The US Open
Tennis's loudest Grand Slam — hard courts, night sessions, and a genuine party atmosphere in Queens — August 23–September 13, 2026
The US Open, the year's final Grand Slam, runs August 23 through September 13, 2026 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens — qualifying and Fan Week lead into the main draw from August 30. Compared to Wimbledon's hushed formality, the US Open is deliberately louder and more party-like: planes from nearby LaGuardia Airport occasionally pass overhead, crowds are vocal, and the grounds feel more like a festival than a traditional tennis club.
Quick facts
Day sessions vs. night sessions
Arthur Ashe Stadium (the main show court) runs separately ticketed day and night sessions, and night sessions in particular have become a signature part of the Open's identity — primetime matches, a louder crowd, and historically some of the tournament's most dramatic matches. Day-session grounds passes let you wander between the outer courts and catch multiple matches rather than being locked to one court.
Getting there
Flushing Meadows is directly reachable by subway (the 7 train to Mets–Willets Point) from Manhattan — genuinely one of the easier major sporting venues to reach by public transport in the US, no car needed. The Long Island Rail Road also stops nearby and is a common option for a faster trip in from Manhattan.
Beyond the main show courts
Grounds passes (without a reserved Ashe Stadium seat) still get you access to numerous outer courts where early-round matches, including top seeds, are genuinely watchable up close — a good budget entry point for anyone who doesn't need Ashe Stadium seating specifically.
Practical tips
- —Night session tickets for Arthur Ashe Stadium sell at a premium and go fast for the second week — buy early if a specific night match matters to your plans.
- —A grounds pass without Ashe Stadium access is a genuinely good budget option in the tournament's first week, when top players still play on outer courts.
- —Take the 7 train to Mets–Willets Point rather than driving — parking near Flushing Meadows during the Open is expensive and often full.
- —Late August/early September in New York can be genuinely hot and humid — the outer courts have little shade, so plan accordingly if spending a full day on the grounds.
