One of the best spectator hacks in sports is Fan Week at the U.S. Open, but some fans who regularly attend the free event could get shut out this year for the first time.
A new policy requires adult fans to register for a free pass, but according to the United States Tennis Association, a pass does not guarantee entry if the grounds become too crowded.
The registration process for the passes was actually closed on Thursday because of heavy demand, leaving many outraged fans locked out of the event. Fans were also upset that the new policy was not widely publicized. So the tournament reversed course on Friday afternoon and reopened access.
But it comes with a warning.
“You need to register for a pass to get in,” said Brendan McIntyre, the spokesman for the U.S. Open. “But that does not guarantee you will get in.”
The U.S. Open implemented the new policy because Fan Week has grown ever more popular and more crowded in recent years, Mr. McIntyre said.
“We just don’t want to have a situation where too many people come out and a percentage are unable to get in because we have too many people on site,” he said. Since at least Thursday night, fans who tried to sign up for a pass were met with a message: “New registrations for Fan Access Pass are now closed due to high demand.”
But after word of the change circulated among fans, the language on the site was revised three times in less than 24 hours. Now fans are being informed that “entry is granted on a rolling basis subject to real-time capacity.”
It goes on to say that in order to keep the grounds safe and comfortable, “access could be temporarily paused or adjusted as needed.”
Mr. McIntyre said that spectators have never been turned away from Fan Week before, but attendance for the event has exploded. He did not say how many passes were issued before the process was halted, but said, “We have seen incredible demand.”
Last year, more than 239,000 fans went to Fan Week. By comparison, in 2018 — the first year the week was called Fan Week — 96,000 fans showed up.
For decades, tennis fans had simply strolled into the grounds of the U.S. Open in Queens to watch the qualifying rounds of the tournament — a pretournament tournament, where professionals compete for access to the main draw of the big event. No ticket was required, and fans were welcome to see an event that regularly provides fierce competition and emotional drama for rising stars, fading pros and other fringe players desperate to get into the lucrative main draw.
Fan passes were offered in previous years, but until this year, they were largely an enhancement that provided information about discounts, giveaways and opportunities to buy tickets to other events.
The qualifying rounds at tournaments are for lower-ranked players, who did not get automatic entry to the 128-field main singles draw of a major tournament. This year’s qualifying rounds begin on Sunday and they go until the third and final round on Aug. 27.
The qualifying rounds can also be a place to spot a future superstar: John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters and Daniil Medvedev all went through the qualifying rounds.
In recent years, the qualifying tournament was rebranded as Fan Week and was combined with other events, like Arthur Ashe Kids Day, practice sessions for top players and concerts. The mixed doubles event, which requires paid tickets, is played in Arthur Ashe Stadium on two nights during the week with some of the game’s biggest stars.
Over the last several years, hundreds of thousands of fans, many who might not have been able to afford the higher-priced regular tournament, flocked to Fan Week. It was also an excellent way for parents to bring children to see elite competition without having to shell out $1,500 for one day at the U.S. Open. Many of the tournament’s working class neighbors in Queens were encouraged to attend.
For the players, there is a lot at stake, including rankings points and money. Of the 128 players trying to qualify, the 32 winners (16 men and 16 women) are guaranteed at least $206,000 or more, depending how far they go in the main draw, which begins Aug. 30.
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