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.












Hi PJ,
I have Ashe stadium tickets for today’s day session but I am stuck with work and can only make it there around 7 pm to watch Monfils vs Ruud and Berretini vs Fritz. Will I be allowed? Thank you!
Hi Sahrach, technically the rules are that day session tickets only allow entry (and re-entry) until 6pm. You can certainly try, but unfortunately there’s a chance that either the ticket taker will refuse entry or the machine scanning your ticket could reject it (I’ve never tried, sorry!). Anyone else had this experience?
This is a late reply, but I encountered the same situation at Louis Armstrong-I tried to enter with my day session court-side tickets (which disappeared from my US Open app at 6pm) after 6pm while the last day session match is still going on. I was told to show the tickets anyway and had to find the original email which fortunately led to them. I also bought day session tickets for court side grandstand for the next day and cannot access the tickets even through the email after 6pm. I did not try to get in. I got the LA… Read more »
Hey Jackie, thank you so much for sharing your experience – must have been so frustrating. The increasingly sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures in e-tickets are great for protecting buyers, but can lead to real hassles like you had. Next time you might try downloading the tickets also to your mobile wallet then taking a screenshot of that image as an extra precaution.
Hello! Thank you for your very helpful tips!
Do you maybe know how to best get autographs from players?
We have tickets for the quartersfinals for next week. Is it possible to go down where the players leave and just wait for an autograph there? I always see on TV people waiting there to get an autograph.
Kind regards
Sanja
Hi Sanya, you’re welcome! For Ashe, the only opportunity is if you have tickets a Courtside section to the NE of the umpire chair/player chairs. No way to get down to that level if you don’t…
What’s a row pass? I’ve seen some or these tickets and not sure what they mean?
It’s so sad how the tickets are in the thousands for nose bleed seats. They need to stop the ticket bots from hiking prices!
Hi Sana, I don’t know – I’d pass over anything with such a vague description!
Hey there fellow NYCer and tennis fan, do they offer autograph signings outside of p1-p5 courts? It will be fun to say hello to you on the grounds and have a coffee chat!
Hi again! Totally depends on the player. Some stick around after practice and do, others understandably focus on staying focused 🙂 Best not to count on it, but be pleasantly surprised if it works out! And by all means if you see me around please say hello!!
What’s your twitter handle if you have one? It’s looking most likely for the ground passes on the finals days! Have you ever done that? I might have to bring a towel to sit. They don’t let us bring those collapsible tools to sit, right?
Hi Sana, no twitter handle 🙂 I haven’t done the grounds pass thing on Finals weekend but do think it could be fun to be around fellow fans and watch matches on the big screen. They would not allow foldable chairs through security, but definitely would allow a towel!
Hey PJ! Thanks for the awesome guide. I’ve already purchased Ashe promenade tickets for women’s and men’s semis next week ($$$ difference is insane compared to Loge, imo). If I notice a free seat lower down in the stadium, do I have any freedom to move to those closer seats, provided that someone else doesn’t show up with a ticket for that specific seat?
Thanks for any guidance you can provide!
Hi Ian, thanks for your kind thanks! While it’s often possible to sneak into empty seats WITHIN the section you have tickets for, it’s very risky to try to do so in other sections – and usually impossible to move into Loge seats with a Promenade ticket (separate ushers on that level will check your ticket and deny you entry). As I’ve mentioned on other replies, the only way I consider to do this responsibly is to try it within the section you hold a ticket for when it’s clear seats are going unused and to be prepared to move… Read more »
That’s what I figured – appreciate the response!
Hi! Are all of the attractions that are open during the day also open at night? Like food village, Amex lounge, vendor booths, etc? Thanks!
Hey Kara, I can’t think of anything that closes early but honestly I’m usually pretty invested in the matches so wouldn’t have noticed. Any others have specific intel on anything out of the ordinary that closes and might be a concern?
Hi PJ, going to the tournament for my first time tomorrow. I originally bought tickets in section 41 in Arthur Ashe, but after seeing the matches scheduled, I bought in section 10 at Louis Armstrong. Is Arthur Ashe a must see for a couple of first timers? We are most excited to see zverev and sabalenka right in front of us! I am not opposed to keeping both and checking both out, but I’m also considering selling arthur ashe…thanks for the site, this was awesome.
