US Open Ticket Prices Compared to Other Summer Sports Events as Prices Soar

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Key points

• The 2026 tournament's qualifying rounds start on August 23, with tickets available August 25 through September 13.
• As of Wednesday, grounds pass tickets for August 30 were listed at $191 to $344 for resale on Ticketmaster.
• In June, Individuals noted that a courtside ticket for Game 3 was selling for more than $103, 000 on SeatGeek.
• While FIFA introduced a limited ticket category beginning at regarding $60, ticket costs rose significantly for afterwards rounds, with marketplace estimates placing quarterfinals around $1, 188 and semifinal tickets near $3, 138.
• Open is one of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, Roland-Garros (French Open) and Wimbledon.

As tennis fans prepare for the U.S. Open's return to New York next week, some are experiencing sticker shock. Ticket rates for the year's final Grand Slam tournament have soared, with fans on social media and ticket marketplaces pointing to rising costs for resale tickets-from grounds passes to premium seats-to the competition at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. As solid demand, limited inventory and a booming resale market continue to push ticket costs higher, watching elite sports in person has become increasingly expensive. After a warm-weather season that saw New York-area fans pay premium rates for Knicks playoff games and FIFA World Cup matches, the U.S. Open is now seeing a similar trend. Online, plenty of users are calling out the high costs. Here's how tickets to watch some of the world's best tennis players square off compare to other global tennis events and warm-weather sporting spectacles in New York. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) for comment via email on Wednesday. What Is the U.S. Open? Notably, the U.S. Open is one of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, Roland-Garros (French Open) and Wimbledon. Held each year at in Queens, New York, it is the final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar and regularly draws a sizeable attendance, often with celebrity sightings. The 2026 tournament's qualifying rounds start on August 23, with tickets available August 25 through September 13. In practice, the singles tournaments feature 128 men and 128 women, with players competing for one of the sport's most prestigious titles. The most recent men's and women's champions are Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka captured her second consecutive U.S. While Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the men's championship match, open title in 2025 by defeating Amanda Anisimova in the women's final. In practice, the tournament has been won by some of the sport's biggest names, including Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and plenty of other tennis legends. Though the final list has not been confirmed as some players continue to manage injuries, a number of of the sport's biggest stars are anticipated to compete in the tournament. The USTA is scheduled to release the tournament's official entry list on August 20. U.S. Open Grounds Pass Pricing U.S. Open grounds passes, which provide general admission access to the tournament grounds and first-come, first-served seating on plenty of outer courts-not Arthur Ashe Stadium-are selling at a premium on the resale market. As of Wednesday, grounds pass tickets for August 30 were listed at $191 to $344 for resale on Ticketmaster. TicketData on Wednesday documented an average resale rate of $246 for grounds passes, regarding $4 higher than at the same point last year. In practice, the tournament's average get-in cost stood at $292 as of Wednesday, up from $256 a year ago, according to TicketData. On August 9, grounds passes hit $299. For comparison, grounds pass admission at the other three Grand Slam tournaments is generally lower. Entry-level grounds access costs regarding $45 at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and $35 at the Australian Open, based on conversions from local currencies. Sports journalist Simon Cambers broke down the rates of grounds passes as of Tuesday, writing that they range from $237 to $611, depending on the date. He observed that "the actual face value of a day 1 grounds pass is $65, " adding that they always sell out. "The US generally has higher prices for all types of sporting events than other countries, " Victor Matheson, College of the Holy Cross economics professor specializing in sports economics, informed Newsweek. He continued that the reason the U.S. Open tickets "are so high now as in the past is that event organizers across all sorts of events – World Cup, Knicks, Taylor Swift tickets, Hamilton, etc., are all seeing fans with huge appetites to continue to pay higher and higher amounts for premium events." The soaring rates are related to resale opportunities in the U.S. It cambers discusses in his Substack On Tennis. He writes, "In Australia, if you purchase tickets online before the event begins, you can only resell them for a maximum of 10 percent above face value rate. At Wimbledon, the only tickets you can officially resell are debenture tickets. It are already incredibly expensive. But grounds passes cannot be resold. At Roland-Garros, tickets can be resold but only at face value." U.S. As of Wednesday, open Center Court Ticket Pricing Some of the center court tickets for the final matches have surpassed $21, 000, according to Seat Geek and Ticketmaster sellers. Wimbledon posted that its center court seats for the final were around $476. Center court tickets for the men's singles final at the Australian Open in January are listed around $4, 273 on Ticketmaster. According to Matheson, while there are the same amount of courtside tickets at the U.S. Open today as there were years ago, "there are more people in the U.S. As potential buyers, " and individuals are richer. "Plus international travel is easier than ever so that further increases the pool of buyers, " he continued, saying, "If you have a fixed supply and increasing demand, that is a recipe for higher prices." The U.S. Open's main stadium, Arthur Ashe, has been under renovation with some seating changes, including the addition of court-side-level stands. In practice, the USTA allotted $800 million for renovating the entire King center. Other Sporting Event Pricing The tennis tournament comes against the backdrop of an unusually busy stretch for New York sports fans. The summer kicked off right after the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals. It supported drive some of the highest secondary-market ticket costs of the year, as thousands packed Madison Square Garden for games against the San Antonio Spurs. The average ticket cost for Game 3 at the Garden was noted at regarding $7, 683, according to Vivid Seats, with the cheapest rate of $3, 940, and most expensive around $65, 000, ESPN documented in June. In June, Individuals noted that a courtside ticket for Game 3 was selling for more than $103, 000 on SeatGeek. YahooSports documented the get-in rate for Game 3 was $9, 130, the median at $17, 398 and the most expensive at $109, 263. Other games were relatively less expensive, with the Game 4 get-in cost around $7, 805, median at $16, 695 and most expensive at $98, 624. Just as the Knicks were wrapping up, the FIFA World Cup came to the New York metropolitan area, with MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosting a number of matches, including the tournament final. While FIFA introduced a limited ticket category beginning at regarding $60, ticket costs rose significantly for afterwards rounds, with marketplace estimates placing quarterfinals around $1, 188 and semifinal tickets near $3, 138. Average rates for the World Cup final were around $7, 477, according to TicketData. Fans and supporters' groups accused FIFA of pricing ordinary fans out of the 2026 World Cup through high ticket costs, dynamic pricing and expensive resale rates, arguing that attending matches had become far less affordable than during previous tournaments. Some fan organizations, like Football Supporters Europe, called the pricing a "betrayal" of the World Cup's tradition of accessibility and remarked supporters were being treated more like consumers than fans. FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended its policy, saying that demand for tickets remained extremely solid and that costs were consistent with North American sports and entertainment markets. Michael Leeds, economics professor and director of undergraduate studies at Temple University, informed Newsweek in an email, "For all the complaining concerning the rates of tickets for the WC final and the NBA finals, both events sold out. This effectively reset the market for tickets." He added, "It 'helps' (the USTA, anyway) that the two earlier events additionally took place in the NY metro area." Despite the steep ticket costs, thousands are projected to attend the U.S. Open. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Edward T. Cummins.

