New York —
$30 tennis-themed Champagne cocktails. $100 caviar-coated chicken nuggets. $150 ball crew shirts designed by Ralph Lauren. The US Open has never been a bargain.
So it’s only fitting that when the 29-year-old Arthur Ashe Stadium debuts the first phase of its $800 million renovation this month, the show court includes an expansion of the priciest seats and suites.
Court-side seating at the annual tournament is growing by 66% to around 5,000 seats, organizer United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced. Meanwhile, the star-studded suites — used by marquee sponsors like Grey Goose, Dobel Tequila and Emirates airline — are being remodeled and expanded in size.
However, those premium upgrades come at the expense of the “cheap seat” — nearly 3,000 upper-level seats are being removed once the renovation is complete next year. That will make affordable tickets more difficult to find, especially as the tournament reports registering record-breaking visits, and already has angered fans and some players.