Hey Randy, sorry for the delayed reply! MOST important for serious tennis fans like you guys is to see matches you’re really excited about! Ashe is an incredible architectural feat and massive – and the perspective from courtside is something to behold. BUT, give the expense, I don’t think it’s worth simply doing for the experience if you aren’t particularly excited about the matches/players. Consider putting up the tickets on sale as individual tickets (versus requiring both be purchased by a buyer) and if you end up not reselling both, you can pop in and check it out with one… Read more »
Hey, P.J.! I found your site back in 2018 when I was planning our first trip to the Open. Your advice was invaluable! We had a great trip, and really enjoyed watching Millman (forever to be known as Our Man Millman) beat Federer in the round of 16, in our great seats in section 60. Thank you again. We decided two weeks ago to go again this year. We want to go to the night session Monday the 2nd. I’ve been checking tickets for the three of us religiously, but everything in the lower section is pretty darn expensive –… Read more »
Hey Kelley, great to hear! And also I was at that Millman R16 match, which was great (although still some PTSD from it LOL). If it were me, I’d wait until much closer (certainly until schedule is posted on Sunday for that session, possibly even until the day of) to make the call on those Monday night tickets. There are very strong chances a better deal will pop up. Right now there are still quite a few available tickets on the resale market for that session. I’d keep an eye on relative amount of tickets every day between now and… Read more »
The crowd was SO for Federer, we just had to root for Millman. It was humid as hell, but I don’t know when I’ve had a better time.
Oh man, P.J., you’re going to test my nerves with that strategy! But I get it, so I’m going with it. Thanks again! Kelley
LOL! Well, I’ve got everything crossed it works out for you! (And yeah, that was quite a night – I remember cheering for both players. AND being very hot!)
Hey, P.J. How do you think Alcaraz’s loss changes the dynamics of the prices for Monday night’s match? Thanks, Kelley
Hi Kelley, hard to say. Looks like they haven’t affected things much yet. Prices aside, it’s exciting for me to see how much demand there is across the board for great tennis regardless a small group of individuals – great to see so many fans responding to the rising generation of new stars in our sport. That said, For Monday night, if it were me I’d probably wait until immediately when schedule is announced the day before to make the call based on judgment about whether the match/players will raise or lower demand. That session historically is lower demand than… Read more »
Thanks, P.J. I’m assuming it will be Sinner and Paul Monday night, and the day session the lesser known players. So looks like as of tonight, demand is pretty crazy for the night session. But availability and price are so crap tonight, I’m just going to wait till tomorrow and see what I can get. It’s all been a crapshoot, for sure!
Hi Kelley, I would definitely put a lot of money on Sinner/Paul for Ashe – odds are almost 100%. But I would NOT put that much to bet on Day vs Night. Strongly suggest waiting for schedule to come out so you at least know for sure what you’re putting that money towards!
Hi, P.J.! Just wanted to give you closure on my drama! 😉 While we were having the best time visiting NYC, I was religiously checking on ticket seats/prices for Monday evening. Sunday night some tickets popped up for a price I could live with. We wound up in Sec 9. Not bad. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed rooting for Tommy Paul, though we knew how that was going to go. He gave him a run for his money those two sets. All in all, a great time. I want to say again, thank you for this blog, and… Read more »
Hey Kelley, THANKS for reporting back to let me know! Thrilled to hear it was helpful and hope you can get back soon! PJ
I was there too! I cheered for Millman and even got a pic and he signed my ticket stub afterwards!
Amazing! That was a night for the ages…
Nice! That was our first time to the Open, and it was epic.
PJ..I have been going to the US Open for the last 9 years and this year the ticket prices are outrageous.Any idea why??
Besides Ticketmaster, where else can you get tickets that is a legit platform.
I prefer Australia Open where tickets are so cheap. Love Australian Open and Melbourne
Hey Chris! All I can say is that tennis is having a moment and the heavy demand is enabling prices to stay higher on average. I feel the pain!
Hi PJ – Thank you so much for creating this website and answering questions. I am taking my 75-yr old mother to the Men’s Final on 9/8. I am nervous about all the walking, taking the 7 train, etc. Should we aim to get there at 10am in advance of the security lines? Thank you, S
Hi Supna, you may want to consider the LIRR instead of the 7 train (see details on my blog) – way faster and more comfortable for your mom, and let’s you off closer to the East Gate. The only downside is that there is no elevator from the platform up one level to the entrance of the US Open, so she’d have to be OK with stairs (not too many, but equivalent to a couple flights in an apartment building). The Men’s Final match on Sep 8 won’t start before 2:00pm (!!), so definitely don’t get your mom out there… Read more »
This is an absolutely wonderful website!!!!-especially for first timers at the US Open. Thank you for doing this for all of us.
THANK YOU Jennifer for that, made my day!!
Hi PJ, thanks for the site! I’m looking at a Friday or Saturday evening session this weekend and it’s my first time at the tournament. Would you go with upper promenade/nose bleeds in AA or better seats/lower section in LA?
Hi Carly! Personally, I’d go with LA – but if I were you, I’d probably wait until the schedule comes out the day prior and make the call based on the matches/ any player you’re really excited to see.
