NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- Perhaps it’s the wet, gray and gloomy weather in New York City. Or did the early exit of Novak Djokovic spoil the vibe? Maybe fans were put off by the exorbitant prices quoted by resellers who had originally scooped up face-value tickets.
Whatever the reason, prices for entry into the showpiece court at the US Open tennis grand slam are tumbling. It’s a surprise drop: The Arthur Ashe stadium has a roof, so any rain forecast is irrelevant to play. Yes, Djokovic was felled in the first round on Sunday, but plenty of fan favorites are still in the game. On Tuesday evening, superstar Coco Gauff took the court, and won. Alexander Zverev — winner at this year’s French Open and finalist at Wimbledon — did too.
Yet get-in tickets for the session at Arthur Ashe dropped to as low as $69 each, more than 50% lower than what they were quoted at three days prior.
For Wednesday’s opening matches at the stadium — featuring American fan favorites Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton — prices have dropped 60% over the past three days to around $90. Prices for the courtside and loge ticket categories have slid 50% to $187, according to price tracker TicketData.
Keith Pagello, founder of TicketData, said the declines stand in contrast to last year, when “we saw a lot of the sessions run up and prices increase a bunch in the 48 hours leading up to the session.”
The craving for in-person live experiences in the post-pandemic world elevated the US Open as one of the most popular sporting events in New York City. A preponderance of attractions that had little to do with the sport — such as $100 caviar chicken nuggets, celebrity appearances in suites reserved for the 0.1% and the $23 Honey Deuce concoction — made the tournament a magnet for influencers and the social-media obsessed.
But as the focus has moved away from tennis, grumbles from purists have grown louder.
The frustration for tennis fans was exacerbated by face-value tickets vanishing as soon as they appeared, swept by resellers using bots. Prices for even the nosebleeds were many times the original value, before the additional fees demanded by Ticketmaster.
Meanwhile, the United States Tennis Association — which runs the grand slam — has embarked on an $800 million revamp at Ashe, including “two new dedicated luxury suite levels.”
Even billionaire Bill Ackman questioned how a $363 price for a grounds pass, which gives access to the Flushing Meadows tournament complex in Queens and outer courts without a guaranteed or reserved seat, is consistent with the mission of the USTA, a nonprofit.
He then said “we should find a way to avoid scalpers taking away the opportunity for more accessible ticket prices.”
Costs got so prohibitive that Mayor Zohran Mamdani — who came to power with a promise to make the city more affordable — announced this year that 1,000 discounted tickets at $100 each would go on sale for residents.
But some prices have fallen well below even that. Tickets for the morning session at Ashe on Tuesday — featuring American players Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys — dropped as much as 88% over three days to about $25.
TicketData’s Pagello said while the wet weather in New York could be one factor affecting ticket prices, he’s not convinced that it’s a significant reason.
“Once we’re past tomorrow, the weather excuse is no longer there,” he said. “I think we’ll see perhaps another swing up, but maybe there won’t be. I don’t think we’re done here and everything is soft now, there’s more story to come.”
For buyers looking to scoop up tickets to future sessions, TicketData data show prices for seats in Arthur Ashe are below 2025 levels in all upcoming rounds — except the finals, which will be held over Sept. 12-13.
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