by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
As the U.S. Open approaches, many people ask me my advice on when they should go. .
I know a bit about the ins and out of the tournament having been to every one since 1979 except for the “fan-less” event in 2020. I worked for the U.S. Tennis Association at the U.S. Open from 1992 to 2005, while also working various duties for CBS Sports, Tennis Channel and others in the years after that. If you calculate the number of days that I have spent on the grounds of the U.S. Open, I have spent about one year and nine months of my life on the grounds of the USTA National Tennis Center at the U.S. Open!
The first thing I will tell people to attend the U.S. Open qualifying rounds if they can. As MarketWatch reported about the U.S. Open qualifying, “For many tennis fans, the best time to attend the U.S. Open is before it starts.” It is traditionally held the Tuesday through the Friday before the start of the main event and it’s free. It’s one of the great traditions and offerings from the U.S. Tennis Association and gives people who may not be able to afford to go to the main event the opportunity to see big time tennis up close for no cost.
You get a different kind of fan atmosphere at the event, almost a more appreciative fan, and the tennis is, in a way, more cut-throat than the main draw because these players are clawing their way for precious ranking points and prize money and for shots to play agains the big pros that they may not have had before. One can argue that it’s more exciting to see a player on their way up to becoming a star or a millionaire than seeing a millionaire make another million. Players in the qualifying rounds have a lot more to lose and it’s exciting to see them struggle and strive to achieve and agonizing to see if they fail. The final round of qualifying is on that Friday before the main draw and each match has a precious spot in the main draw on the line. It’s like you are watching 16 men’s and 16 women’s tournament finals being played all across the grounds.
I think a great way to kick off a U.S. Open trip to New York is to certainly catch the qualifying finals on that Friday, perhaps arrive the day before and catch a bit of the second round of qualifying. Then, on the Saturday and Sunday before the start of the U.S. Open, you always have the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day on the grounds of the U.S. Open, that combines tennis and music stars for a fun afternoon with the kids. However, you may want to take this time to enjoy what New York City has to offer to tourists, like Central Park, a bus tour, a Circle Line boat ride, the Empire State Building, Broadway or whatever your fancy is. And then, when Monday rolls around, you can head back to the grounds of the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center and take in the start of the tournament. The first two days of the tournament features 32 first round men’s singles and 32 first round women’s singles matches, respectively so there’s lots of options for viewing. There are only, traditionally of late, two singles matches during the day session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, so you may want to opt for the grounds pass, which gets you to all the rest of the grounds for a slightly cheaper price. The first Wednesday and Thursday feature 16 men’s singles and 16 women’s singles matches, respectively, so a grounds pass is still a great call. The Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend sees only eight men’s singles and eight women’s singles matches per day, so singles play begins to focus more on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand, while more doubles is featured on the field courts.
Many fans will take advantage of the three-day Labor Day weekend to go to the U.S. Open, but you will get more of your money’s worth going on the Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend when there are still third round matches that are played on the field courts. Once you get to the Sunday of Labor Day weekend and on Labor Day Monday, all of the singles matches (unless rain backs up play) are played on either Arthur Ashe or Louis Armstrong Stadium each day. There will only be four men’s singles matches and four women’s singles matches on these days, meaning two men’s matches and two women’s matches will likely be played on Ashe The other four singles matches will be played, likely all on Louis Armstrong with perhaps a chance that one of the matches will be played on the Grandstand. So, if you want to watch singles matches, you better buy tickets for Ashe or hope you can get a general admission seat in the upper portion of Armstrong Stadium. Otherwise, you are going to be watching doubles on the Grandstand or the outer courts.
The second week of the U.S. Open doesn’t quite have the buzz of the first week on the grounds, but the night matches, which in itself are special at the U.S. Open, are more magical with match-ups between higher ranked players that tend to turn into epics and matches you talk about for years. The outer courts feature doubles, mixed doubles, juniors and wheelchair, which are interesting side dishes to the main events. For the second Thursday of the tournament, the women’s singles are exclusively played and they are a night session at 7 pm. The USTA has traditionally used this day to provide free admission to fans to the grounds so you can go check out some of the doubles, junior or wheelchair events for free.
In a nutshell, what I tell people to do most is twofold. One is to check out the qualifying final on Friday, have two fun days in New York City, then go to the first two days of the tournament. The second option, over Labor Day, is to go the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday to see second and third round matches, but perhaps take a pass on Labor Day Sunday and Monday when there are fewer matches to see
Go to www.USOpen.org or all the most updated tournament information and where you can buy tickets.