Hi PJ thank you for all the valuable info! I’m surprising my very avid tennis player dad with trip to the us open and still mildly confused 🫠 we have September 3 and 4 available (fly in the 2nd and leave the night of 4th). I really, really want to make this trip special for him and easy (he’s active and still plays tennis but dealing with cancer). What tickets would you suggest I get? At first I was going to do night tickets on the 3rd and day for the 4th. Then after reading for the 5th time and… Read more »
Hi Ashley, it’s wonderful you’re taking your dad and I hope he is successful in battling cancer – so sorry to hear he’s going through that. There’s no easy or obvious answer for this one, so I get your confusion! I would definitely not do any kind of grounds pass (day or evening) on either the 3d or the 4th, as that won’t get you into Ashe where singles quarterfinal matches will be being played. See last year’s schedule for Days 9 and 10 to have a sense of what to expect. Does your dad have any particular players he’s… Read more »
PJ you’re too kind thank you for the extra info and links. And again for putting this all together – it has been so incredibly helpful!
You’re most welcome!!
Hi PJ,
Thanks for answering my question. Another question here,are there any dedicated gates/sections for unreserved seats in LA and GS stadiums? Any ideas which gates or sections of these two stadiums provide the best /closest unreserved seats to watch games?
Hi Weiyan, I believe the only date to line up/enter for unreserved at LA is Gate B. Anyone else have tips here?
For LA, there’s historically just been one gate for unreserved but I can’t remember which one. They are close to eachother so not a big deal to find the right one. For GS, there are two exterior staircases the lead up to the top of the unreserved seats. You can also enter into the concourse and there will be sets of stairs going all the way around to lead up to the bottom of the unreserved seats. In both stadiums, there isn’t really a best section as the unreserved seating is distributed equally around the stadium. Only suggestion I can… Read more »
Lucas, spot on – thank you so much!!
Hi PJ! My husband and I have evening tickets for this Saturday August 31st at Arthur Ashe. Will we see 2 matches there or just one? We can enter at 6:00pm right? Matches start at 7:00. I feel like I want to get a day pass as well. After reading your site I think I made a mistake by just purchasing evening tickets. I wan to have time to look around and shop.
Hi Carolyn! Yes correct – 2 matches, entry at 6pm (you can try a bit earlier but 6 is official), matches in Ashe start at 7 but others will be going on.
Hello PJ! I’m debating whether to go to the US Open on Friday or Saturday for my first time. I’m a huge tennis fan—I’ve been playing competitively since I was a child—and this will be my first US Open experience. What are your thoughts on attending a day session to soak in the atmosphere and catch as many matches as possible? Does the sun affect the experience a lot? Would you recommend a night session instead? I’m also considering seats in Section 116, Row J, Seat 3 for $518.43 versus Section 104, Row M, Seat 10 for $640. Which option… Read more »
Hey Cristobal! YES on the Day session, absolutely. Some considerations:
– Consider this chart when thinking about Fri vs Sat.
– Sat is usually PACKED (Fri will be busy, but Sat/Sun insane crowds), so Fri can be easier to navigate outer courts
– Sat looks like it will be overcast, some possible rain (but weather forecasts can change quickly this time of year, so…)
– Definitely 104 over 116 for more relief from sun. I just looked at Friday and see 135C open for same price – MUCH better deal and great for shade.
Hope that helps!
Many thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes! One more thing— I was checking StubHub for resale tickets, and I came across “US Open Tennis Championship: Session 9 Arthur Ashe.” Is that the same as a day session on the official Ticketmaster website?
Sure thing! Yes, if it says ” Session 9″ AND Ashe then it’s for Friday Day. Just make sure any tickets you’re considering are clearly labeled with Section and Row AND seat numbers (e.g. Section 332, Row P, Seats 3 and 4).
For example, if they mention Section 332 and Row P on StubHub but don’t specify the seat, should I avoid buying it? Also, between Sections 106 and 132, which would you choose as the best price option?
I’d personally avoid ever buying from a reseller that doesn’t specify the exact seat numbers, partly on principle, but also because e.g. they aren’t guaranteed to give you two seats next to each other if they don’t specify. But as long as you’re OK with the exact section and row and any uncertainty around the specific seat(s), then they’re almost certainly as reliable as any other. For a day session, 132 is much more desirable than 106 from shade perspective.
Thanks a lot! I’ll let you know my feedback after the matches.
Love the article every year!! Does section 7 in Ashe have shade the entire time after 12:50 during the day shade based on your image? I can’t remember and haven’t been able to make it out from my photos. Thanks again for doing this!
