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.












I noticed that the day session at Ashe only has 2 matches scheduled. I know previously they have scheduled 3. Do you think that 2 matches during the day at Ashe will continue for the rest of the tournament?
Hi Matt, it’s actually only been 2 promised matches per Day session since 2018 – that’s when they made the change (which they explained would help ensure night sessions would start on time, as they so often got delayed and matches would end up running sooooo late). Yesterday they surprised everyone with a “TBD” hold for a third slot, which none of us had seen since they made the change – it was very odd. My only hunch was that it was helping prime people for the possibility of adding a third match at some point this week (like for… Read more »
Thank you!
First off, thank you PJ for such an incredibly detailed post and for all the individual help you’ve provided in the comments. I have Ashe day tickets tomorrow and was wondering if you know if you’re allowed to leave the grounds entirely and then come back later in the day? Thanks!
Hi Joseph, you’re so welcome, thanks for your thanks! YES you can come and go as you like. However, you need to re-enter before 5pm. PJ
Thanks!
Hi PJ, first — thank you for all the info. I know you mentioned promenante seats leave you having to watch the big screen but would you say buying tickets in the 115 section is worth it for $400 each for the semi final? My dad has yet to go to a grand slam. It’s a surprise for him for his birthday. We are huge tennis fans, I’ve played all my life, we run a tennis academy together and I can finally afford this… however, is it worth it? I can’t afford lower seats than that. And we would travel… Read more »
Hi Maria, given that you’re both serious fans and coaches, yes absolutely. Because (1) no matter who ends up getting scheduled, you’ll be he’ll be thrilled to be there and love the match and (2) if anyone in front of you doesn’t show up or seats go unsold, you’ll be able to sneak up within that section (whereas you can’t enter a Loge section with a Promenade seat unless an usher is not doing their job). Only issue: 115 is going to be in sun most of the day. Just looked and saw a couple seats in section 134 that… Read more »
PJ, thank you so much for your prompt response and suggestion. After re-reading your blog multiple times, and figuring out work schedule logistics, I took your original advice about going to the rounds of 16 instead to get more matches in and walk around the grounds as opposed to just one semi final match… I ended up getting court-side(ish) tickets in the shaded area (section 6, row K) on Sept 5, for even cheaper than section 115 in Ashe as you mentioned. I CANNOT wait to tell my dad we’re going. I think he may just faint. We arrive that… Read more »
Maria, I’m THRILLED to hear all this. You are so welcome and I’m so excited for you and your Dad. Have a blast and please let me know how it goes!! PJ
Hey PJ, Thank you for this awesome site. I’m attending the US open for the first time ever, unfortunately it’s solo. (My dad bailed, but I’m sick of hearing next year) I haven’t bought tickets yet, I was hoping to snag a deal being a solo My original plans were to try and see Nadal play, but I’m second guessing that. The Ashe day tickets for Thursday are kinda crazy right now, do you foresee any price drops for a solo? If I put seeing Nadal on the back burner for a minute and just wanted to see a day… Read more »
Hi Matthew, you’re welcome! So sorry about your dad bailing but glad you’re making the trip. If it’s any consolation, some of the best times I’ve ever had at the Open have been solo: total flexibility to go where you want to go, focus entirely on the matches and not on socializing etc. For Thursday, I’d personally probably wait until the schedule comes out tomorrow then make the call. Ticket prices may well drop for any session Nadal isn’t scheduled for… And/or there may be a player on Armstrong you’re dying to see and could invest more in that session.… Read more »
Hey PJ, thanks to your guide managed to get what I think was a relatively good deal on Grandstand tickets (section 6 row A for $300), do you think the chair will impede my view a lot, only thing I am worried about but I’m sure being front row will be great regardless!
Hey Zach! I was just front row on that side tonight and honestly it’s just so cool that any minor detraction of having the chair there really is made up for by being so close. There will almost certainly be open seats around you that you can move into if you want while others are checking out other matches, eating, etc – but I think you’ll love it. And truly the sun situation is just so much better on that side of the court than the east side, bc the sun is at least at your back most of the… Read more »
First and foremost, a big shoutout to PJ who puts all this together for us every year. I don’t think I can say anything else better than what’s already been said by everyone about his work. Just wanna briefly share my experience at the open day session today I literally bought the ticket this morning (Courtside Ashe). Guys, if you see a good deal, take it, don’t wait. I went to the bathroom and it was gone when I came back. There was no bonus session after Coco Gauff’s match like the schedule suggested. (Can we sue or something? ha….)… Read more »
Thank you Justin!! And thanks for sharing the experience! So glad you had a great day.
