Just a decade ago, U.S. Open qualifying was a well-kept secret. The week before the main draw, tennis die-hards would stroll into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for free to watch top players practice and lower-ranked players battle on the outer courts with very little fanfare.
Since 2017, when it was officially dubbed “Fan Week,” the USTA has been on a mission to turn the U.S. Open from a two-week event with an appetizer beforehand into a true three-week event. This year, it’s mission accomplished.
Qualifiers now feel similar to the first week of the main draw 10 years ago. Bleachers are full for most matches, the food court is packed, and shops and fan activation stalls have long lines.
Meanwhile, ticketed events feature superstars—albeit sometimes retired ones—in the main stadiums. On Tuesday night, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe competed in front of 20,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium. On Thursday night, active singles players participated in exhibition sets for charity.
The U.S. Open also moved mixed doubles up to Fan Week in 2025 and incentivized singles stars to participate. That tournament now includes a ticketed day session on Tuesday and a ticketed night session on Wednesday, both in Ashe, in addition to a free day session on Tuesday in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