Hey Chris! So I remember one year trying to do a full-day analysis and my rough recollection is Section 7 is shaded in the earlier part of the afternoon, then by around 2pm the sun curves around and puts all of Section 7 in the sun. I think everything to the West of section 6 is OK (but also don’t have clear notes). Sorry to be the bearer of not-great news! I’ll be there all day on this Thursday and will take more careful notes then, but I realize that may be too late…
hello PJ! Thank you for your genius website with so many useful informations! May i ask you – we are going to attend our first US open with Ashe day and evening session tickets – do i get it right that we can also acces other stadiums (Armstrong, Grandstand and all the other courts) as well? E.g. if there are some unreserved seats left on LA stadium we can just go in? And if there are not the guard wont let us in? Thank you for your answer!
Vojta
Hi Vojta, that’s correct!
Hi P.J., Amazing information, thanks for putting this together. I really want to see Alcaraz and am targeting the R16 on Monday Sep 2. In your opinion, if he were to make it to that day, as a main attraction of the tournament would he be more likely to be placed in the day session or night? Typically, I’d assume the night session but am not sure if Labor Day impacts anything, as I see you project the day session tickets to be slightly more expensive than night session that day. I know its also dependent on the draw and… Read more »
Hi Davis, thanks! Unfortunately no way to predict. They mix it up every year. For QF and Semis, they always put the biggest stars on at night, but rest of the tournament is a guessing game. See more about this in this post.
Hey! Any thoughts on best outer courts shade-wise, or is it all pretty sunny? Going Wednesday which is going to be hot. Thanks!
Hey David, they are all very sunny! Try for seating behind the umpire chair when possible as sun will at least be at your back for a good part of the day.
Thanks for the excellent guide, P.J.! My wife and I will be attending our first US Open and couldn’t be more excited, and this site has been invaluable!! We bought Ashe promenade tickets for the Round 3 Friday day session (through one of your links of course), and plan on spending as much time at the event as possible to catch some action on the other courts. A couple questions to try to make the most of the day. We will be staying with family in Manhattan the night before and taking the LIRR to the venue. Would you recommend… Read more »
Hey James, thanks for your kind thanks!! For Friday, the level of pressure on GA seats in Armstrong and Grandstand depends entirely on the matches/players that end up getting scheduled. Demand for seats at Men’s matches tends to be much heavier. Friday tends to be crowd-heavy, but not as crazy as Saturday and Sunday. My best advice is to check the schedule the night before, identify the matches on LA/GS/outer courts that you’d love to see, and plan to get there at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time (no guarantee that will be enough time to get you… Read more »
Funny you mentioned about not feeling bad leaving Ashe. I bought courtside seats for me and my wife for Wed day session. Because of the cost she feels we need to stay in Ashe and not spend too much time in other courts. But I want to take advantage of being able to move from place to place. I may have to show her your comment lol
LOL, well, you didn’t mention they were courtside seats… My advice still generally applies, but yeah you will be happy there and may not want to leave… And there will still be plenty of action on courts going on into the evening after the your day session ends. Enjoy!!
Hi! I bought tickets for the 7:00 pm match at Arthur Ashe. Would I also be able to see the 8:15 pm match at Arthur Ashe?
Hi Nikki, yes an evening ticket to Ashe gives you access to both evening matches.
Hey PJ,
Sorry for what may be a very basic question.
I want to get into unreserved Armstrong tomorrow for day matches. Do you anticipate a line given who is playing? 2nd match Osaka v Ostapenko. I am watching live Armstrong now on TV and it looks empty!
Next, if I get a seat in unreserved Armstrong, do you think I can leave stuff in my seat to go to bathrroom/ food etc?
I know on outer courts, this is impossible. You leave, you have to get back in line to get back in.
Thanks!!!
Hey Courtney, not a basic question at all. I would that that match would be pretty well attended, but during Round 1 there’s so many matches underway (and weather is good) that I’d expect it not to be too packed. I also haven’t tried leaving in unreserved new Armstrong seats so don’t know, I’m sorry to say. Please let me know what you figure out!
I wil for sure let you know what I learn. I’m going to armstrong as soon as I arrive and plan to stay for Collins match, then Osaka match. I am sure I will need to pee! So I will see what happens and let you know!
Hi Courtney (and PJ), In Armstrong in the unreserved area, I’ve been able to leave some stuff with people sitting near me and when I go out by the usher I make a point to point and say “I’m going to toilet and coming back, I’m with them’ and usually I’ve been able to get back in (if I’m still inside the stadium on the concourse area — going outside the stadium for food, you do have to get back in the lines). If I go back to same usher, they’ve usually let me back in during the changeover. I… Read more »
Thank you Maura!!
Maura THANKS! This is very helpful!
I tend to make friends with people around me and ushers pretty easily, but still there are going to be record crowds this year, so I figured maybe they wont be so chilled.