The commentator kept saying ” we will see Serena back on Wednesday night”. Is it already confirmed she is going to play the night session?
Not officially but I think it’s almost certain that’s where she’ll be scheduled for prime time TV audiences given the historic nature. And I’m guessing (guessing!) day session Thurs doubles with Venus. We will know for sure tomorrow.
Based on your guess of Serena & Venus playing day on Thursday…I know it’s still a gamble, but would this add weight to Rafa potentially being in the evening Ashe slot on Thursday?
Hey Shannon, I can’t stress enough how much I’m really guessing here. This week, my only strong prediction is Serena evening tomorrow because of the historic nature of her last run at the Open and prime time TV audience considerations. Normally they switch things around a lot and don’t always put the most famous players at night, contrary to popular belief. And I know SO many people (myself included) who’ve spend hundreds of dollars (or sometimes over 1K) betting on a specific night match lineup only to get burned. As for Serena and Venus on Thursday, I’m less confident; they… Read more »
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, PJ! On a whim I checked Ticketmaster this morning like you suggested (keep checking!) and was able to score Courtside Ashe tickets for Thursday night for $400! Everything else was $2000+. I’m so excited and will be happy regardless of who plays! Can’t wait! Thanks again!
Hi PJ- My wife and I are complete rookies when it comes to attending grand slam tennis. We have Sunday Ashe tickets for the evening session on 9/4. My apologies if I’ve overlooked in previous responses, but wanted to get your expertise on a few things: 1. Am I understanding correctly that an evening session ticket for Ashe on Sunday, 9/4 there will be both a Women’s and Mens Rd of 16 match? Was unsure since the field is getting smaller and smaller at that point in the tournament. 2. I know gates open at 6 PM for the evening… Read more »
Hi Rory! (1) Correct (2) Not really, unfortunately, unless you happen to get a lenient ticket taker. There are so many folks here for day sessions that they need to keep numbers under control by enforcing the entry times and usually keep folks lining up between 5-6.
Hi PJ,
In Armstrong, I have tickets Section 5, Row E – I’m wondering how much of an obstruction the chair umpire’s chair will be from this view. I didn’t think of that when booking tickets, and now wondering if maybe that wasn’t the best choice
It’s actually a really cool vantage point (right behind players on changeovers) and the chair really isn’t a hindrance. Plus you’ll have shade most of the afternoon if a day session. I think you’ll be happy being so close!
Hi PJ! Do you know when they may post the schedule of play for days 3 & 4? Thanks! 🙂
Hey Hilary! From this point on they will only post the next day’s schedule the day prior. You have to start checking around noon but it could be virtually any time in the afternoon the day before.
Ok! Thank you!
This has been my go to site every year! Thanks so much for everything. I’ve been monitoring prices for Ashe over the weeks for Friday and Saturday when we’ll be there and noticed that the Saturday day session has consistently been the highest and have recently increased tremendously. Is there something I’m missing? Aren’t night sessions usually more expensive or is it a foregone conclusion that Nadal will be playing in the afternoon should he win? Are people thinking the Williams sisters will be playing their doubles match then as well? Thanks for any help!
Hey Chris so happy to hear that!! In general on Labor Day weekend there are more folks from out of town putting demand on day sessions— especially during 3d round when there are still several big matches on non-Ashe courts and an Ashe day ticket gives you opportunity to enter gates at 930 am, catch other matches pre-Ashe and post-Ashe day session. Night session basically limits you to just those two matches. Seriously no way to predict what they will do on Day v Night scheduling – always big surprises. Only exception is quarterfinals when they consistently put the biggest… Read more »
Maybe slightly off topic of tickets – and I hope this is a stupid question – but can you confirm that the bag check folks outside the gates stay open well past the end of the last evening match, even if that’s very late? Can’t seem to find any mention of bag check hours on the web.
No worries! Yea it’s open for at least 30 (maybe 60?) minutes after the end of the last match.
FREE ticket to armstrong TONIGHT Tsitsipas followed by Fernandez.
COURTSIDE F!
I can’t go. Take it off my hands and enjoy!
Reply here and also contact me via Instagram @nywalkabouts or Twitter @agirlinbklyn.
I would love to take this off your hands Courtney if still available! (I messaged you on instagram as well)
Marty emailing you now
Hey PJ – quick question: if I get an Armstrong day ticket on Wednesday, can I still sit in the Armstrong GA section in the evening session? Hope you’re enjoying today!
