US Open Tennis Championships 2026: What to Know (New York)

How this guide was made: Editor-reviewed, AI-assisted, using current web sources. Event dates and tickets change — always confirm on the official site. See our editorial policy.

Why go

The US Open is the last Grand Slam of the tennis season and the only one played entirely at night sessions under lights, giving it a distinct, electric atmosphere compared to Wimbledon or the French Open. It’s also the most fan-friendly major: grounds passes let you wander among 20+ courts, watch practice sessions up close, and catch rising players on outer courts for a fraction of the cost of Arthur Ashe Stadium seats. The 2026 edition runs August 23 to September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens — the same 46-acre complex that’s hosted the tournament since 1978.

Getting there

The venue sits inside Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, easily reached by public transit from Manhattan. Take the 7 train (Flushing-bound) to Mets–Willets Point station, which lets out directly across from the National Tennis Center — plan roughly 25-35 minutes from Midtown. The Long Island Rail Road also stops at Mets–Willets Point on match days, cutting the trip from Penn Station to about 20 minutes, which is worth it during peak evening sessions when the 7 train gets packed. Driving is discouraged; on-site parking is limited and expensive, and traffic around the park backs up badly during night session arrivals. If you’re coming from JFK or LaGuardia, a taxi or rideshare to the grounds is straightforward but budget extra time for game-day congestion.

What to see and do

Fan Week (August 23–29) covers qualifying rounds and is typically free or low-cost to attend, making it a good budget entry point if you just want the grounds experience and some celebrity-adjacent practice-court sightings. Main draw singles begin August 30, and by the second week the tournament narrows toward quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals in mid-September, when Arthur Ashe Stadium sessions become the hottest tickets. Beyond Ashe, Louis Armstrong Stadium (with its retractable roof) and the intimate Grandstand court often deliver better value and closer views for day-session tickets. Grounds passes are worth prioritizing early in the tournament — you can hop between courts, watch doubles and juniors, and often see top singles players in earlier rounds without paying for a stadium seat. Food courts on-site lean into New York flavors alongside the usual tournament fare, and the Aces, Not Faces bar and various sponsor lounges are worth a wander even if you’re not eating there. Merchandise shops sell official gear, but lines get long on weekends and finals week — early mornings are calmer.

When to go

Weekday day sessions (roughly noon starts) tend to be less crowded and cheaper than evening sessions, which start later and run into a livelier, more expensive atmosphere under the lights. The first week features more simultaneous matches across courts, so it’s ideal for court-hopping and catching multiple matches per visit. Late August into early September in New York can be hot and humid, so afternoon sessions in the first week require sun protection and hydration; by the semifinals and finals in mid-September, evenings cool off noticeably. If your goal is star power in the finals, expect to pay significantly more and book well in advance, since those sessions sell out fastest.

Nearby and tips

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park itself is worth building extra time around — the Unisphere, Queens Museum, and New York Hall of Science are all a short walk from the tennis center, making it easy to turn a match into a half-day outing. Flushing’s Chinatown, a few stops further on the 7 train, is one of the best food destinations in the city if you want a meal before or after your session. Because this is a major annual event with details that shift each year — exact ticket prices, gate and security policies, order of play, and session start times — always confirm the current schedule and purchase tickets only through the official US Open / USTA website before finalizing travel plans.