MY BEST ADVICE TO VISIT THE US OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Attending the US Open in New York? Or thinking about attending next year?

Discover the best tickets, seating tips, what to wear, and insider advice for a perfect US Open tennis experience.

So we did a thing … 

Every year, we talked about going to the US Open. 

Of course, our interest peaked when the Championships were annually being played at the end of August and the beginning of September. 

Then, the tournament would end and we go on about our lives. 

And 365 days later, we would say the same thing. 

Rinse and repeat … I know you can relate. 

But this year, we pulled the trigger. And I’m so glad we did.

From late August until early September, the U.S. Open takes over New York City. It’s just a totally vibe as the top players in the world join tennis fans from around the globe come together in Flushing Meadows. 

It was my first time at the US Open Tennis Championships. So I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect.

But let me be clear … from start to finish the US open experience did not disappoint.

There is a reason it is one of the favorite grand slam tournaments for players and fans alike. 

Will this become an annual pilgrimage for us?

I’m not 100 percent certain … but it might!

I can easily say the U.S. Open was one of the best sporting events I’ve ever attended.

And I can’t wait to share the details of our visit with you.

It was truly that great! Here’s everything I learned to make your trip to the US Open a fantastic experience! 

WHEN IS THE US OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP?

We went to the U.S. Open on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, which was about halfway through the event. The tournament runs for 15 days total.

The very first week of the tournament is fan week, which kicks off the activities and the qualifying rounds. Fan week would be a great option for families. It supports the USTA’s mission to make the sport more welcoming by providing free grounds admission to everyone.

By the time we arrived, the qualifying rounds had ended and the brackets were set. The competition was heating up and the entire US tennis center was jumping.

We had purchased Friday day tickets to Arthur Ashe stadium, so we knew going into it we were going to see some early rounds of the tournament/ But we were hoping to still be treated to seeing a big-name player or two.

And we were not disappointed.

When the schedule was finalized, we were excited to learn we’d be seeing none other than Carlos Alcaraz, who was the number two seed! We. Were. Pumped. 

HOW TO GET TICKETS TO THE US OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

There are two main stadiums within the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.

There are day sessions and night sessions in both stadiums.

In addition, the smaller courts and practice courts are great to view doubles matches, as well as player warm ups and practices. 

Like every other major sporting event or concert, buying tickets straight from the source is the best way to go.

However, like every other major sporting event or concert, that task can prove to be somewhat impossible and definitely overwhelming.

There are only so many hours in the day I want to spend chasing tickets.

So we found ourselves chasing resale tickets on the secondary market. There are a variety of options. 

US Open tickets are sold as a single-session, reserved seat for specific days or evenings, multi-session packages for a series of matches, and grounds pass for access to outer courts.

There are also VIP and box seat options if you are so inclined. We were not so inclined. LOL. 

We need to have some money leftover for retirement!

Basically we knew we wanted a reserve seat for the day matches in Arthur Ashe. The grandstand stadium at the US Open is the largest tennis arena in the world, so we wanted to experience that atmosphere.

I wanted a designated home base.

It was relatively easy to find and buy our Ashe ticket ahead of our arrival. Since we were flying into NYC specifically for the US Open, we didn’t want to risk waiting to secure tickets.

And we bucked up for good seats, which gave us access to some of the great restaurants options at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as well as exclusive merchandise shops.

If you have the opportunity, the lower bowl is where it’s at. We had a great view from our seats.

My understanding is Arthur Ashe Stadium will be undergoing extensive renovations before the 2026 and 2027 US Open. I can’t wait to see how they make the experience even better. 

How did we make our experience even better this year?

Well, after a honey deuce (or two), we decided we wanted to stay and soak in even more of the excitement. So back on Ticketmaster we went to purchase tickets for the evening session. It was worth it!

In the evening, we saw a women’s singles match between Aryna Sabalenka and Leylah Fernandez. It was followed by a men’s third round match between Taylor Fritz and Jerome Kym.

If you’re willing to wait, the prices did drop closer to the beginning of the matches (similar to any sporting or concert event).

But don’t wait too long. Ticketmaster can get buggy.

And on the grounds, you’re relying on a wifi network that is being used by a lot of people. You don’t want to be disappointed. 

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GET TO THE US OPEN?

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is in Queens, right next to Citi Field, where the Mets play. 

From the time you arrive in NYC, you’ll hear PSAs everywhere saying the best way to get to the tournament is to use MTA.

They are not wrong.

From midtown Manhattan, we took the subway to the Mets-Willets point station. The mass transit system was awesome.

And it is a short walk from the train station to the tournament grounds. 

Plus it costs like $8 total? And you feel like a true New Yorker riding on the Subway, which, of course, I love!

So grab a coffee for the ride and jump on the subway!

WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR TO THE US OPEN?

 All good days start with a great outfit. 

You know I’m not wrong. LOL.

And the tenniscore trend is everywhere right now. 

So finding a great outfit to wear was relatively easy.  

This tennis inspired dress from Boden was the perfect OOTD. And it seemed to fit perfectly with what everyone else was wearing. 

The overall fashion trend I was seeing in the stands at the US Open leaned toward prep classics.

There was little to no denim, which may have also had something to do with the temperatures.