Yes!
Currently watching Coco play. For anyone still trying to Serena later, I’m starting to see tix drop in price. I went ahead and purchased promenade because I was scared the price would go up even further, but now I’m starting to see Loge tix pop up for a touch more than I paid to be in the nosebleeds!! Of course, there’s no guarantees as PJ has made clear, but I just wanted to leave this here for anyone still hoping to come tonight! I highly doubt this will be the case if she continues to move on the tournament however.… Read more »
Hello PJ. I’ve had problems all weekend for basic GROUNDS PASSES for Opening day, Monday, today. I finally reached an agent at the grounds who confirmed I can buy at the ticket office today. QUESTION: What is the LATEST ENTRY time for an 11am grounds pass? (since evening grounds starts at 6, but i think they might switch that over sooner. BTW, been attending US Open for 15 years but only now ran across your INCREDIBLE Blog!
Hey Primo! Latest entry is 5pm unless you get someone very sympathetic 🙂 sorry for late reply I’m at open today watching…
Hi PJ!
Thank you much for all of the tips. My friend and I will be attending the US Open for the first time. So many of our questions were answered. We will be attending the 2nd week, missing the free activities for fans. However, I would like to know if Loge seating in certain rows fair better than promenade sections in rows A-E?
Hey Brittany! My view is anything in lower 2/3 of any Loge section is substantially better than even first row Promenade. PJ
Hey PJ! Love your site! Was wondering if you knew what happened to the Heineken Red Star Bar outside the East side of Ashe. Looks like ESPN took over some of the space. Hopefully it just moved? I love people watching from there! Thanks for all your hard work! Bill
Hey Bill, yeah I just noticed it’s right before you get to Mojitos (right near the Octagon). (Running back to matches!)
Found it! Thanks!
Hey PJ,
Thanks for the time in keeping this guide up to date almost daily!
We were looking to go this Saturday 9/3 and get seats in Grandstand as we get to see great matches there up close for a decent price.
Do you think more standard tickets are going to be released or is it just resale from now on?
Hey there you’re welcome! I’m 99.9% sure for Grandstand there will be no more surprise standards. I’ve learned to never say never… but pretty sure about this one.
Hey PJ.
long time reader – mutli time questioner from Canada here…..
I will be attending, hopefully on Thursday Sept 1 + Friday Sept 2. I have done this 3-4 times in the past, including 2021
Great work as always!
Which sections in Grandstand are best for shade, or ‘sun at your back’?
As mentioned, prices, and availability if tiks this year, even for week 1 are NUTS!
Also, are the still providing the single use, portable cell phone chargers this year?
Hi Allen! Thank you! West side (umpire chair side) is optimal for sun at your back courtside reserved. Unreserved seats upper West side (same side) best for shade under the canopy that overhangs.
Yes Chase has free charger stations! PJ
I am directionally challenged – LOL. What section #’s are best in GS?
Sorry 🙂 the side with sections 4-9. Again, there’s no shade in reserved seats at all – but it’s a bit better than facing into afternoon sun on the other side.
Do grounds passes ever sell out?
Hi Mark, yes they do occasionally. But they also end up releasing tickets unexpectedly as well. It’s completely haphazard and you have to just keep checking on Ticketmaster to figure out what the situation is for any given day. Yesterday they were sold out of grounds tickets for today and resale was only option. This morning they had more standard grounds passes available. Strongly recommend though that you always check for cheaper ash tickets, because this often times are available.
Hi there! This is last minute I know but I just booked flights and a room in NYC to surprise my 15 year old daughter. We both love tennis and I’m excited to surprise her with tickets to the open. We will have all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning to come to the open. I would absolutely love your help planning out our schedule for our time there. I was planning on at least one session in Ashe possibly 2 if a deal presents itself. The rest of the time we can go to Armstrong or wherever you suggest.… Read more »
Tiffanie, SO sorry about the delay! I was at the Open day and night for the past couple days and it was hard to keep up and wanted to be thoughtful about your question as you’re planning this wonderful surprise for your daughter. First, know that she is going to be THRILLED and so grateful no matter what! Honestly just being at the Open anywhere for a real tennis fan is just amazing… I felt like a kid in a candy store last couple days no matter where I was. Some recs (but please use your own judgment and don’t… Read more »
Thank you for taking the time to give this wonderful and thoughtful answer. I love your advice and will definitely follow every bit of it. I’m so thankful for your blog and the time you spend helping everyone. You’ve helped make the US Open an even more enjoyable experience for so many.
