The 2026 US Open launches Fan Week on August 23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, offering seven consecutive days of free grounds admission while the USTA simultaneously executes the first visible phase of an $800 million, three-year renovation that will reshape Arthur Ashe Stadium and the surrounding campus by 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Fan Week runs August 23 through August 29 with free grounds admission; a free Fan Access Pass through the US Open app is now required for all attendees 18 and older.
- Roger Federer returns to Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 25 for a ticketed exhibition alongside Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe.
- The USTA’s entirely self-funded $800 million renovation will add 2,000 courtside seats, a $250 million Player Performance Center, two new luxury suite levels, and a 40 percent increase in concourse space by the 2027 tournament.
- The main draw begins August 30, extending the full tournament to 22 days through September 13.
- The US Open generates more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact for New York City across its three-week run.
Fan Week Delivers a Full Calendar Before the Main Draw Begins
For the first time, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day kicks off Fan Week on its opening day, August 23, with an expanded schedule running from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event, which the USTA describes as the largest grassroots tennis event globally, features live entertainment from the Savannah Bananas, R&B-infused sister group SIMIEN, and 16-year-old pop-country singer Maddox Batson. The programming shift places the family-focused event at the start of the week rather than mid-week, giving families a wider window to plan around school schedules and late-summer travel.
Singles qualifying runs Monday, August 24 through Thursday, August 28 across the field courts, with 128 men and 128 women competing for the final 16 places in each main draw. All qualifying matches are accessible with the free Fan Access Pass, giving spectators up-close access to competitive Grand Slam tennis at no cost.
The marquee Fan Week attraction lands on Tuesday, August 25, when five-time US Open champion Roger Federer returns to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a ticketed exhibition under the lights. Federer will partner with Andy Roddick against Andre Agassi and John McEnroe in a doubles format that reunites four players who collectively own 30 Grand Slam singles titles. Federer last competed at the US Open in 2019 and remains the only man to have won five consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows.
The week also features the reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship presented by Vital Proteins, with qualifying on August 24 and opening rounds on August 25. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka are among the players participating. The “Stars of the Open” exhibition follows on August 27, showcasing rising talents including Brazilian sensation João Fonseca, Americans Iva Jovic and Learner Tien, and Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, the highest-ranked Filipino player in WTA history.
Additional programming rounds out the week: a Silent Disco on Monday evening in Fountain Plaza with DJs Jasmine Solano, Curly Nez, and Whutever; US Open Media Day on Friday, August 28, where Andy Roddick will interview top players in a live taping of his “Served” podcast; and a Block Party on Friday night headlined by D-Nice alongside Natasha Diggs.
The $800 Million Renovation Reshapes the Country’s Largest Tennis Venue
While Fan Week programming unfolds across the grounds, the USTA continues executing the first phases of its $800 million renovation project, which structural crews began in October 2024. The project, entirely self-funded by the USTA without any public money, represents the single largest investment in US Open history and is scheduled for completion ahead of the August 2027 tournament.
The centerpiece of the renovation is an interior overhaul of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world with a current capacity of 23,771. Plans call for an upward extension of the courtside-level bowl that will add 2,000 new seats, expanding courtside capacity from 3,000 to 5,000. The promenade-level concourse will grow by 40 percent, and the redesign introduces two new dedicated luxury suite levels, modernized restrooms with 30 percent more facilities, and a 30 percent increase in food and beverage locations throughout the stadium.
A separate $250 million allocation funds a new four-story Player Performance Center on the west side of Arthur Ashe Stadium, connected to the main arena via a skybridge. The center will house expanded indoor and outdoor fitness and warmup areas, redesigned locker rooms, player lounges, spa facilities, a private courtyard, and dedicated dining spaces. The facility is designed to accommodate the roughly 2,800 players and team members who converge on the US Open each year. HOK and ROSSETTI, the architectural firms that have worked with the USTA since 1990 and previously designed Arthur Ashe Stadium, its retractable roof, and the rebuilt Louis Armstrong Stadium, are leading the project.
Defending Champions Return as the Main Draw Stretches to 22 Days
The main draw begins Sunday, August 30, with play running through the men’s singles final on September 13. The full tournament spans 22 days from the start of Fan Week to the final match. Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz returns to Flushing Meadows after defeating Jannik Sinner in last year’s final. On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka enters the tournament as the two-time defending champion, chasing a third consecutive US Open title. Sabalenka’s record at Flushing Meadows stands at 29-3 since 2021, with three straight finals appearances and semifinal runs in each of the past five editions.
The USTA estimates the three-week event delivers more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact to New York City, a figure the organization cited when announcing the renovation as a reinvestment in the tournament’s long-term infrastructure. For Queens, where the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center sits within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the US Open remains a commercial anchor that drives hotel bookings, restaurant traffic, and transit ridership across the borough every August and September.
FAQs
How Do Fans Get Into US Open Fan Week for Free?
All attendees 18 and older must register for a free Fan Access Pass through the US Open app. Registration takes under a minute, and the pass can be added to a mobile wallet for use throughout the week. Children under 18 can enter with a registered adult without a separate pass. Registering before August 23 also enters fans into a drawing for tickets to the 2026 men’s final.
Which Fan Week Events Require a Separate Ticket?
The Roger Federer exhibition on August 25, the Stars of the Open on August 27, and select US Open Mixed Doubles Championship sessions in Arthur Ashe Stadium require purchased tickets. All other Fan Week events, including qualifying matches, the Silent Disco, Media Day, and the Block Party, are accessible with the free Fan Access Pass.
When Will the Arthur Ashe Stadium Renovation Be Complete?
The USTA has scheduled completion ahead of the August 2027 US Open. Construction is being phased to avoid interrupting the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, with spectator-facing upgrades rolling out across both years.
