US Open Tennis Experience, In-Person Tips & What to Bring

The US Open tennis tournament, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, takes place every year in New York City. This multi-week event is an amazing live sports experience, all accessible via public transit in NYC.

This quick guide is perfect if you’re going to the US Open in person and want to ensure you have the best experience possible!

In fact, we highly recommend coming to New York City during late summer and enjoying the warm weather and exceptional tennis.

We will cover:

• How the ticket types work
• Tips for buying tickets
• Getting to & from the US Open grounds
• Food & drink options
• General tennis etiquette
• US Open packing guide – What to bring

Let’s get to it. 👇

Note: This article was written by a real human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

US Open Tennis Guide Podcast

Want to hear more podcasts like this? Head here.

How the US Open Ticket Types Work

One often confusing part of going to the US Open is knowing what type of ticket to buy. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where the US Open is held, has 22 courts, and each ticket type gets you access to different aspects of the grounds.

You can think of it as a hierarchy, with Arthur Ashe, the world’s largest tennis stadium, which seats over 23,000 people, as the “main” stage of the US Open tournament.

Here are the ticket types, with #1 being the “highest” in the hierarchy.

1. Arthur Ashe
2. Louis Armstrong
3. Grandstand
4. Grounds Pass (only until the round of 16)

Let’s do a quick look at each one below. 👇

Arthur Ashe Stadium Ticket

• You can choose between the Day Session and the Evening Session
• Matches begin around 11:30am for the Day Session and 7:00pm for the Evening Session
• This ticket gets you an assigned seat in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where many of the biggest names play
• This ticket gets you access, on a first-come, first-served basis, to the general admission areas of Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand, and all field courts
• You usually get to see two matches if you get an Arthur Ashe Ticket earlier in the tournament (Men’s and Women’s)
• If you go to the evening session, just know that the games can go LATE (sometimes past 2am)
• This is our typical choice, but other ticket options still give you access to view a LOT of tennis

Simply put, the Arthur Ashe ticket gets you the highest level of access within the grounds.

You can go to any arena. For Ashe, you will have an assigned seat, and at any other stadium, you get access to the General Admission areas (first-come, first-served).

Louis Armstrong Stadium Ticket

• You can choose between the Day Session and the Evening Session
• Matches begin around 11:30am for the Day Session and 7:00pm for the Evening Session
• This ticket gets you an assigned seat in Louis Armstrong Stadium
• This ticket gets you access, on a first-come, first-served basis, to the general admission areas of Grandstand and all field courts
• NO access to Arthur Ashe

Grandstand Stadium Ticket

• You can choose between the Day Session and the Evening Session
• Matches begin around 11:30am for the Day Session and 7:00pm for the Evening Session
• This ticket gets you an assigned seat in Louis Armstrong Stadium
• This ticket gets you access, on a first-come, first-served basis, to the general admission areas of Louis Armstrong and all field courts
• NO access to Arthur Ashes
• One downside of Grandstand is that there is no rain cover, so you get affected by rain delays. (Ashe and Armstrong both have roofs that close)

Grounds Pass Ticket

• This ticket does not come with any assigned seat in any stadium
• This ticket gets you access, on a first-come, first-served basis, to the general admission areas of Louis Armstrong, Grandstand, and all field courts
• NO access to Arthur Ashe
• This is often the most affordable option

Buying US Open Tickets

This past year, tickets went on sale at the end of May. They had an Amex Presale a few days before the general sale, where you just needed to check out with any Amex card.

Regular sale has good options too, and we’ve had success with both. Just sign up for the text alerts on the US Open Website to get alerted before tickets go on sale.

Note: We’ve always had great experiences with Vivid Seats, and you can earn free tickets through their loyalty program. 🙌

Children 2 years and older require their own full-priced ticket. In my personal opinion, I would not bring a baby to the US Open. If a baby cries, it can disrupt someone serving or disrupt play in general.

In the earlier sessions before the Semi-Finals, the gates open at 9:30am for the Day Session and 6:00pm for the evening session.

If you have a day session, you can stay all day long (except you can’t get into Arthur Ashe).

Consider sections in the shade for any of the day sessions. This website has the best information we’ve found online about shaded seats.

You’ll Have to Check It Out Segment – Revival Bar Restaurant

Revival Bar in Hell’s Kitchen is an Argentinian soccer-themed bar with massive frozen drinks, amazing happy hour, and bar bites with an Argentinian twist.

Plenty of TVs and a nice outdoor seating and indoor/outdoor bar area when the weather permits

Their happy hour is offered Sunday – Wednesday all day long, Thursday – Saturday until 7pm, and includes:

• $5 margaritas
• $5 house shots
• $7 draft beer
• $7 house red & white wine
• $7 house mixed cocktails

Check out Revival Bar Restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen here.

Getting To & From the US Open

• We usually do the day session and arrive 30 minutes before the first game starts. The closer you arrive to match start times, the busier it gets.
• Getting from Midtown Manhattan to the grounds & through security takes roughly 1 hour
• You can take the subway (7 train to the Mets-Willets Point stop) or the LIRR

Food & Drink Options

• You can bring food in!! No backpacks are allowed, but tote bags are ok
  • We recommend getting a bodega sandwich or Lenwich before you head to Queens and bringing that in
• Food is VERY expensive even by NYC standards, chicken tenders are the best value
• Yes, the honey deuce is worth it, even though it’s $23
  • Honey Deuce is the official drink of the US Open. It’s a take on a raspberry lemonade. It has vodka, Chambord (raspberry liquor), lemonade, and honeydew melon balls as a garnish that look like little tennis balls. Comes with a souvenir cup featuring the names of past US Open champions.

General Etiquette

You need to wait to go to your seat or leave your seat until between points. Do not block people’s view by standing in aisles or stairwells, even to get pictures.

Do NOT make noise during play. Wait for applause and cheering until after the point is finished.

There is no strict dress code at the US Open, but generally, you should dress nicer than you would for another sporting event. Consider the weather (it’s usually extremely hot in late August/Early September), so pack something that is light and breathable.

US Open Packing List – Our Recommended Items to Bring

• Sandwiches, snacks
• Suncreen
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Lightweight clothing
• Reusable water bottle
• Portable phone charger
• Small handheld fan or collapsible fan
• Sweat towel or small towel

Additional Helpful Resources for the US Open

• https://www.usopen.org/en_US/tickets/tickets_faq.html (General FAQ)
• https://www.usopen.org/en_US/tickets/individual_tickets.html (Ticket-specific questions on what your ticket gets you, etc)
• https://www.roadto45tennis.com/a-serious-tennis-fans-tips-for-the-us-open-tickets-more (this guy’s website has a ton of info, and under FAQ#4, he talks about shaded seats)

US Open Experience & Guide Recap + Next Steps

The US Open tennis experience is a wonderful event in every way. You get to watch hours of tennis, enjoy the warm NYC weather, and see some of the world’s best tennis stars!

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