Thank you again and enjoy the Open!!!
You are most welcome Tiffanie!! Please let me know how it goes, excited for you guys! PJ
Hi PJ – This is my first trip to Arthur Ashe, we’re going to Mixed Doubles/Womens Finals. This is such a helpful article. Fairly basic question but are there concessions in Arthur Ashe if we want a drink/food while they are playing or between sets? We are sitting in the West Loge. Thanks, Ken
Hi Ken, yes there are. I actually just created a PDF showing all the options. See my “A Few More Recs” under box 5 towards the bottom of my post (or click on real-time updates orange bar at the top of the post. PJ
P.J., thank you for posting and updating this site every year. I always check here for my planning. One correction about the outside food this year. The bot now says “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.”
Huge thanks! The signage outside still says no food or drinks so this is a huge help! PJ
Thanks for all the information above! I bought evening tickets for Ash. Do I have access to go in early at 11AM or whenever they open to catch the day matches?
Hi Bryan, no unfortunately you can only enter at 6 PM with an evening Ticket.
Hey PJ – Been following your blog for over 5 years and I always find new information here even though I am a frequent visitor to the grounds. Thank you very much for the incredible work you put in year after year! The ticket prices this year is beyond belief. The SF games are usually a safe bet but it’s crazy that we can’t watch 2 games in one session ticket unlike previous years. Any idea why this was changed? I am in the market for a decent Ashe lower promenade behind the player seating for a R3/R4 Rafa game.… Read more »
Hi Arvind, thank you! On SF: The official explanation is that it gives more fans an opportunity to see semi finals if there are two separate sessions. In addition, I’m sure that revenues played a factor in the decision. As for the scheduling, there is no definitive historical pattern in terms of which seeds are scheduled on day or night for particular days. See my FAQ 1 for a bit more detail on why we can’t predict anything along those lines with certainty. PJ
Hi! We are making our second trip this year and completely based our trip last year on your site. We are going this Weds.. splurged on evening tickets and got upper level Ashe for the day. Question is.. we are coming in early enough tomorrow that we are going to grab some last minute Ashe Day tickets.. was thinking about buying them after we land at noon. Do you know how long after the start do they continue to sell tickets online? We would buy around noon and get there around 2-3 so thought if we waited the prices would… Read more »
Hi there! I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you 🙂 Sounds like a great plan for Wed. Ticketmaster sells for 59 minutes after the start of a session. On Stubhub, it’s usually longer – but there’s no specific time. I’d suggest doing a “dry run” today around the same time (between noon-12:59pm) for tickets for today’s Day session on TM or other sites you might buy from just to feel fully prepared!
FWIW re: TM, I got grounds passes for today for $90 at 11:45 (already had Ashe night but plans changed & I’m able to get there earlier today!). They’d been hovering in the mid $200s last night, so I think folks might be dropping prices in that last 59 minutes? Was going to get day Grandstand in sec 18 for $120 until those popped up.
PJ, thanks so much for the detailed post and all the replies in the comments, really helped us plan well for our first time there today.
Hello PJ
Many Thanks for the thorough and detailed information. Very informative. I do have a question…I purchased tickets for Thursday day at Ash. Does this also grant me access to attend a doubles match that day too?
Also would they schedule a women’s single match and doubles match on the same day? For example could Serena Williams play Wednesday day then doubles that night? Sorry for all of the questions.
Hey Jae, you’re welcome! With your Thursday Ashe ticket, you will be able to watch any matches you want that on Ashe during the day session AND/OR attend any other matches on in on reserve seats on every other court, which is probably where most doubles matches will be scheduled. The vast majority of high-profile, early-round doubles matches – even involving big names – are usually put on Grandstand (and even on the numbered field courts). In some cases, very high-profile early round doubles matches are put on Armstrong. In VERY RARE cases, they have added super high-profile doubles matches… Read more »
Hello, Thank you for all this incredible information! So appreciated!
I am coming with my son, our first trip to the US Open. We have evening tickets on 9/3. How do we get the most out of these tickets. I don’t think we can enter until 6pm? Should I try and buy earlier tickets?Trying to make this a memorable trip for him. It’s a bucket list item for both of us.
Thank you!!
