The Rising Cost of US Open Tickets Has Fans Complaining

As the 2026 US Open approaches, fans planning a trip to Flushing Meadows are running into serious sticker shock. Ticket prices for the year’s final Grand Slam have climbed to eye-watering levels, and the backlash has spread quickly across social media. The tournament has become one of the most expensive tickets in sport, and even the cheapest way through the gate now costs a small fortune.

The Numbers Behind the Outrage

The figures fans are reacting to are steep. As of mid-August, a day-one grounds pass was listed at around $363 on Ticketmaster, the tournament’s official ticketing platform. At the same time, the cheapest first-session seat inside Arthur Ashe Stadium sat near $327, and an opening-session seat at Louis Armstrong Stadium ran roughly $466.

According to TicketData figures cited by Forbes, the average get-in price had climbed to about $311, up from roughly $262 at the same point a year earlier.

At the top end, center-court resale listings for the men’s final have reached beyond $21,000 on secondary sites, dwarfing the equivalent seats at other majors, where Wimbledon’s Centre Court final was listed near $476 and the Australian Open men's final around $4,273.

How the US Open Compares to Other Slams

Part of what stings for fans is the comparison with the other majors. A first-week grounds pass costs a fraction of the US Open price at Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, and the Australian Open, each landing in the $35 to $45 range, based on figures shared by tennis journalists.

That gap frames the central grievance: a simple walk-around grounds ticket in New York, one that doesn’t even guarantee a stadium seat, now costs many times what it does at the sport’s three other Grand Slams.

Fans and Insiders Sound Off

The U.S. Open is owned by the USTA which is a non-profit. The idea that a day one ground pass is $363 is absurd. The USTA’s mission is to promote the sport of tennis. How is a $363 ground pass consistent with this mission? https://t.co/8wf4WZnL3p
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) August 19, 2026

The criticism has come from every corner of the tennis world. Journalists and commentators have called the pricing an “outrage” and “scandalous,” arguing that regular fans are being pushed out.

When the presale opened, one prospective buyer shared a screenshot showing more than 430,000 people ahead of them in the virtual queue for the men’s singles final. Another fan reported that seats costing $600 last year were listed at $2,400 for the same location in 2026.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman added fuel to the fire, commenting on X that “the USTA’s mission is to promote the sport of tennis. How is a $363 ground pass consistent with this mission?” For many, accessibility is the heart of the complaint.

What’s Driving the Surge

The forces behind the jump are familiar. Strong demand, limited inventory, and a booming resale market have combined to push prices higher.

The USTA raised the face value of a grounds ticket only slightly, from $60 to $65, and the marquee sessions sold out back in May.

Ticketmaster serves as the tournament's primary ticketing platform. However, once the marquee sessions sold out, the eye-watering figures fans reacted to shifted almost entirely onto secondary markets such as SeatGeek and StubHub, where resale carries unrestricted markups.

This echoes a broader trend across major New York sporting events after a summer that saw premium pricing for Knicks playoff games and World Cup matches.

Implications for Fans

With the main draw beginning August 30 and stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz drawing demand, prices show little sign of easing. For now, fans are left weighing their passion for the game against the cost of walking through the gate.

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