The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the year. Held in New York it is one of the best sporting events you can attend but what not a lot of people know is, there is a way you can attend the US Open for free.
New York loves its tennis. From the US Open itself, to the array of courts around the city, including a huge tennis facility in Central Park to the city even celebrating Wimbledon with its very own The Hill in New York event. If you've never been, it takes place during Wimbledon underneath Brooklyn Bridge every year, allowing fans to watch the action from SW19 on big screens. If you love tennis, there's no denying New York should be on your travel destination list and it's the city's love of tennis which has led to the final Grand Slam of the year allowing fans to attend for free.
The US Open has a rich history. It was first played 1881 meaning in 2024 it will celebrate its 144th edition. It was actually played on grass to begin with from its first edition in 1881 all the way through until 1974 when it switched to a clay surface for a few years before turning into the hard-court tournament we know it today in 1978. This is when the tournament was moved to the National Tennis Centre in Queens in New York, now known as the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. You can often get a glimpse of the site when you fly in or out of New York's JFK and LaGuardia airports.
The tournament started out being played in Newport, Rhode Island. Nowadays it is a sporting event which attracts thousands of fans every year, as well as some of the world's most famous faces in the crowd. In the past the likes of Sean Connery, Michelle Obama and Lindsey Vonn have all been spotted soaking up the atmosphere inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The tennis on court never disappoints either, with matches during the evening sessions often going on until late at night as the atmosphere intensifies. And there have been some incredible stories from the US Open. Emma Raducanu's run through qualifying week all the way to winning the women's singles title in 2021 was a sensational story, as well as Andy Murray securing his first Grand Slam title in an epic 5-set battle with Novak Djokovic in 2012.
And whilst the main draw gets underway on Monday 26th August, running for two weeks with US Labour Day celebrated during the middle weekend, it's the week before that presents fans with a really good cost effective way to experience the buzz that only the US Open can generate.
The US Open Fan Week is staged in the week leading into the main draw each year and it's a week where fans can visit for free to witness all of the qualifying matches, player practice sessions and soak up the atmosphere around the grounds.
To enhance the experience, there are also some ticketed experiences you can watch such as the Mixed Madness match on August 20th where players take part in a mixed doubles match and the Stars of the Open exhibition which this year features Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi which takes place on August 21st. There are also off-the-court experiences to enjoy as well, such as food-tasting events and more.
For us sports travel fans, there is always that balance between wanting to experience the world's best events but also managing costs so for the US Open to provide a week of tennis fun for free is a really good way to allow fans to attend without the cost, and a great opportunity to tick off the US Open from your sporting event bucket list.
Even though entry to the US Open Fan Week is free, you still have to register for a Fan Access Pass which you can do here. By registering you will also have a chance of winning two tickets to the men's and women's finals.
All in all, if you are in the New York area over the next few weeks, the US Open is a must-attend sporting occasion, and if you are budget conscious, the Fan Week is a great option.
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