Hi there, likewise appreciate your kind words! It’s true that evening tickets only enable you access to the grounds beginning at 6pm. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled regardless! Right now ticket options are really (really) pricey for the day session options (Ashe, Armstrong, Grandstand, or Grounds — all crazy expensive). You might keep an eye out this week for any resale tickets (particularly upper Ashe) that are reasonable so that you can at least enter the grounds (anytime after 930am with a day session ticket) and enjoy the many matches that will be taking place on the non-Ashe courts. It… Read more »
Hey there. I am going to the US Open tomorrow and purchased a Day Session Ashe ticket because it was significantly cheaper than the Day Pass. If I am planning to arrive after the 12PM match can I still be let in (as long as before 6PM) or do I have to gain general admission by going at the Ashe match time on my ticket. Sorry for the long question. thanks!
Hey Josh, yes absolutely you can show up whenever you like (before 6) and you do not have to set foot into Ashe if you don’t want to! PJ
Hello! I have tickets to the Luis Armstrong stadium for the evening R1 games with my family for the first time this year! Your post made the intimidating process of buying tickets much easier. One question, when time will our evening reserved seat tickets allow us to enter? Do they also give us ground access and are there any games that we can watch? Thank you so much.
Hey Joshua! So glad to hear that. Your Armstrong reserved evening ticket will get you access to grounds beginning at 6:00pm and there will be a TON of stuff going on, including (10) Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. (Q) Brandon Holt (USA) on GRANDSTAND “not before 6pm” – which is where I’ll be around that time :). P.J.
I don’t usually leave comments, but your guide has been my go to as an US open newbie. Keep up the good work!!
THANK YOU Brittany! I really appreciate that so much! PJ
I’m flying in tomorrow morning from Chicago and staying by madison square garden. flight gets in at 9
have first session tickets monday (tomorrow)
is it safe to check my bags in athe storage outside or east and south gates?? small suitcase rather than stress about going to hotel to check bag in because my room won’t be ready. just worried about the safety of the storage units and the area etc
Hey Matt, totally safe at both East and South gates- they are human supervised trailers (South date) and a big tent (East). The only potential issue: they say one bag per ticket holder max. So if only one suitcase it’ll be easy – if more than that you may need to get creative and ask another ticket holder for help (or hope for someone OK with bending the rules). PJ
Good evening PJ, thanks for answering all my other questions, you are really helping me out. I have one more question. I am going to drive tomorrow from tinton falls, nj to flushing. It says 1 hour and 45 min, any suggestions on when I should leave, I am following the directions on your site. thanks
Hey Michael, I’d put in “Citi Field” into your GPS (126 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, NY 11368) and aim for that parking lot first. If it’s full you’ll get redirected by traffic cops, but if you get there early enough you hopefully will be fine it is huge. Gates open to the grounds at 930 – I’d recommend arriving sometime around then if you can. There will be lines around security no matter what time you arrive, but the closer you can get to 930 or earlier the more relaxed you’ll probably be about everything. A lot depends on whether you… Read more »
It took me 2+ hours from exit 8 of NJ Turnpike today Sunday August 28.
Google said 1h14m
That is a joke!
I cannot imagine it being any better on Monday.
Good luck though.
Hi PJ,
I can get tix from Working Advantage, through my workplace for $184. Is Section 18 good for the Grandstand? It doesn’t appear to be in the shade. I really don’t know how people avoid heatstroke.
There is nowhere to go inside unless you’re shopping.
Thanks.
Gayle
Hey Gayle, 184 is great for Grandstand most sessions. 18 is on the East side, which means probably the most “in your face” sun… but really, unless you’re in the upper unreserved seating on that side under the overhang there’s really no shade. I love the stadium so much, but that’s the one downside. PJ
Thanks! I found cheaper seats in Section 11 at Armstrong, so I will hopefully get a shady, unreserved seat at the Grandstand.
Sounds great!
Quick question. I only have 1 day to attend this year (Friday, September 2 Day Session) and a budget of $500 for 1 court side seat. In your honest opinion, do you suggest Armstrong or Ashe for this insignificant purchase on my part? Ideally, I would absolutely love to see Nadal, Kyrgios, or Gauff but to pull the trigger now and secure tickets at this current price for amazing seats is definitely a crap shoot, right? I mean, I could take my chances and wait until Wed or Thursday but as we all know, if there is a premier matchup… Read more »
Hey Matt, it is a crapshoot indeed. Right now tickets for Friday are nuts. A few weeks ago the cheapest courtside standard (face-value) seat was going for 636.. now it’s 739. I took a gamble by waiting on the courtside session for this Tuesday afternoon and lost, ended up paying about 1/3 more than I would have if I had snagged it a few weeks ago. While I really resist making calls of this kind, I don’t think you’re likely to find anything in the $500 range in Ashe courtside, even at the last minute given how relatively little inventory… Read more »
Hey PJ, I’m absolutely blown away by the quality of this post. Not a single question unanswered and it’s been super useful to me as I prepare to go on the first day. Do you have a “buy me coffee” link or anything like that? Would love to show you some appreciation for putting this resource out there.
