With the news of the US Open ground pass resale prices going north of $350, fans and tennis insiders have shown their disappointment at the organizers for tone-deaf pricing. However, former World No. 1 Andy Roddick was not ready to blame them just yet, as he allowed a deeper look into how the prices are determined.
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“So listen, smart people are getting on an opinion that benefits themselves, right?” said Roddick on his podcast ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘. “They do this without mentioning secondary marketing and how the pricing actually works once it’s out of the USTA’s hands—which you have to go through. So listen, just have a nuanced argument. Is it overpriced? Is it too expensive? Hell yes, completely agree on that. Absolutely, we’re not arguing that it’s not. This sucks.”
Roddick’s arguments hold some merit, as the initial sale price of a ground pass for this year in New York is $65 for opening day, which is worth north of $360 on platforms like Ticketmaster. However, Roddick argues that resale prices are not within the tournament’s control once the initial pre-sale is complete.
The difference between presale and resale ticket pricing is largely due to market demand for the tickets. Given that showcourts like the Arthur Ashe Stadium have limited seating capacity, and corporate entities book presale tickets in bulk, platforms like Ticketmaster charge a processing fee, increasing prices.
Even though prices are high, demand for US Open tickets has never declined, with over 1.1 million people coming through the grounds last year, including over 900,000 during the two weeks of main draw action. The tournament revenue was north of $550 million, putting the New York Major in a league of its own among the other three Majors.
There have been criticisms of the resale pricing, with senior journalists like Simon Chambers letting his reservations regarding the sky-high pricing be known on social media. However, ticket pricing is directly tied to revenue, which also influences the tournament’s prize money. In a record-breaking move, the US Open announced a $108 million purse, a 20 percent increase over last year, with $5.5 million for both the men’s and women’s singles champions.
The US Open has always been the most expensive of the four Slams, but that has never come in the way of attendance or revenue. However, it is also not unjustified for fans to think that ground passes or field courts would be made affordable for an average fan due to its popularity.
It remains to be seen whether the increased ticket prices affect attendance, or whether, once the top players take the court and the honeydeuces start flowing, seats will be packed once again.