And I do make a point to tell them that it is a much needed bathroom pit stop and that I’ll be fast (and I am, otherwise I’ll miss the tennis!)
Anyone have experience with tickets delivered via “SecureTickets” rather than Ticketmaster? I bought 2 Grandstand seats for Thursday from SeatGeek many weeks ago. The “tickets” arrived today via an official emailed link from SeatGeek, but they look rather dubious. They have the sliding bar code, etc., but there’s no US Open logo, and there’s no way to add them to apple wallet (you can only view through a web browser). In the past when I’ve bought from StubHub/SeatGeek, the tickets have been linked via ticketmaster and then get added to my ticketmaster account — and they look much more legit.… Read more »
Hi John, I’m afraid I can’t help with this one – I’ve never had or heard of issues with SeatGeek and US Open, but that does sound really questionable. Hopefully SeatGeek will reply soon.
I found a reddit post from a year ago in reference to concert tickets: https://www.reddit.com/r/Concerts/comments/12uiht5/has_anyone_used_tickets_from_securetickets_before/ It seems to me that for most people it works out fine; however, there is one post a ways down where someone has claimed that Secure Tickets is simply a wallet sharing site. Which means that the barcode could have been shared elsewhere and there’s the possibility that your ticket wouldn’t work at the gate. Unlike TM transfer, you wouldn’t own the tickets. I’d really push on SeatGeek to have the seller transfer them through TM as is the standard practice for US Open tickets.… Read more »
THANKS Lucas!
Thanks guys. I saw that reddit post as well, and agree that it’s not very comforting. Radio silence from SeatGeek thus far. I fear they’ll just offer a refund, which would be cold comfort if i’m stuck at the gate at 10:30am on Thursday. Especially since I very meticulously picked these exact tickets! Anyway i will update. Appreciate the sympathies.
UPDATE — SeatGeek got the seller to send the tickets via ticketmaster. So, I now have “normal” looking tickets, and all is well. Thanks for that suggestion. Everyone, full speed ahead using SeatGeek with confidence. Happy US Open day 1 to all!
GREAT!!!
Great web site! I went to Qualifiers this past Thursday and I saw some great tennis.
Question: In the past, they sold a limited number of Ground Passes on the day of an event. Do you know if they will do so this year? And, do you know the cost?
Hi Jeff, thanks! They do sometimes release more standard ground passes on/just before the day of, however it’s unpredictable and sometimes they don’t. Today they did at $133.
Hi PJ,
Thank you for the incredible info. One question about practice courts: I see that some players practice at Ashe. Can I watch those practices without an Ashe ticket? (And I assume that I can watch practices in the smaller courts)
Thanks!
Hi Jackie, you’re welcome! There are often morning practices (10 and 11am) for players on Ashe that are scheduled for that court. I don’t think that you can enter Ashe for those without an Ashe Day session ticket, but I’m not 100% sure. I think the same applies for Courtside seats within Armstrong and Grandstand. Anyone else tried?? For ANY practices on P1-5 or other field courts, you must have a ticket to enter the US Open grounds – but those are all accessible as long as you’re in the grounds. There are some practice courts near the East gate… Read more »
Thank you PJ. Makes sense to me.
Hi! On what courts are Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals
Women’s Doubles Semifinals
Mixed Doubles Semifinals held? Thanks! Love your tips, so helpful!
Hi Kara! 99% on Armstrong unless something changes from past. Women’s Dubs QF and Mixed Dubs Semis on Wed week 2, Women’s Dubs Semis on Friday week 2.
Thanks!!
PJ – thanks for the fantastic information and for being our first time guide! We have Ashe Day tickets, but want to catch one of the 11:00 matches up close. How cool to not cool is heading straight for a smaller court, dropping a towel to save a seat and then exploring the grounds before the match?
Hey Ryan, you’re very welcome and glad it’s been helpful! So with the smaller courts, there are just bleachers and there is a lot of turnover… I think it’s fine to ask someone already there to hold your place while you run to the bathroom or to grab a quick bite, but probably best not to ask anyone to do it for too long and put them in an awkward situation. Just my two cents!
In my expereince on the outer courts, once you leave you must get back in line to get back in. I’ve tried to leave stuff in a bleacher ‘seat’, but I had to beg the woman at the rope to let me back in without waiting in line. If they let people ‘save seats’ and come in and out, no one on line would ever get in. I get the logic of this policy. But I hate it!!
Super helpful, Courtney. It occurs to me that I’ve actually never tried leaving mid-match on any of the outer courts!
My two cents: these are not bleachers or seats like a lounge chair at a pool at some resort when annoying people go early and put towels on them to “reserve” them and then only come back hours later. I hope that’s never allowed at US Open! 🙂
Omg thank you so much for this article. I literally took notes!! This is my 4th year in NYC and attending a night session has been on my bucket list forever. I’m determined to find some affordable tickets this year!!