Shreyas, THANK YOU so so much, you made my night! I’m feeling like I need to do a companion post for next year that’s totally reorganized, because it’s gotten so long… so I really appreciate the kind feedback. 🙂 I don’t have one of those links, but you are super kind to offer! Hope you have an incredible time tomorrow, I’ll be there too and cannot wait! Thanks again, PJ
Ticket prices are insane this year. Really hoping they come down last minute but this is most expensive I’ve ever seen them. Inflation + Serena effect?
Hey Jon, they really are. I suspect it’s inflation + Serena + Nadal excitement (with his knee issues perhaps folks are concerned opportunities may decline to see him, esp on hard courts) + eased COVID concerns and travel restrictions. I’m kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on tickets sooner for a couple sessions I knew I’d probably want to attend – prices have skyrocketed for them over past 2 weeks. So I’m left with waiting until the last minute and hoping something decent pops up for what I’m aiming for. Wishing the same for you! PJ
First night of Ashe was $128 earlier in the week. Now its $265+ Insane!
Is it possible to buy a grounds admission ticket day of at the stadium for face value (ie $70) or are those tickets also subject to Ticketmaster market rates?
Hi Dupree, unfortunately grounds passes like all other US Open tickets, even the standard priced ones (non-resale), are still subject to dynamic pricing at market rates: the Open unfortunately doesn’t set or publish a specific standard price for all the sessions. The box office waives service fees for standard priced tickets bought in person, but they still apply for resale tickets. You can always check inventory on Ticketmaster before getting in line at the box office to decide whether it’s worth it (i.e., if if they have any “Standard” tickets on sale, or if there are only resale tickets available… Read more »
Have you ever driven to the open and parked? I am going to the night matches on a day there is no mets game and have to drive right from work. I know there are parking passes for some lots but wondering if I will be able to get parking in one of the lots with out a pass.
Hey Kate, I have multiple times – and it’s definitely a lot easier on the days when there are no Mets home games! I’ve never driven just for a night session, so not sure how packed Citi Field lot will be by that time – but the overflow lots aren’t that inconvenient. You should be fine. Let me know how it goes if you think of it afterwards – I’m not planning on driving at all this year so would be great to have additional input for others who ask! P.J.
Hi! Thank you for your response. And to the others for theres. I ended up not driving so unfortunately I do not have any insight sorry! Thank you for all you do though it is much much appreciated!
Hey Kate, you’re most welcome! FYI – as an experiment, I drove on both Monday (non-Mets day) and Tuesday (Mets home game). Monday wasn’t too bad, Tuesday was an unmitigated disaster and reinforced my longstanding recommendation to never drive on a day when Mets are playing! P.J.
I was there today.
Parked in “Orange” lot.
Never again unless I parked in the Citi Field parking lot.
It was good thing it was still daylight when we left.
It was horrible trying to find the way out to I-678 Van Wyck Expressway south.
The GPS wasn’t that much help.
The roads inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park were narrow and because it was Sunday
there were cars and pedestrians. ARGH.
Hey Linda, I do think (hope!) that beginning tomorrow during the main tournament there will be way more signage and traffic cops around to direct folks. While I stick with my recommendation to avoid driving whenever possible, I’ve always had a decent experience during the main tournament.
We entered at exit 9P of the Grand Central Parkway. There were some traffic cops near there. The signage to the parking could have been better. We somehow ended up in the Orange Zone. That experience was a C. When we got back to the car at around 4:45pm, there were no US Open personel anywhere. No signs anywere. Not sure when they stopped collecting the $30 for parking. The young man who was there in the morning was gone even though he told us he had been there until 11pm last night. The experience trying to get on the… Read more »
Which for this year, will be Monday Opening Day and in the second week. And unfortunately, the situation will be repeated, as the Mets will be in town in 2023, except for Thursday (of the first week). They’ll be on the road by the second week and Finals Weekend. Linda, I share your frustrations. It’s really the luck of the draw where they route you in the Blue/Orange lots. Sometimes you can park in Blue by the NY State Pavilion and the Skate Park. That’s where I was for the men’s final and it wasn’t bad. Other times, I was… Read more »
Tom,
It was our first time there by car.