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As tennis fans prepare for the U.S. Open's return to New York next week, some are experiencing sticker shock.

Ticket rates for the year's final Grand Slam tournament have soared, with fans on social media and ticket marketplaces pointing to rising costs for resale tickets-from grounds passes to premium seats-to the competition at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City.

As solid demand, limited inventory and a booming resale market continue to push ticket costs higher, watching elite sports in person has become increasingly expensive. After a warm-weather season that saw New York-area fans pay premium rates for Knicks playoff games and FIFA World Cup matches, the U.S. Open is now seeing a similar trend. Online, plenty of users are calling out the high costs.

Here's how tickets to watch some of the world's best tennis players square off compare to other global tennis events and warm-weather sporting spectacles in New York.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) for comment via email on Wednesday. What Is the U.S. Open?

Notably, the U.S. Open is one of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, Roland-Garros (French Open) and Wimbledon. Held each year at in Queens, New York, it is the final Grand Slam of the tennis calendar and regularly draws a sizeable attendance, often with celebrity sightings.

For context, the 2026 tournament's qualifying rounds start on August 23, with tickets available August 25 through September 13. The singles tournaments feature 128 men and 128 women, with players competing for one of the sport's most prestigious titles.

Meanwhile, the most recent men's and women's champions are Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka captured her second consecutive U.S. While Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the men's championship match, open title in 2025 by defeating Amanda Anisimova in the women's final.

In practice, the tournament has been won by some of the sport's biggest names, including Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and plenty of other tennis legends.

Though the final list has not been confirmed as some players continue to manage injuries, a number of of the sport's biggest stars are anticipated to compete in the tournament. The USTA is scheduled to release the tournament's official entry list on August 20. U.S. Open Grounds Pass Pricing.

U.S. Open grounds passes, which provide general admission access to the tournament grounds and first-come, first-served seating on plenty of outer courts-not Arthur Ashe Stadium-are selling at a premium on the resale market.