You’re so welcome!! Wishing you luck as you search for tickets and hope you have an amazing time!
Hey PJ! Thanks for all this info. This may be a dumb question: we have evening session tickets and it says gates open for us at 6 PM. Does that mean the gates of the Grounds itself, or to our specific stadium? We were at Fan Week today, it was amazing, and we wonder if we can be on the grounds long before our match time!
Hi there! Means gates to the entire grounds. 🙂
Hi! Lover of the US Open and this page has been invaluable. Curious why you say proceed with caution for Grounds Passes? We usually buy night-time Arthur Ashe tickets to get inside and be a part of the fun, but the seats usually suck. Thought maybe this year we’d buy cheap day ground passes and run around from court to court from 3-8ish. For reference, this would be Wednesday… thanks in advance!!
Hi Rachel, so glad to hear it! My Tip #3 urges everyone to explore whether there are reserved Ashe Promenade-level tickets or Armstrong courtside seats available for nearly identical prices, as they give all the privileges of a Grounds pass with added bonus of the reserved seats. In particular, buying an Ashe or Armstrong reserved seat gives you rain insurance, because these stadiums both have roofs so matches cannot be rained out. But Wed weather looks clear, so if you can get a grounds for cheaper then by all means go for it!
Hi,
Thanks for your epic instructions on US open.
I bought day session for Ashe day4. My first time to watch US Open. I am wondering if I have unlimited enter into all stadiums and field courts ? Can I enter Armstrong stadium for non-assigned seats for evening games?
Thanks again!
Thank you!! Yes, unlimited access to all unreserved seating on a first-come basis on all stadiums/courts EXCEPT Ashe (where every seat is reserved), all day and all night!
Thanks for doing this site every year it’s so helpful! Do you know if matches on the outer courts usually spill over into the night session in the 1st or 2nd round? There are only a couple on the schedule to start after 6pm but my husband says there will still be a lot to watch on the outer courts at night in the early rounds because they always run behind schedule all day. Is that right?
Hi Gina, yes they do! It’s one reason why going during Rounds 1 and 2 is so great. Have fun!
Hello! I want to ask. Is buying ticket from nyc.com safe?? I found here (https://tickets.nyc.com/ResultsTicket.aspx?evtId=5949511&event=US%20Open%20Tennis%20Championships:%20Session%202%20-%20Men%27s/Women%27s%201st%20Round#open) one ticket for $28.60. Is it too cheap. I want to go for first day, 7pm. Two matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium. To see Djokovic. Many thanks.
Hi there, I haven’t bought from that site so can’t vouch for it, but probably fine. However, $28.60 is definitely too low a price and is probably for a restaurant pass or something like that, not for an actual seat. I strongly recommend sticking with Ticketmaster if you aren’t experienced in the US Open resale market just to be on the safe side! Things are labeled very clearly on Ticketmaster.
Is it still possible to purchase (ground ) tickets in person on the first day of the US open at the ticket counter?
Hi Ray, if you see standard (non-resale) Grounds tickets on Ticketmaster, then they will have at the US Open box office by the East Gate and you can avoid any service fees. If you do NOT see them on Ticketmaster, they will NOT have them at the box office (they have exactly the same inventory as you see online and only sell standard tickets).
Hi there, my first visit will be Wed. I was planning on getting courtside seats for Ashe day session at the box office to avoid the fees. When I went to the TM site now all I see are resale tickets. Are you saying the box office will not sell resale tickets and since there are no face value tickets I will most likely end up having to buy from TM site when I get there?
Hi Ron, that’s correct. Although there’s certainly a chance a standard will show up that morning- so just check before you get into line at the box office. They don’t have an inventory that isn’t posted on the actual Ticketmaster site.
Even without tickets, go out to the grounds early. On your way there, continue constantly checking TM site on your phone for official ‘standard’ grounds pass tickets (not reselae). Tickets pop up periodically.
Last year on the subway ride out, we checked nonstop, on both my and my friend’s phones and she was able to get one.
Good luck
Hey PJ. My first open. Bought Ashe in the 320 nose bleeds row V night session on the 31st. Am I only allowed to enter the grounds at 6:00 pm? I wanted to shop and enjoy the place maybe get dinner at Champions before sitting down for 7:00 start? Thoughts? And thank you for your words of wisdom within this site! Amazing!
Hi Joann, excited for you and thanks for the kind words! Yes, night session only allows entrance to grounds at 6pm. And unfortunately Aces and Champions (on Club Level of Ashe) are only accessible to Courtside or Box ticket holders. Definitely check out the food options outside Ashe before you enter – there are a lot more outside the stadium, which has mostly stadium food in the Loge/Promenade level (a lot of hot dogs, chicken tenders, burgers etc). PJ
Good thing you let me know my restaurant reservations were not good for my tickets! Thank you! One more question. What are your thoughts on the popop cococoq?
