Overview
- Fan Week, repackaged by the USTA as a star-focused festival, has filled outer courts and stadium practice sessions with record crowds and high-profile appearances this week.
- Secondary-market markups and alleged bot captures have pushed grounds and showcourt prices into the hundreds and thousands, prompting NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to secure 1,000 nontransferable tickets for residents at $100.
- Fan reports this week described long entry and giveaway lines, dirty seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and intermittent digital scoreboard outages on outer courts that hurt the live match experience.
- Many longtime supporters say influencer culture and brand activations have crowded premium sightlines and shifted the event from match-focused tennis to a lifestyle spectacle.
- The USTA points to official resale channels and rising prize money as part of its strategy, but critics warn the model risks further restricting access and could lead organizers to charge for Fan Week in future years.