The first time in 2019 we took the LIRR.
After coming and reviewing Google Maps, I am certain we were parked in the grass in the NE quadrant near Meadowlark Circle and Meadow Lake Bridge.
Google Maps says “17 Ederle Promenade , Queens, NY 11367”
There is almost no signage on how to get back to the major roads.
All I can say is that I am glad it was still daylight.
The US Open can do a better job with this.
Parking during Fan Week was not ideal. On Tuesday, I went to H lot, as I was with a person who needed a shuttle bus and had a handicapped parking placard. I was told to go to Citi Field. I drove to Citi Field, and the entire lot was empty, gated and fenced off. The attendant stated there is no parking at Citi Field during Fan Week (despite Tuesday not being a conflict date). I was directed to a commuter lot underneath the subway tracks, but was told by Citi Field staff that there were no shuttle buses (I specifically… Read more »
Hey Tom, thanks for sharing that – so bummed to hear all you guys had to go through. Likewise hope things are relatively smooth tomorrow. I was there on opening day last year too and think we waited (on what I recall was a very hot day) for about the same amount of time maybe longer, but think (hope!) it was largely because they were checking vaccine proof and it was a new company doing security. Fingers crossed for tomorrow 🙂
hey just tried buying grounds passes for Monday, first day, and they are all being priced at around 170 with fees. Can you buy a grounds pass day of at the gate?
and if I go buy tickets now what are the hours at the gate ticket office today, Sunday? Or is that not even possible?
This is a little vexing!
Hi Tan, looks like they’re currently sold out of standard Grounds passes – only resale options listed for $221+ on Ticketmaster and similar on Stubhub. You can go to the box office and they may be selling some that aren’t listed, but unlikely. Their hours TODAY are until 4:00pm. Tomorrow they open at 9:00AM (they are open 9am-9pm through the tournament). I would strongly urge you to consider a reserved seat in Armstrong instead of a Grounds ticket – they’ve got several standard courtsides available in South and West parts of the stadium for less than you’d pay for a… Read more »
Tan – Right now (7 pm Sunday) I see Ticketmaster has some Ashe Day tickets for $135 (incluing fees), so less than a grounds pass. Keep looking at TM. I look all the time and see weird good prices appear, but I only buy single tickets, that may be why. Good luck
Tan,
As of 11:47pm on 8/28, the cheapest get-in-the-door price of a pair of Ashe tickets, Section 309, Row X is $151 per including fees.
As PJ advises, use this ticket to get in, and it’ll function like a grounds pass, giving you access to all the courts.
But consider Armstrong. Cheapest Armstrong pair of tickets are $174 including fees. You get a better seat – courtside – for $20 more.
Hi PJ!
Thank you for all of the info! First time attendee *hopefully* here! I’d like to see Serena and Venus play in 1st Round Doubles. US Open site is showing set time as 11am. Are doubles included in Day Session tickets? Is there a specific court doubles are played on? Thanks!
Hey Lauren! This is truly the question of the hour… They will either play their 1st round match on Wednesday or Thursday – but probably won’t know until the schedule comes out on Tuesday which day it will be (unless they make an announcement sooner, which they might given some unprecedented early scheduling announcements this year for Day 1 and 2). In the vast majority of cases, high-profile early round doubles matches – even involving big names, both men’s and women’s – are usually put on Grandstand (or numbered field courts). In some cases, very high-profile early round doubles matches… Read more »
RE: the “intentionally blank” third match, would they move a match scheduled from another paid stadium to Ashe? I got rid of my Ashe seat to go see Andy in Armstrong. If they move him over to Ashe I am going to blow a gasket! I cant handle this uncertainty UGH!
LOL I hear you! I haven’t seen them use that phrasing since they moved to a 2-match-per-Day-session format in Ashe in 2018 (it was always 3 prior). And the only times they’ve deviated were to make up for rain delays (and there doesn’t seem to be a could in sight this week). I really have no clue what they’re thinking. But I HIGHLY doubt they would move anything announced on Armstrong or Grandstand to Ashe – can’t imagine they’d do that. PJ
If a third match is added to Ashe on Monday, it will almost certainly be a woman’s match. They are probably expecting Medvedev and Coco to win easily, and be wrapped up by 4pm. Enough time for a women’s match.
Absolutely. I just wonder whether they’re considering something along those lines so that if they move a doubles match onto the schedule on Wed/Thurs (ie the Williams sisters) it won’t be totally out of the blue.