Hi Joann, you’re welcome! I think you mean Cocodaq? Haven’t tried them… Others?
Hi PJ. Great post. Couple questions – I bought Ashe tickets in the day session, am i able to leave Ashe during play and come back into Ashe? There’s a match I want to see on the outer courts in between breaks, etc. Secondly, how hard is it to get first come first serve seats in grandstand. I want to see Raducanu at 6pm just wondering how early I need to be there for it to get a seat. Also, is there any potential chance for me to “sneak” down to get a potential autograph after the match has concluded… Read more »
Hi Jordan, thanks! Yes, you can exit and re-enter Ashe as often as you like with your Ashe ticket. Level of difficulty on Grandstand GA seats is a function of who’s playing. That Raducanu match should be pretty well attended, but historically it’s been the men’s singles matches that draw the biggest crowds (a big exception being high-profile players in doubles matches, e.g. when Coco Guaff has played dubs!). The ushers are pretty strict in letting folks into the lower bowl of Grandstand, but if it’s the end of a match and players are hanging out signing then it’s definitely… Read more »
Excellent site, PJ! How long would you say is the prep time in between day matches in the stadiums and on the side courts? Maybe 15-20 minutes?
Thank you!! It is usually very quick to try to stay on schedule, but I’ve never paid super close attention to averages. 15-20 min feels about right but I feel like I’ve experienced even less when they’re really rushing to get matches completed. Anyone else have more clear recollection?
Totally agree with PJ. I’d say 10 would be the absolute minimum. 30 minutes isn’t unheard of. 15-20 is normal. Please note that sometimes in the schedules they will list a “not before” time for the third or fourth match on a court. For example, day 1 on grandstand has the fourth match as not before 6 pm. Even if the first three matches blitzed through and were done before 3 pm, that match wouldn’t be until 6.
Thank you, Lucas!!
I feel the outer courts move pretty quickly and even the larger stadiums are fairly efficient. I think 15-20 min is a good guess.
Maura, you’re amazing – thanks as always! PJ
It’s our first year attending and have a few question, We were able to get court-side day seats in Armstrong on Aug.31st at face-value prices. If we stay for the night session, I realize that we won’t get our same reserved day session seats, but if nobody is sitting in particular court-side seats for the night session, do they allow people to move down or does general admission at Armstrong only have access to the higher area? Have you ever been able to find deals once already inside the tournament grounds? For example, we have the aforementioned day session tickets… Read more »
Hey Beau, they sometimes let people move down when it’s super late at night and if tons of folks have left – but highly unlikely for that Sat evening session. Yes definitely on the question about same day tickets and last-minute. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that myself. The situation depends heavily on who’s playing, but yes, you can often get really great deals after the session has actually started. For the Grandstand Chase area, I think it’s just first-come basis and no reservations. Check out the link to the Chase page on my post for the… Read more »
The only caveat is that TM will stop selling an hour after the session has started (resale sites may still have some) I think for all except the final.
Awesome, will keep my eye out for ticket deals while there during the day session. Also, how late into the night do they serve food and alcohol/drinks?
Hey Beau, very late – I’ve never had an issue finding food or drink at very late hours!
Hey PJ, Really grateful for all of the resources that you provide here! I have a group of 6 people, and we want to get Day Session tickets for Saturday, August 31st. We’re not trying to watch anyone in particular; more just looking to make the most of the experience. I’m weighing our options between the following and would love your POV: 1) $430 tickets in Grandstand (try to take advantage of SRO in LA) This is the top range of our budget, but we’re guaranteed good seats 2) $330 Nosebleeds in AA (in the chance we get a top… Read more »
Hi Elliot! Tough call. Grandstand would probably be my choice for that date and budget: it’s a fantastic stadium, and you’ll get two men’s matches plus at least one more match for the price (either a ladies singles match or a high-profile doubles match). Grandstand seats unreserved seats are really tough to get on Labor Day weekend (a nightmare with a big group), so would be great to have those reserved seats. Avoid the East side of the stadium because of the sun; choose the West side (same side as the chair umpire) or South side for a bit of… Read more »
Super helpful!! Can’t thank you enough for the quick reply and thorough advice!
My pleasure!
We are attending Saturday and Sunday over Labor Day weekend, and planning both evening sessions. Looking to set up transportation pick up after the evening event back to our hotel in Manhattan… Can you advise approximately what time evening sessions typically wrap up?
