New York City and the USTA released 1,000 US Open tickets at $100 each on Wednesday, August 26, at 10 a.m. ET, sold first come, first served to city residents at usopen.org/NYCtickets, two per person, for main-draw sessions from August 30 through September 8. If they sell out, Fan Week, grounds passes, and off-peak sessions remain the cheapest routes into the tournament.
Key Takeaways
- 1,000 tickets at $100, limit two per buyer, NYC residents only (ZIP code verified)
- Sale opened Wednesday, August 26, 10 a.m. ET; first come, first served
- Valid for main-draw sessions August 30 to September 8, including Arthur Ashe seats plus grounds access
- Comparable resale tickets were listing above $300 before the sale
- Fan Week grounds admission stays free through the weekend before the main draw
What the city deal includes
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the United States Tennis Association announced the program on Tuesday, August 25, a day after the mayor was publicly asked about resale prices for the tournament. Each $100 ticket includes a seat in Arthur Ashe Stadium, access to Louis Armstrong Stadium, and a grounds pass covering the outer courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The USTA said every ticket in the batch carries a face value of at least $100, with some worth considerably more. For context, the lowest resale listings for opening-weekend sessions in Grandstand and Louis Armstrong were in the $360 to $400 range the day before the sale.
How to buy, step by step
- Confirm eligibility. Only New York City residents can buy, and the checkout verifies a city ZIP code. Suburban addresses in Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey do not qualify.
- Go to usopen.org/NYCtickets. The dedicated page routes to the ticketing system; a regular US Open account works.
- Pick a session within the window. Sessions run August 30 through Tuesday, September 8, which covers the first round through the round of 16.
- Buy up to two. Tickets are digital and delivered to the US Open app or the ticketing account.
- Move fast. With 1,000 tickets and citywide demand, the allotment was expected to go quickly on the first morning; refresh rather than reload the whole page if the queue stalls.
If the $100 tickets are gone
| Option | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Fan Week | Free | Qualifying matches, practice courts, and grounds access in the eight days before the main draw |
| First-week grounds pass | Lowest paid tier | Every court except Arthur Ashe during rounds one and two, when the most matches are on |
| Weekday day sessions | Mid-range | Reserved seats in Ashe or Armstrong on Monday through Thursday, cheaper than weekends |
| Verified resale | Market price | Prices tend to fall in the final hours before a session and rise sharply for night matches and the second week |
Why the deal drew criticism
Not everyone welcomed the announcement. Some critics questioned whether city resources should go toward tennis tickets when housing costs dominate local concerns, while others called it a publicity move. The mayor’s office framed it as part of a broader push that has included securing lower-priced tickets to World Cup matches, free FanFests across the five boroughs, and free tickets to civic sports events. The USTA, for its part, said the offer extends existing efforts to draw local fans to an event that drew nearly 1.2 million attendees in 2025.
Getting there and what to bring
The tennis center sits in Flushing Meadows, Queens, reached by the 7 train to Mets–Willets Point or the Long Island Rail Road. Day sessions open around 11 a.m. and night sessions at 7 p.m.; grounds-pass holders should arrive early for unreserved outer-court seats. Bags face size limits and inspection, and outside drinks are restricted, though refill stations are available.
FAQ
Can I resell a $100 city ticket?
The program is intended for residents’ own use, and tickets are tied to the purchaser’s account. Check the terms shown at checkout before assuming a transfer is allowed.
Will there be a second release?
Neither the city nor the USTA announced additional batches. If the first allotment sells out, watch the mayor’s office and the US Open’s official channels for updates.
Do the tickets cover the finals?
No. The window ends September 8, before the quarterfinals, so the tickets cover first-week and early second-week play only.
Understanding the full US Open ticket structure
| Ticket | When available | What it covers | Price tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan Week grounds admission | Week before the main draw | Qualifying, practice courts, and exhibitions | Free |
| Grounds pass | Rounds 1–4 | All courts except Arthur Ashe; Armstrong on a first-come basis | Lowest paid |
| Louis Armstrong reserved | Rounds 1–4 | Reserved seat in Armstrong plus grounds access | Mid |
| Arthur Ashe day session | Entire tournament | Reserved seat in Ashe plus grounds access | Mid to high |
| Arthur Ashe night session | Entire tournament | Reserved seat for the evening matches | High |
| Finals | Sept 12–13 | Single-match tickets | Highest |
The $100 city tickets sit in the Ashe day-session tier during the first eight days, which is why they represent such a large discount: comparable seats normally start well above $100 and resale listings were several hundred dollars before the sale.
When tickets are cheapest
Three patterns hold every year. Weekday sessions in the first week are the least expensive reserved tickets of the tournament, because the volume of matches spreads demand across many courts. Day sessions are cheaper than night sessions on the same date, even though the day session often includes more matches. And resale prices typically dip in the final 24 hours before a session as sellers with unused tickets cut prices, then jump sharply for any session featuring a top seed or an American player in the second week. Buying a first-week weekday day session in advance, and a second-week session at the last minute, is the pattern experienced fans follow.
How to buy safely on the resale market
- Use the tournament’s official resale platform or a verified marketplace. Tickets are digital and transferred through the ticketing account, which eliminates most counterfeit risk.
- Check the session, not just the date. Day and night sessions are separate tickets; a day ticket does not admit you to the evening matches.
- Compare all-in prices. Service fees on resale platforms can add 20 to 30 percent and are often shown only at checkout.
- Confirm the seat section. Arthur Ashe is a large stadium; upper-promenade seats and lower-bowl seats differ enormously in view and price.
What the first eight days include
The city tickets cover Sunday, August 30 through Tuesday, September 8. That window includes the opening rounds, the round of 32 and round of 16 weekend, and the start of the fourth round, which is the stretch when the most matches are played each day and when upsets are most common. It ends before the quarterfinals, when the grounds narrow to the two main stadiums. For a session-by-session look at the tournament, see our US Open 2026 schedule and how-to-watch guide.
If you cannot attend
ESPN carries every session in the United States, and the tournament streams outer-court matches through its own app. Fans without a cable package can watch through any live-TV streaming service that includes ESPN; our Sling TV comparison explains the cheapest way to get it, and the same setup covers the college football season that starts the same weekend.
Sources
- NYC Mayor’s Office press release, August 25, 2026
- USTA / US Open official announcement
- amNewYork and ABC7 New York reporting on ticket details and resale prices
Availability changes quickly; verify on the official ticket page. Last updated August 26, 2026 · InfoBrief Staff