On Tuesday night, about 100 people gathered on the lawn outside Hudson Yards to watch the U.S. Open for free on a 30-foot screen. Many New Yorkers that night complained of being priced out of the live matches at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
“In sports, if I have to spend more than $200, I won’t do it,” said Maurie Keppens, 27, a Carlos Alcaraz superfan and Ph.D. candidate from Ghent, Belgium. She had hoped to watch Alcaraz, the tennis star from Spain, live, but was dispirited when she saw that the cheapest tickets were going for $500.
Despite the fact that the tennis center is on city-owned land run by a nonprofit, the U.S. Open continues to cater to the moneyed class. Over the past year it removed some 2,800 upper-level seats to make room for two new levels of luxury suites, which can accommodate up to 35 people and cost at least $29,500, all of which are booked for finals weekend. The Open gift shop is selling out of its $1,400 gold tennis necklaces and touting heavily embroidered bomber jackets for $600. With its Disney World-inspired express lines and $100 caviar chicken nuggets, the tournament seems most eager to court the wealthy.
The tennis, however, has been thrilling, and Friday night could very well be the match of the summer, when two American men, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, battle it out for a spot in the final. But it won’t be a cheap night out. Some upper-level tickets for Friday’s match at Arthur Ashe Stadium were going for more than $1,500 — more than twice their face value.
Add a burger and a beer — that’s another $50 per person. Factor in car service to and from the tournament, and the total could jump by $200 to $400, depending on surge pricing, making a middle-of-the-road, two-ticket date to the Open cost north of $3,000.
What’s left is one tournament for two different demographics: the frugal and the big spenders. “The Open doesn’t seem to be for the middle class,” said Jason Reyes, 44, of Jackson Heights, Queens.
Although he lives just a few subway stops away from the live matches, Mr. Reyes had instead opted for a lengthier commute to the lawn at Hudson Yards in Manhattan on Tuesday night. He saved money and he avoided the crowds.
By subway, or by yacht?
Among the budget-conscious, those lucky enough to get tickets for the women’s final (Saturday) or men’s final (Sunday) will opt for the 7 Train, the cheapest and most popular way to get to the Open. For a few dollars more, there is the Long Island Railroad, which is quicker and lets passengers off closer to the stadium.
But if money is no object, why take the train when you can hire a helicopter? Or charter a boat?
The Williamsburgh Yacht Club in Flushing has a dock just steps away from Citi Field, the baseball stadium for the Mets, and a short car ride to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. For $1,500, Dream Boat NY, a charter boat company, will ferry a group of six passengers there from Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s West Side, even offering a Champagne lunch ($80 per person).
For some, the wild blue yonder is the only way to go. According to the Blade helicopter company, which has been flying passengers to the U.S. Open for five years, interest in the service has, ahem, taken off this year.
“We’ve never seen it like this before,” Lee Gold, a spokesman for Blade, said. The flight from the 30th Street heliport takes 5 to 7 minutes and lands at LaGuardia Airport. From there, a Blade SUV drives you right to the grounds, which is included in the $595 helicopter ride.
Private suite, or a spot in the crowd near the jumbotron?
Perhaps the most exclusive way to enjoy the Open this year is to buy courtside tickets affiliated with the Blue Room, a staid, clubby space in Ashe steps away from the court with a private entrance manned by security officials and well-dressed hosts who are determined to guard the privacy of their VIPs.
Earlier this week, a single front-row seat with Blue Room privileges for the men’s semifinal match was listed for more than $23,000. The night before the match, though, the asking price dropped to a more reasonable number: $12,000.
There are perks that accompany the high cost. Fans are offered prosecco upon arrival and an array of to-go snacks, including sushi, olives and chocolate-covered almonds. Customers may enjoy an open bar and a sit-down, three-course meal that includes razor-clam ceviche, blackened monkfish au poivre and crème brûlée.
The Blue Room is temporary. Next year, new “bunker suites” and clubs will offer similar levels of service.
As of Friday afternoon, Ticketmaster had courtside seats affiliated with other hospitality suites in the stadium that ranged from about $2,600 to $34,950, while seats that were close to the action without the perks went for between $1,500 and $5,800.
Before the match has even started, the big spender could have dropped more than $20,000 for two tickets.
But there are other ways to soak up the vibe. Seats in the very last rows of Ashe (we’re talking X, Y and Z) are still available for the finals, starting between $200 and $500, depending on the session. So for those who live or die by being inside the Thunderdome, it’s still possible to get there this weekend by subway, have a few snacks and cocktails and buy a pair of seats in the nosebleeds for between $600 and $1,200.
Another tactic is to buy cheap seats right before a match, especially if tournament favorites, like Coco Gauff, don’t make it to the finals. On Friday afternoon, for example, 90 minutes before the first men’s semifinals match, tickets in the top section were going for as little as $20, according to Ticketdata.com.
A more reliably affordable option is the Fan Fest Grounds Pass, which provides a kind of once-removed U.S. Open final experience. Technically, fans with a grounds pass would not witness a live event, but they would be in a stadium with other fans — even if the match they are watching is on a jumbotron. But many love it.
As of Friday, grounds passes are $30, but this is the 2026 U.S. Open, and the resale frenzy has already infected this affordable option, with some passes going for $47 for the men’s final on Sunday.
A grounds pass also provides access to the giant screen in the fountain plaza outside of Ashe as well as access to food stalls, like Salt Hank’s, which offers a $38 French dip sandwich that people line up for and influencers find irresistible.
Many U.S. Open employees and veteran fans slip out to Tommy’s Doghouse, the quintessential hot dog and burger shack that feels as if you’ve landed in the late 1980s, when Ivan Lendl and Chris Evert ruled the Open, and a hot dog costs what you might expect a hot dog to cost: $4.
All of this to say, the most affordable way to be near the action this weekend could cost under $100 for two grounds passes and some wise food budgeting.
Insiders who want to see the finalists up close know to keep an eye on the practice courts next to Ashe a few hours before the matches. Most players go there to hit and loosen up. It’s a great way for fans who wouldn’t dream of spending thousands for courtside seats to get close enough to see and hear how incredibly hard the top players hit the ball.
The totally free option
And then there’s Hudson Yards, on Manhattan’s West Side. The site, which has lawn chairs and food trucks nearby, has developed a devoted following since showing the Knicks during their championship run and World Cup matches earlier in the summer.
“I love the ambience here,” said Patrick Whalen, a retiree who lives in Chelsea. “They should have more of this around town.”
On Tuesday night, as two American women tennis stars, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, squared off in the quarterfinals in Queens, budget-minded New Yorkers settled in with drinks and bites to watch the freebie match.
“This would be $75 at the Open,” said Mr. Reyes, showing his array of ballpark food: jumbo hot dog, two bags of chips, French fries and two sodas. All for $33.
Mr. Reyes, a passionate fan, has been to the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Italian Open. In Europe, “everyone who walks in is treated well, even if you just have a grounds pass,” unlike the two-tiered system he has encountered in New York, he said. “It’s a grind just to find a seat at the Open.”
His roommate, Drew Kromm, who had joined him for the night, put it simply:
“I’m here because it’s free.”
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