TicketData on Wednesday documented an average resale rate of $246 for grounds passes, regarding $4 higher than at the same point last year. The tournament's average get-in cost stood at $292 as of Wednesday, up from $256 a year ago, according to TicketData. On August 9, grounds passes hit $299.

For comparison, grounds pass admission at the other three Grand Slam tournaments is generally lower. Entry-level grounds access costs regarding $45 at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and $35 at the Australian Open, based on conversions from local currencies.

Sports journalist Simon Cambers broke down the rates of grounds passes as of Tuesday, writing that they range from $237 to $611, depending on the date. He observed that "the actual face value of a day 1 grounds pass is $65, " adding that they always sell out.

"The US generally has higher prices for all types of sporting events than other countries, " Victor Matheson, College of the Holy Cross economics professor specializing in sports economics, informed Newsweek.

He continued that the reason the U.S. Open tickets "are so high now as in the past is that event organizers across all sorts of events – World Cup, Knicks, Taylor Swift tickets, Hamilton, etc., are all seeing fans with huge appetites to continue to pay higher and higher amounts for premium events."

For context, the soaring rates are related to resale opportunities in the U.S. It cambers discusses in his Substack On Tennis. He writes, "In Australia, if you purchase tickets online before the event begins, you can only resell them for a maximum of 10 percent above face value rate. At Wimbledon, the only tickets you can officially resell are debenture tickets. It are already incredibly expensive. But grounds passes cannot be resold. At Roland-Garros, tickets can be resold but only at face value." U.S. Open Center Court Ticket Pricing.

As of Wednesday, some of the center court tickets for the final matches have surpassed $21, 000, according to Seat Geek and Ticketmaster sellers.

Wimbledon posted that its center court seats for the final were around $476. Center court tickets for the men's singles final at the Australian Open in January are listed around $4, 273 on Ticketmaster.

According to Matheson, while there are the same amount of courtside tickets at the U.S. Open today as there were years ago, "there are more people in the U.S. As potential buyers, " and individuals are richer.

"Plus international travel is easier than ever so that further increases the pool of buyers, " he continued, saying, "If you have a fixed supply and increasing demand, that is a recipe for higher prices."

Notably, the U.S. Open's main stadium, Arthur Ashe, has been under renovation with some seating changes, including the addition of court-side-level stands. The USTA allotted $800 million for renovating the entire King center.

Meanwhile, the tennis tournament comes against the backdrop of an unusually busy stretch for New York sports fans. The summer kicked off right after the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals. It supported drive some of the highest secondary-market ticket costs of the year, as thousands packed Madison Square Garden for games against the San Antonio Spurs.

For context, the average ticket cost for Game 3 at the Garden was noted at regarding $7, 683, according to Vivid Seats, with the cheapest rate of $3, 940, and most expensive around $65, 000, ESPN documented in June.

In June, Individuals noted that a courtside ticket for Game 3 was selling for more than $103, 000 on SeatGeek. YahooSports documented the get-in rate for Game 3 was $9, 130, the median at $17, 398 and the most expensive at $109, 263. Other games were relatively less expensive, with the Game 4 get-in cost around $7, 805, median at $16, 695 and most expensive at $98, 624.

Just as the Knicks were wrapping up, the FIFA World Cup came to the New York metropolitan area, with MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosting a number of matches, including the tournament final.

While FIFA introduced a limited ticket category beginning at regarding $60, ticket costs rose significantly for afterwards rounds, with marketplace estimates placing quarterfinals around $1, 188 and semifinal tickets near $3, 138. Average rates for the World Cup final were around $7, 477, according to TicketData.

Fans and supporters' groups accused FIFA of pricing ordinary fans out of the 2026 World Cup through high ticket costs, dynamic pricing and expensive resale rates, arguing that attending matches had become far less affordable than during previous tournaments. Some fan organizations, like Football Supporters Europe, called the pricing a "betrayal" of the World Cup's tradition of accessibility and remarked supporters were being treated more like consumers than fans.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended its policy, saying that demand for tickets remained extremely solid and that costs were consistent with North American sports and entertainment markets.

Michael Leeds, economics professor and director of undergraduate studies at Temple University, informed Newsweek in an email, "For all the complaining concerning the rates of tickets for the WC final and the NBA finals, both events sold out. This effectively reset the market for tickets."

He continued, "It 'helps' (the USTA, anyway) that the two earlier events also took place in the NY metro area."

Despite the steep ticket rates, thousands are anticipated to attend the U.S. Open.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Edward T. Cummins.

Taken together, the developments around US Open Ticket Prices Compared to Other Summer Sports Events as Prices point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.