Hi PJ,
I will be in New York for the weekend of finals.
Does it worth spending that much money for the men’s final? from your experience would the courtside tickets get cheaper closer to the final?
thank you,
julia
Hi Julia, whether it’s worth the investment depends so much on the individual and what would make it worth it to you. For most folks, the answer depends heavily on whether a favorite player makes it into the final and how competitive the match is expected to be. Finals tends to be pretty exciting regardless and it’s cool to be there, but whether it’s worth the expense is such a personal decision. The answer about whether pricing will change depends on that too: if Nadal makes it into the final, prices will likely stay around where they are now or… Read more »
My seats include access to “The Overlook” ( https://hospitality.usopen.org/theoverlook ). I’ve never spoken to someone who’s actually been in the Overlook, any experiences or data points that you can share?
Hey David, I still haven’t been myself — I have always put my entire budget towards the best seats I could afford without any extra perks, but I need to get to the Overlook and check it out. Hopefully someone else can weigh in… Please let me know how much it enhances your experience!
I got to meet Kim Clijsters there today so that was a lot of fun.
That’s awesome!! She is so cool.
David, I’ve attended some subscriber events in the Overlook in the last few years. There’s buffet style food and drinks as I recall with indoor and outdoor seating on comfy chairs and bar stools. Lots of tv screens. AC is nice inside on the hot days. It’s a hospitality area so they have a few rooms that might be reserved for certain groups hosting a lunch, etc.
Hi David,
I ended up in there today for a subscriber lunch – if you have a specific question let me know. They have a few different food stations (pasta, seafood, bowls, gelato, etc) as well as a bar and coffee. Lots of screens to the bigger matches and some smaller rooms for private events. They have outdoor roof area as well with some screens. I think it’s all included.
Thank you very much Maura for your helpful replies!
PJ,
Day 1 schedule has been revised to add a third match during the day session. It’s left intentionally blank for the moment which tells me they are leaving their options open for the possibility.
But why? What is going on here? There’s no rain anticipated on Monday. Why are they leaving their options open to bring in a third match on Ashe?
Are they going to revert to what they did a few years ago, when they did schedule 2 women’s and 1 men’s during the Ashe day session?
Hey Tom, absolutely no clue…
Tips for those who are broke and always late (based only on my experience, so cannot guarantee success) Broke? 1) Spending money on overpriced food sucks, especially if you are there for the entire day and night. I bring anything that goes well on a piece of bread (cheese slices, pb & j, even a small can of pre-made tuna fish) and buy the amazing Naan bread at the Curry Kitchen for a few bucks and you have a sandwich! It is a bit messy, but you can save a lot over the course of two weeks. The Mango Lassi… Read more »
Brilliant, Courtney! Thank you!! P.J.
Courtney,
You’re so funny and excellent advice. I had Ashe courtside ticket last year even though I was poor, I didn’t bring food, but I did bring my own booze in a water bottle (I know I was not supposed to, oh well). I breezed through the checkpoint. I suspect that they either didn’t expect courtside ticket holders to be this cheap or just an oversight.
FYI: Rest of Day 2 schedule posted including Grandstand and outer courts.
thank you so much. i’m going to there tonight for the first time and i really needed this read because i got so anxious since i don’t know much on how to navigate NY/usopen.
You’re most welcome!
Hi PJ
your thoughts on row AA at Ashe (umpire chair side)? – A little too close for perceptive or is the experience of being court level worth it?
I personally love love love being on that side in one of those front 2 rows, even though it’s so close. What you may lose in perspective of watching a point unfold (from, say, higher up or behind the server) you gain massively in perspective of feeling like you are on the court with the players. That side is lower (versus the east side, with the first two rows blocked out for cameras and a wall). For me, it’s insanely cool to be down there. My favorite place is between baseline and the wall (like around section 47 and 58)… Read more »
Seat numbers in Armstrong. Are seats 1,2,3 in Section 13 closer to Section 12, or Section 14?
Hey Jay, closer to 12. See this screenshot. You can see individual seat numbers by clicking on any section in the Ticketmaster map view for any session until you see individual dots, then mouse over any individual dot. PJ
Speaking of seat numbers, just letting everyone know that the seat rows have been mislabeled in Section 18 of Armstrong, at least on the left side (the side with seat 16 on the end). The rows go O, P, Q then U, T, R, S, V, W, X. We just checked and they are correct on the other side (by seat 1), but it must be very confusing!
Weird, haven’t heard this – thanks for the heads up!!