US Open 2026 Guide: Dates, Tickets, and Days to Go

When and where is the 2026 US Open?

The 2026 US Open runs Sunday, August 23 through Sunday, September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, the biggest edition in tournament history at 22 days. The breakdown:

• Fan Week (free): Aug 23–29. Free grounds access, the qualifying tournament, and player practices
• Main draw: starts Sunday, Aug 30, running 15 days with no rest days
• Women's final: Saturday, Sept 12 · Men's final: Sunday, Sept 13

Getting there is the easy part: take the 7 train or the LIRR to Mets–Willets Point, which drops you steps from the East Gate. The LIRR from Grand Central or Moynihan is under 20 minutes.

How to get tickets

Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster, the official partner, with full details on the US Open's ticket page. The general on-sale started May 28 (after an Amex presale), and inventory keeps rolling out in stages as partner allocations release, so a "sold out" session is worth re-checking. Early-round prices start at roughly $100–$400 and climb from there; Ticketmaster's Verified Resale is the only guaranteed resale channel, though StubHub and SeatGeek list inventory at a markup.

The thing first-timers miss: any ticket gets you access to the entire grounds. A stadium ticket to Arthur Ashe also lets you roam 16 other courts. Which sets up the real strategy question:

Grounds pass vs. stadium ticket

• Grounds Pass: The best value in tennis during the first week. You get general-admission access to everything except Ashe, including Louis Armstrong Stadium (14,000 seats, retractable roof) and the Grandstand (8,100). In week one, top-20 players are routinely out on Court 17 and the field courts, close enough to hear the strings.
• Arthur Ashe reserved: Buy this for the second week, when all the marquee matches consolidate onto the big court. Ashe is mid-renovation ($800M over two years), adding ~2,000 courtside seats and new hospitality levels, so expect some construction scaffolding and slightly different sightlines than years past.
• Armstrong/Grandstand reserved: The value pick for reserved seating: high-level matches, better proximity than Ashe's upper bowl, lower price.

Which days are best?

The honest ranking:

1. Fan Week qualies (Mon Aug 24–Thu Aug 27), free. 128 players fighting for 32 main-draw spots, on intimate courts, with no ticket required. Emma Raducanu won the whole 2021 Open as a qualifier; this is where you see the next one first. Also the best week to watch top players practice without crowds.
2. First-week weekday day sessions (Aug 31–Sep 3). Maximum simultaneous tennis (matches on 17 courts) and the cheapest main-draw tickets. Take a Tuesday off; it beats any weekend.
3. Night sessions at Ashe. The atmosphere NYC is famous for. Note evening-session ticket holders can't enter the grounds until 6 PM; it's a show, not a full day out.
4. Labor Day weekend (Sep 5–7). Great tennis, biggest crowds. Go if it's your only option; otherwise trade it for a weekday.
5. Finals weekend. Spectacular and priced like it.

One-off worth knowing: Fan Week has grown its own marquee events: the Mixed Doubles Championship (Aug 25–26), Stars of the Open (Aug 27), and a ticketed Roger Federer exhibition at Ashe on Tuesday, Aug 25, his first time back in New York since 2019. Arthur Ashe Kids' Day opens the whole thing on Aug 23.

What are the best seats?

• Arthur Ashe: the lower bowl is spectacular and priced like it. The real advice is about the promenade (upper) level: sit in the first few rows of any promenade section rather than the back of the loge, and favor the south side, which keeps the afternoon sun at your back. Courtside in the 100s is worth it exactly once.
• Armstrong and the Grandstand: almost every seat is good, which is why reserved seats there are the value play. The Grandstand's southwest corner gets shade first.
• Field courts: not seats at all, but the best tennis-watching in the sport. Court 17 ("the Pit") and Courts 4–6 put you close enough to hear players argue with their box.

What should you wear?

Late-August Queens is hot, humid, and nearly shadeless on the field courts, so dress like it's a beach day that ends in a stadium: light colors, a real hat, sunscreen, and broken-in sneakers (you'll walk miles on concrete). Bring a layer for night sessions; the breeze off Flushing Bay turns cool after 9 PM. Leave the giant bag at home per the bag policy below.

What time should you get there?

Gates open one hour before play. For day sessions, arrive at the gate by 10 AM: you'll clear security before the crush, catch practice courts at full tilt, and be seated for the 11 AM first balls. For night sessions, remember entry starts at 6 PM sharp and the lines at the East Gate peak around 6:30; walking in at 6 on the dot buys you a relaxed hour on the grounds. The 7 train is more reliable than the LIRR after midnight if a night match runs long.

Best matches and players to watch

The men's draw runs through the Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry that has defined the last few Slams; any projected semifinal path between them is the hottest ticket of the fortnight. On the women's side, Coco Gauff remains the crowd's adopted New Yorker, and the night-session atmosphere for her matches is the loudest in tennis. Beyond the marquee names, week-one field courts are where you find the five-set qualifier epics and next year's breakout star; check the day's order of play on usopen.org before picking your court.

What to do on the grounds

Treat it like a festival, not a stadium show. Check the practice schedule on the US Open app the night before and catch a top seed hitting at 11 AM. Watch a five-setter develop on the Grandstand, where general admission means you can sit close. Food has become genuinely good (and priced accordingly); the Honey Deuce is a tax you'll pay once for the souvenir cup. Water refill stations are everywhere, so bring an empty bottle (24 oz max, no glass).

Bag policy: one bag per person, max 12″ × 12″ × 16″. A small tote clears security fastest.

FAQ

Do I need tickets for Fan Week? No. Grounds access Aug 23–29 is free. Only special events (the Federer exhibition, Stars of the Open, Mixed Doubles) are ticketed.

Is there a rest day? No, the US Open is the only Slam that plays straight through.

Best budget play? Free qualies during Fan Week, or a weekday grounds pass in week one. Skip Ashe until the second week.

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