A child should be able to dream about watching the best tennis players in the world without their parents immediately wondering whether they can afford to get through the gates.
At AK Tennis Academy, we believe watching professional tennis can be a powerful part of falling in love with the sport. Seeing the speed, movement, intensity, and concentration up close gives young players something a television broadcast cannot fully capture.
That is why the cost of attending the 2026 US Open deserves a serious conversation. When even a grounds pass can carry a price tag of several hundred dollars, tennis risks putting one of its most inspiring experiences beyond the reach of the families it wants to attract.
What changed from last year?
Reporting ahead of this year's tournament put the starting grounds-pass price at $65, compared with $60 in 2025—an increase of approximately 8.3%. However, the prices fans encounter after those lower-priced tickets sell out can be dramatically higher. The Big Lead’s ticket-price report
In August, Sports Illustrated reported that grounds passes originally priced at $65 were being resold for more than $300. Those are resale prices, not a claim that every official grounds pass costs $300 or that prices increased fivefold from last year. Prices also vary by date, availability, and purchase timing. Sports Illustrated’s reporting
But for a parent trying to buy tickets, that distinction does not solve the problem. An affordable starting price offers little comfort if the tickets actually available for the day your family can attend cost several times more.
A grounds pass should be a welcoming way into tennis
Grounds passes provide access to the outside courts and first-come, first-served areas of Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand. They do not include access to Arthur Ashe Stadium. Official US Open ticket information
For a young player, those smaller courts can be the best classroom imaginable. You can watch how professionals prepare between points, recover after a mistake, and compete when a match gets difficult.
At an illustrative $300 per pass, a family of four faces $1,200 just for admission. Transportation, meals, and accommodation for visitors come on top of that. For many households, that spending competes directly with lessons, equipment, and other activities for their children.
We should want more families to experience tennis together. The price of entry should reflect that ambition.
Growing the sport requires access
As coaches, our work involves helping people feel that tennis is a sport they can belong to. That means welcoming beginners, encouraging children, and showing families a realistic path to keep playing.
The sport’s biggest events help shape that sense of belonging. If a child’s introduction to Grand Slam tennis is that attending costs more than their family can justify, we risk reinforcing the idea that tennis is reserved for people with substantial disposable income.
Strong ticket demand is encouraging. It tells us people want to be there. But commercial demand and meaningful access are different measures of success. A sold-out tournament can still leave many committed players and potential new fans outside.
Free events help—and affordable match days matter too
The US Open deserves credit for offering free grounds admission during Fan Week, including access to qualifying tennis. Those opportunities are valuable and should continue. USTA’s 2026 Fan Week information
We would also like to see a larger, clearly available allocation of affordable grounds tickets during the main draw: family packages, junior-player access, and tickets distributed through schools and community tennis programs. Transparent all-in pricing and purchase systems designed to get those tickets to attending fans should be priorities.
At AK Tennis Academy, we want our students to dream big, enjoy the game, and feel connected to the wider tennis community.
The next generation of tennis fans should have a place inside the gates.
