City Offers 1,000 Discounted Tickets
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the United States Tennis Association announced a limited release of 1,000 discounted tickets to the U.S. Open for city residents. The tickets will be sold at $100 each, a fraction of typical resale prices, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis online beginning at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, August 26, at USOpen.org/NYCTickets. Each buyer can purchase up to two tickets for Main Draw matches from Sunday, August 30, through Tuesday, September 8. The offer includes seats in Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums, as well as grounds passes.
Buyers must have a ZIP code in one of the five boroughs. According to reports, a grounds pass ticket has a face value of $65, while resale prices on platforms such as Ticketmaster range from $240 to nearly $500.
Mayor and USTA Announce Affordability Initiative at Press Conference
"Part of the beauty of living in our city is also the exposure to some of the greatest sporting events across the world," Mamdani said at a Tuesday press conference. "Yet, like what we've seen with many sporting events, the cost has continued to increase, and many New Yorkers feel as if they don't have a chance at being a part of something like this."
The USTA is partnering with the Mayor's Office on the offer. USTA CEO Craig Tiley said: "We want as many people as possible to experience tennis and the U.S. Open, and this additional Main Draw ticket access for New Yorkers only strengthens that commitment." "The U.S. Open already offers eight days of free grounds admission. Great crowds of fans and families are coming out to see the best players in the world practice up close, watch world-class competition with Qualifying and Mixed Doubles and experience much more during our free-to-attend Fan Week," added Tiley, emphasizing that access to tennis will always be a priority.
Broader Affordability Push
The mayor touted his affordability strategy, which has included lotteries and lower-cost tickets for other major events. According to reports, his office has secured 1,000 affordable tickets to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, made all World Cup FanFests free, offered a $26 meal deal at nearly 900 restaurants, created free Soccer Streets and 24/7 World Cup mini-pitches, delivered 600 free tickets to the Knicks championship ceremony, and showed Knicks playoff games for free on LinkNYC screens. Field lighting has also been extended, adding 4,000 hours of play. Starting this fall, high schoolers will be eligible for cheap entry to Broadway shows.
"This summer, we have shown again and again that sports belong to the people. From the World Cup to track and field championships, we have opened stadium doors to some of the biggest sporting events in the world so more New Yorkers can enjoy them," Mamdani said. "Today, we are doubling down on that work making the U.S. Open more affordable for New Yorkers." He added: "If the world's best tennis players are coming to our city, New Yorkers should be able to see them play."
The initiative fits into a broader context: in his remarks, the mayor framed it as part of a series of steps to broaden access to elite sports, while the USTA described it as an extension of their ongoing efforts to welcome as many spectators as possible.
The U.S. Open in Context
The U.S. Open is one of the largest-attended annual sporting events in the world, generating more than $1.2 billion in economic impact and employing more than 7,000 people each year, according to one report. Nearly 1.2 million people attended in 2025, and the event is watched by more than 200 million people in 200 countries.
The tournament is known for its grandeur. Attendees often spend hundreds beyond the cost of admission on chicken nuggets with caviar, merchandise, and the Honey-Deuce cocktail, as a single article described—part sports event, part public fashion show.
Perspectives
The city's approach, as represented by Mayor Mamdani, frames the discounted tickets as part of a broader effort to make major events accessible to residents who might otherwise be priced out. This is set against the backdrop of rising costs at many sporting events, which the mayor says leaves many New Yorkers feeling they don't have a chance to participate.
From the USTA's side, the association sees the offer as an extension of its long-standing commitment to accessibility, pointing to the eight days of free grounds admission during Fan Week and other free public programs. CEO Craig Tiley stressed that "access to tennis will always be our priority" and that the goal is to bring more people into the sport.