for The New York Times: The U.S. Open Is Busier Than Ever. Some Fans Are Not Happy About It. by José A. Alvarado Jr.

News

for The New York Times: The U.S. Open Is Busier Than Ever. Some Fans Are Not Happy About It.

josé a. alvarado jr.

Sep 26, 2024

Location: New York, New York

Summary

As interest in tennis increases, so do the crowds at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday afternoon, thousands of fans cheered on an All-American third-round match between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. But as the match stretched into its fourth hour, a throng of thousands more with tickets for the night matches swelled outside the stadium waiting to enter.

The crowd was one of many over the past week at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, where the U.S. Open has been busier than ever.

With an average of about 31,900 fans per night Monday through Friday, night-session attendance totals broke U.S. Open records. The previous best-attended night sessions were in 2023, according to tournament attendance data.

Combined day and night attendance on Monday through Friday last week averaged 75,012 fans per day, making those days the top five best-attended days ever at the tournament.

Photographed for The New York Times, with words By Jesus Jiménez

The U.S. Open Is Busier Than Ever. Some Fans Are Not Happy About It.
As interest in tennis increases, so do the crowds at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Nytimes.com

436

José A. Alvarado Jr.

Also by José A. Alvarado Jr. —

for The New York Times: Home Sales in Flood Zones Are Booming. Here’s Why Buyers Take the Risk.

for The Wall Street Journal: The King of Risky Hometown Bonds Is Back

for The Wall Street Journal: The Office Therapist Will See You Now

for DVEIGHT: A Conversation with Ray Turner

for The New York Times: The View From the Nosebleeds at the U.S. Open: Not Too Shabby

for STAT: A new drug offers a rare option for brain cancer treatment — and inspires hopes for more

for The New York Times: Elephants Arrive, So Humans Don’t Forget

for Bloomberg: Governor Kathy Hochul

for The New York Times: How Creators Are Facing Hateful Comments Head-On

for NYC Tourism: Watching Copa America with Fans at La Roja de Todos

for The New York Times: For Columbia and a Powerful Donor, Months of Talks and Millions at Risk

for Huff Post: How America’s Mental Health Crisis Became This Family’s Worst Nightmare

for The Denver Post: How one Colorado overdose victim fell through the cracks

for Business Insider: I went to a food festival where Latina chefs shared their culinary journeys — and fed my Boricua soul

for Cultured Magazine: Cult 100

for STAT: How a scientific slip-up caused a pregnant woman to get an untested treatment for preterm birth

for The New York Times: Former Rikers Employees Are Charged With Smuggling in Contraband

for Seven Days VT: 'Safe Haven'

for The New York Times: Lawmaker Is Left With ‘Lifetime Trauma’ as Attacker Pleads Guilty

for The New York Times: Health Insurers’ Lucrative, Little-Known Alliance: 5 Takeaways

for The New York Times: Baruch College, an Upward-Mobility Machine

for The New Yorker: The Haunted Juror

for Bloomberg Originals:

for Bloomberg: Guyana Is Trying to Keep Its Oil Blessing From Becoming a Curse