While Fan Week gave fans the best US Open experience, the 2026 edition has started with a few snags for the tournament to smooth out. Fans visiting the courts have reported issues such as unclean seating and overcrowding, which have diminished the overall experience for some.
“Dear @usopen I know these are nosebleed Arthur Ashe seats (329) but they were not cheap. I think the 2 tickets together were a little over $400. The views were great. The seats were however so dirty that we had to clean both them down with about 3 sanitizing wipes each.” said a fan on X. “We also had to give the guy in front of us wipes too.”
Ticket prices have been a raging issue ahead of the Open, with some resale prices for ground passes and showcourt tickets exceeding $300. One of the main attractions of Fan Week is unrestricted access to the grounds, as ground passes are free during this week, allowing fans to see the qualifying matches on the outer courts and get a peek at the practice sessions of the top-ranked players. However, the headline-making Mixed Doubles event is ticketed, and resale prices are equally high, noted fans on social media.
However, free access also means a large crowd. Fans have shared the long queues and the overall crowded conditions on the grounds, which have diminished the value of the fan week.
“Literally abolish fan week atp…I’m out of here can’t even watch a match without kids pushing me off the bleachers or there being lines to get INTO THE PARKING LOT… can’t get a picture without kids and elderly men shoving me aside,” posted another fan on X. “It’s time to start charging for tix!”
Another key attraction at the US Open in recent years has been the collaboration between the USTA and Marvel Comics. Almost 40,000 free copies of a Spider-Man comic are being given out at Flushing Meadows this year, with huge queues stacking up at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“The line for the Marvel @usopen Spider Man comic giveaway stretched almost all the way to Armstrong”, shared a fan on X. “They’re apparently reselling for big bucks online, much like the grounds passes are. Madness!”
As per fan reports, the comics have also gone the way of the free ground passes, being resold at exorbitant rates, despite being handed out for free on the grounds.
“There’s about 5-7 people in front of me and 3 behind me who are not here for the tennis at all,” shared a fan on X. “They are here to get the spider marvel comic book to resell.”
Not only off the courts, but fans also experienced a disruption in their on-court experience. The scoreboards were down in many of the outside courts during the qualifying contests, which caused the audience some trouble while keeping track of the scores.
The Fan Week at the US Open became a cultural phenomenon after the pandemic, with the organizers attempting to rebrand the competition as a festival rather than a tennis tournament. Free ground passes, Arthur Ashe Kids Days, exhibitions featuring top-ranked players, and the new mixed doubles have made the first week of the Open as exciting as the main draw action and have boosted the overall attendance at the event. Last year, the total attendance in New York was 1.14 million, with 239,307 attending the Fan Week itself.