Hi Richard, unfortunately it can vary pretty wildly depending on how competitive the matches are. It’s rare to have things wrap up on Ashe stadium before 11:30pm. There have been many times I’ve stayed well past midnight. In 2022, the Alcaraz-Sinner QF was a marathon 5-setter and didn’t wrap up until 2:50am. If it were me, I’d probably arrange for pickup around 12:15am – but ask the car service if there’s a way to communicate with them in real time and change the pickup time.
Hey PJ,
I was able grab courtside ticket in Ashe for Sunday 1st for 800 bucks! I hope that’s a good deal! What are your thoughts?
Hey! Whether day or evening session, you definitely were in the ballpark for a great deal. Enjoy!
I got the night session for 1st Sept. I am hoping it to be Djoko vs Shelton. Gotta take some risk. The lower half of both men and women have crazy line up for 4th round so i am thinking it is gonna be worth it specially being in the court side zone.
Thanks for the tips, PJ! Question – on Ticketmaster, the default option for viewing tickets to buy is “2 tickets,” yet when you filter it down to “1 ticket,” options dwindle significantly. Are you required to buy at least two tickets for options that come under “2 tickets” or is there any way (whether on Ticketmaster themselves or a separate seller) to get just one single ticket from such options? Thank you again!
Hey Sean, mosy resellers choose the option to require minimum purchase of 2 seats (because usually tickets are bought in pairs and folks are trying to at least recoup what they spent). Buying 1 ticket can often actually be an advantage- but there are fewer options. Do be sure to check other sites like stubhub because sometimes there are more singles options on other reseller sites.
Good to know. Thank you so much!
As someone who goes to this tournament alone every year I find it disturbing that Ticketmaster assumes that people always travel in a pair. Some of us like to be solo for some events!
You’ll have better luck on StubHub possibly looking for single tickets.
And what days are you going? if you want to meet up for a quick hello with another solo Tennis traveler, let me know!
Solo tennis travelers, let’s connect. I will be attending Sunday 1st Sept night session. Would love to have some company!
aww I wont be there Sunday night 🙁
In the past if I’ve seen only pairs (or only good prices on pairs), I sometimes would still buy the two and try to find a friend who’d come or else place the second ticket back up for sale and hope I’d cover the cost/break even. If it’s popular session, it’s usually possible to sell if priced fairly.
I also go alone to a lot of the Open and think resellers should wise up!
Thanks for all the info, PJ! Question – on Ticketmaster, when filtering to options with “2 tickets,” is there truly no way to purchase those seats other than a combo – if you’re going just as an individual? I notice there are way fewer options under “1 ticket” than “2 tickets”. Thank you!
Hey Sean, you’re welcome! Yeah, a lot of people sell only as pairs – so if they don’t show up as options when doing the “1” ticket then they aren’t available for individual purchase. Be sure to check Stubhub too, as I’ve often noticed a handful more individual tickets on sale on that platform.
Why are tickets so much cheaper on Stubhub than Ticketmaster ? Is is just as safe to buy on Stubhub as on Ticketmaster ? Thanks 1
Hi Graham, Ticketmaster displays prices with service fees now by default (fairly recent development) whereas StubHub’s default is to list the asking price then tack on the service fees at checkout. You will find in the vast majority of cases prices end up being the same. But in rare cases, you may find a reseller on StubHub that is either not posting on Ticketmaster or that has listed at a lower price – which is why it’s worth checking.
Thanks PJ. Of course you are absolutely correct. I found a filter option on Stubhub that displays prices that include fees and they are now very comparable to Ticketmaster.
Full schedule for Monday 8/26 is out.
Djokovic, Gauff, Sabalenka
Schedule for the Ashe and Armstrong is out for Tuesday 8/27.
Swiatek, Alcaraz, Sinner
GIVING AWAY A WEDNESDAY DAYTIME ASHE PROMENADE SEAT
It’s a nosebleed seat in upper promenade, but you’ll have access to all courts with it.
I can transfer it to you if you have a Ticketmaster account.
First person to reply can have it. Then PJ can hook us up via email.
And who doesn’t LOVE PJ’s blog!?! He’s the best!
Hello!!! I would love to get the ticket !!!
It’s yours!
hello do you still have?
Unfortunately Courtney did find a lucky taker!
Thank you so much for all that you do for us tennis fans, I use this site every year!! This year is the first year that I bought Ashe day tickets. Does this allow me entrance into Armstrong and Grandstand night matches if there are unreserved seats available?
Hi Stacey, my pleasure thank you for saying that! Yes absolutely- once you’re in the grounds anyone can stay as long as they like and access unreserved seats on any non-Ashe court. Have fun!
The schedule for day 1 and 2 is now up on US Open site.
Amazing. I NEED that who’s-playing-when chart immediately, when order of play is announced — and you deliver. Thank you sir!
♥️ Thanks!