on outer courts. 🙂 PJ