Shorts were fine. Dresses and skirts were plentiful. The colors leaned toward traditional navy, blues, whites, greens and red. It was a very well heeled crowd. Bring your A-game, especially if you have good seats.

You’ll also get lots of fashion inspiration. It was a scene, in a good way!

And you’ll see some looks that will make you scratch your head. Stiletto heels at a tennis tournament? That seemed odd to me, but you do you girl!

Looking for some great tenniscore looks? Here are some great US Open outfit ideas.

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL COCKTAIL OF THE US OPEN?

If you’re going to the US Open, you’ve got to get a Honey Deuce. It’s pretty much mandatory. 

The Honey Deuce is the official cocktail of the US Open and they sell more than 500,000 servings each year for a whopping $23 a pop.

Good grief. But when in Rome!

The libation is a combination of Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and Chambord. You can find the complete recipe and how to make it here.

​The most coveted aspect of the Honey Deuce is the glass in which it is served. I have to admit, the glass is pretty cool! It lists all of the past US Open winners and is a fairly substantial, hefty glass. It’s a great souvenir!

The Honey Deuce is popular, so you may have to wait for one.

The lines for the Honey Deuce are significantly longer in the evening than they are during the day, especially outside the stadiums. 

The lines within the stadium move pretty fast, depending on their location. 

So, if you’re buying the cocktail for the photo opp with the souvenir glass, the earlier you grab one the better. Because the lines are shorter earlier in the day. 

And they start selling them when the gates open at 9:30 a.m. LOL.

You can also fill the glass with water at one of the many stations throughout the grounds. The vendors will not give you ice, however. Which kinda sucks, because I like my water beyond ice cold.

I’m sure they have their reasons.

There is also a frozen Honey Deuce. I have to admit, I really do NOT like frozen drinks, so I avoided that like the plague. It just kinda seems like a headache in a glass scenario.

In addition to the Honey Deuce, there are several other great cocktails available in the general admission areas and in the stadiums. These include the Aperol Spritz and Watermelon Slice.

Several liquor brands also had a major presence as well including Moet Chandon, Dobel Tequila and Heineken. Dobel had a pretty tasty Paloma, in which Matt imbibed in the afternoon.

You will not want for drinks.

And the later the event goes, the more people you will see who might be a little ummm … “over served.” And they are NOT on the court. See what I did there? LOL.

If you are lucky enough to get into the Chase or AMEX lounge, you can enjoy an entire flight of the specialty cocktails served at the open. That’s on my list for next year!

Cheers!

CELEB SPOTTING IS ALWAYS A GREAT PASTIME AT THE US OPEN 

The US Open is considered a “sexy” ticket, even for native New Yorkers. One of the reasons is the amount of celebrities that attend the Championship over the course of its 15-day run.

In fact the US Open has a dedicated employee who runs their celebrity management program. Basically it’s her job to determine who is famous enough for US Open tickets.

That job would be both a dream and a nightmare … can you imagine all of those egos?

The celebrities get complimentary tickets in exchange for participating in a bit of a PR machine which includes walking on the blue carpet, getting their picture taken, appear on television and post about their appearance.

It helps the Open generate millions upon millions of media impressions. 

We didn’t see a plethora of celebrities. But we did see Steve Carrell and his wife. He will always be Michael Scott to me … He and his wife seemed incredibly pleasant.

SHOPPING AT THE US OPEN IS A MUST  … 

You’ve likely spent a decent amount of money even before you walk through the gates at the US Open. So what’s a few more dollars, right?

You need to buy some merch! We’ve all been down this rabbit hole.

In all honesty though, the quality of the merchandise within the various gift shops and merchandise shops at the US Open was top notch.

And yes, I did some damage on the credit card (which still didn’t get us into the Chase lounge, LOL). But I was super please with the items I got.

Of course, there was a Ralph Lauren store with all of the official apparel the ball team was wearing throughout the tournament.

There were also several specific Peter Millar stores, which Matt and I really liked since we know that brand well. Wilson also had a solo store with some very specific tennis apparel. And there was a Lululemon pop up.

To be honest, the Lulu store only had a few specific items that were only available at the open. The rest you could purchase at their regular stores or online. Not sure if it’s worth hauling the bag around all day when you can have it delivered right to your door.

Sorry Lululemon. You KNOW I love you. But you kinda disappointed at the US Open.

If you regret not buying something, most of the merchandise I saw was available for sale on the US Open’s website. 

The cute popular stuff sells out quickly (that’s kinda of a “Captain Obvious” comment. LOL). And since the tournament is only 15 days, when it’s gone, it’s gone.  

I splurged on a lightweight cashmere sweater with the saying, “pressure is a privilege” stitched onto the front. The quote is attributed to Billie Jean King and it’s on a plaque every player sees when they come out of the locker room and walk into Arthur Ashe Stadium.

I love the sentiment. And it’s so true.

Pressure is a privilege.

Words to carry home with me … literally and figuratively!

EXPLORE THE US OPEN POP UP SHOPS IN MANHATTAN … 

As I said earlier, the entire island of Manhattan is just bumping while the Open is going on. Most visitors and players stay in Manhattan, so it’s only logical the buzz spills over from Queens.

Be on the lookout for US Open popup bars, shops, etc. throughout the city.

After our subway ride, we ended our day with a stop at the Grey Goose “Last Serve Bar” in Grand Central Station! It was a great night cap on a wonderful experience! 

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