Grand Slams
US Open tickets: how to get them
The US Open is the loud, late-night grand finale of the Slam season, played in New York at the end of the summer. Held at Flushing Meadows in Queens, it’s the biggest and arguably the brashest major — floodlit night sessions, a huge main stadium and a buzzing fan village. Here’s how its tickets are organised and how to land one.
When and where
The US Open is usually held from late August into early September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens. It’s the last Grand Slam of the year and runs in the New York summer heat, often into humid, electric evenings. The main stadium, Arthur Ashe, is the largest tennis arena in the world and has a roof, so the headline matches keep going even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Exact dates change each year — check the official site.
How seating is structured
The US Open splits broadly into reserved stadium seats and grounds admission. A ticket to the main stadium (Arthur Ashe) or the second stadium (Louis Armstrong) gives you a reserved seat for that session. Grounds admission, by contrast, gets you into the site and the field courts — and, depending on the ticket, some of the smaller stadium seating on a first-come basis. As ever, grounds admission is the cheaper, more flexible way in during the early rounds.
How to get tickets
- 1
Go to the official site first
The tournament’s official ticketing page is the safest place to buy and where sessions and packages are released.
- 2
Note the on-sale timing
Tickets generally go on sale in the months before the event. Marquee night sessions in the main stadium sell fastest, so be ready when they’re released.
- 3
Choose session and stadium
Decide between an Arthur Ashe or Armstrong reserved seat and cheaper grounds admission, and pick day or night based on the matches you want.
- 4
Read the fine print
Check exactly what your ticket covers, plus the resale and re-entry rules, before you complete the purchase.
Tips for a smoother visit
- Grounds admission is great value early on, with plenty of competitive tennis on the field courts.
- Late August and early September in New York can be hot and humid — dress accordingly and stay hydrated.
- Flushing Meadows is reachable by subway and the LIRR train, so you don’t need a car.
- Day and night sessions in the main stadiums are separate tickets — don’t assume one covers the other.
Grounds admission vs reserved seat
| Grounds admission | Reserved stadium seat | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Where you watch | Field courts and open seating | A set seat in Ashe or Armstrong |
| Best for | First-week value and flexibility | Headline matches and night sessions |
Many fans pair grounds admission in week one with one reserved-seat session for a big match.