Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the United States Tennis Association released 1,000 discounted tickets to the 2026 US Open on August 26, priced at $100 each for New York City residents. The first-come, first-served sale covers Main Draw matches from August 30 through September 8 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, including access to Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Key Takeaways
- 1,000 US Open tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. on August 26 at USOpen.org/NYCTickets, available exclusively to New York City residents at $100 each with a two-ticket purchase limit.
- The tickets cover Main Draw matches from August 30 through September 8, including access to Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and grounds passes for singles and doubles competition.
- Secondary market prices for comparable sessions currently range from $300 to $400 for upper-deck Arthur Ashe seats, with grounds passes reselling at $360 or more.
- The US Open generates more than $1.2 billion in economic impact annually and employs more than 7,000 people each year in the New York City area.
- The initiative follows a pattern of sports accessibility programs from the Mamdani administration, including 1,000 discounted FIFA World Cup tickets, 600 free Knicks championship ceremony tickets, and free entry to USA Track and Field events.
Ticket Details and Secondary Market Price Context
The $100 price point sits well below current market rates for US Open Main Draw access. Grounds passes, which provide general admission to most courts but not Arthur Ashe Stadium, are priced between $65 and $150 at face value depending on the session. On the secondary market, those same grounds passes are already reselling at $360 or more. Upper-deck seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium for late-round matches are moving between $300 and $400 on resale platforms. At the far end of the pricing spectrum, a single courtside seat for the men’s final has been listed at $29,000 on one ticketing platform.
The city’s discounted tickets include something that grounds passes alone do not: assigned seats inside Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. For a New York City resident purchasing two tickets at $100 each, the total cost for a Main Draw session with stadium access comes to $200, a fraction of what the same seats would cost through Ticketmaster’s general sale or any secondary platform.
The sale opened at 10 a.m. on August 26 at USOpen.org/NYCTickets. Eligibility is limited to New York City residents, with a cap of two tickets per person. The tickets are valid for any Main Draw session between August 30 and September 8, covering the full run of singles and doubles competition through the final weekend.
The US Open’s Economic Footprint in Queens and Across New York City
The US Open is one of the most-attended annual sporting events globally, drawing nearly 1.2 million attendees in 2025 and reaching more than 200 million viewers across 200 countries and territories. The tournament generates more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact for the New York City region and employs more than 7,000 people each year, from event operations staff to hospitality and service workers at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and surrounding Flushing businesses.
The tournament also operates an eight-day Fan Week preceding the Main Draw, offering free grounds admission for the public to watch player practice sessions, qualifying matches, and mixed doubles competition. USTA CEO Craig Tiley pointed to Fan Week as part of the organization’s broader access strategy, noting that the free programming allows families and casual fans to experience the tournament without purchasing Main Draw tickets.
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center remains open to the public year-round for tennis programming and court rentals outside of the tournament window, making it one of the few Grand Slam venues that functions as a community recreation facility during the off-season. That dual identity, as both an elite competition venue and a public sports facility in Queens, is central to the framing of the city’s discounted ticket initiative.
A Pattern of Sports Accessibility Programs Under the Mamdani Administration
The US Open ticket release is the latest entry in a series of sports accessibility initiatives the Mamdani administration has launched since taking office. The approach follows a consistent model: negotiate a block of discounted or free tickets with event organizers, then distribute them to city residents through a public sale or lottery.
Earlier this summer, the administration secured 1,000 tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at MetLife Stadium at $50 each, with free round-trip bus transportation included for recipients. The city also made all five-borough World Cup FanFests free to the public, created 50 Soccer Streets across school blocks citywide, and installed 24/7 open-access World Cup pitches in neighborhoods across the city.
The Mamdani administration distributed 600 free tickets to the New York Knicks championship ceremony and broadcast Knicks playoff games for free on hundreds of LinkNYC kiosks across the five boroughs. The city also secured affordable tickets to Gotham FC matches at $15 each and distributed 500 free tickets to the USA Track and Field Outdoor and Para National Championships. Extended field lighting this summer added 4,000 hours of play time on basketball courts, soccer fields, and athletic facilities citywide.
The model carries an implicit policy argument: that major sporting events held in New York City should be financially accessible to the residents whose tax dollars support the infrastructure and public services those events depend on. The administration has framed each initiative around the same principle, that New Yorkers should not be priced out of events taking place in their own city.
Rising Costs Continue to Shape the Fan Experience at the US Open
The discounted ticket program arrives amid sustained public criticism of the cost of attending the US Open. Beyond ticket prices, the in-venue experience carries its own price tag. Food and beverage costs inside the grounds reflect the tournament’s premium positioning: lobster rolls are priced at $39.50, French dip sandwiches at $38, and the tournament’s signature Honey Deuce cocktail at $23. A parking spot at the venue was recently listed at nearly $7,000 on one ticketing platform, though longtime attendees typically use the 7 train at $3 each way or the Long Island Rail Road at $7.25 during peak hours.
The pricing landscape creates a two-tier fan economy. Attendees who purchase through the American Express cardholder pre-sale, which typically opens in late May, can find semifinal tickets between $150 and $200 and occasional buy-one-get-one quarterfinal deals at roughly $50 per seat. Fans who miss the pre-sale window face general-sale prices and a secondary market where markups are substantial. The city’s $100 ticket program introduces a third access point, one that bypasses both the credit-card-gated pre-sale and the inflated resale market, but its 1,000-ticket supply is limited relative to the tournament’s nearly 1.2-million annual attendance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can NYC residents purchase the discounted US Open tickets?
New York City residents can purchase tickets at USOpen.org/NYCTickets. The sale launched at 10 a.m. on August 26, 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis. Each resident can buy up to two tickets at $100 each.
What do the discounted tickets include?
The $100 tickets provide access to Main Draw matches running from August 30 through September 8, including seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium as well as grounds passes covering singles and doubles competition.
How do these prices compare to regular US Open ticket costs?
Face-value grounds passes range from $65 to $150 depending on the session but are reselling at $360 or more on secondary platforms. Upper-deck Arthur Ashe Stadium seats for late-round matches are listed between $300 and $400 on resale sites.
Is the US Open Fan Week still free?
Yes. The US Open offers eight days of free grounds admission during Fan Week, which precedes the Main Draw. Fan Week includes access to player practice sessions, qualifying matches, and mixed doubles competition at no cost.
What other sports accessibility programs has the Mamdani administration launched?
The administration has secured 1,000 discounted FIFA World Cup tickets at $50 each with free bus transportation, distributed 600 free Knicks championship ceremony tickets, offered $15 Gotham FC tickets, provided 500 free USA Track and Field tickets, and extended field lighting by 4,000 hours across city athletic facilities.
