By Michael Bernstein
If you are a US Open veteran, you probably already know all of this stuff, but for those looking to attend the Open for the first time, here are a few thoughts that might make it a easier to enjoy the tournament and save a few bucks.
Getting there: Most likely, you’ll be staying in Manhattan. You’ve basically got four options: a cab, the subway, a scheduled shuttle if you’re doing a tour package, or the train. The Long Island Railroad train from Penn Station is my preferred option. For a $15 round-trip fare, you’ll go from Penn Station to the National Tennis Center in a very comfortable 20-minute ride. The train also stops just steps from the actual main gate of the National Tennis Center, saving you a few hundred yards of boardwalk from where the # 7 subway train would otherwise let you off. If possible, catch the train at Penn Station, in the direction of Port Washington. A cab from the city can also be a nice way to go, assuming you don’t have any traffic getting off Manhattan and don’t mind paying the $45-to-$55 fare. If you want to take a car service, it will run you about $95 for a trip out to the tennis. Heading back home, you can have them send another car to meet you in front of the grounds by the main gate, where the limo pick-up area is located. Just be sure to take their number, and then call them about 30 minutes before you’re ready to leave the action—if all goes according to plan, your car should be waiting for you right when you leave.
When to go: So many sessions! The tournament runs for two weeks, from Aug. 26th through Monday, Sept. 9th, the day of the men’s final. This will be the case until the 2015 US Open goes back to the traditional schedule of having the tournament end on a Sunday. Depending on how much time you’ve got, there are a number of things to keep in mind. In the first week, there are a ton of matches going on, and tickets are cheaper for both the day and night session tickets. In the second week, you’ve got less crowds and the best matches will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium, making it worthwhile to pick up a center court ticket. Throughout the first week, you will be able to see great men’s and women’s singles matches all over the tennis center. In fact, from my experience, the most exciting first-week matches often take place on the outside courts that only require only a grounds pass. On Arthur Ashe during week one, you’ll see top seeds such as Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Serena Williams, Sharapova, and others face off against much lower-ranked players, usually resulting in cakewalk, straight-set victories for the top seeds. The outside courts are where the big upsets and nail-biting matches often take place. But in order to get a good seat, or any seat at all, you really need to be organized. Take a look at the the scheduled Order of Play, which is usually released around 9 p.m. the night before on the official site, usopen.org. Print it out and circle all the matches you want to attend, and then get to the specific courts as early as possible—I’d say at least 30 minutes before the match is scheduled to start—in order to get a good seat. And when I say “a good seat,” I mean that you can literally be sitting just feet from the court. Keep in mind, though, that once the match begins, if you leave your seat for a bathroom or refreshment break, you’ll likely have to wait in line to return—the ushers don’t let you hold your seats. Make sure you’re ready to be in your seat for a few hours.
Ticket prices: Prices for this year’s US Open are at a four-year high, which kind of makes sense, as the economy is finally back humming and the stock market is thriving. For me, the best times to spend the money on a good seat at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the first week are the night sessions, when you know that you will be staying put, not roaming around, and there’s really nothing else going on any of the other courts unless a day-session match is running very late. The day session on Ashe can be worthwhile if there’s a great match that you really want to check out—say if Federer is playing Tommy Haas. If you do want a ticket on Ashe, I strongly suggest you step it up and drop a few more bucks to get a decent one. The stadium holds 23,500 seats, so if you’re in the upper level (or “Promenade,” as it’s called) and not in the first 10 rows, you’ll be able to enjoy nice views of the distant Manhattan skyline, but may have a hard time actually following the ball from so far away. The Loge level stadium seats, which I think are the best value for your money, are situated between the Luxury Level and the Promenade level sections. They’re generally just a few more bucks in the first week, and well worth it. Basically besides sessions 9, 11, 13, 15, 20, 22, 24, 25, and 26, you can pick up a Loge level ticket for a very reasonable amount, sometimes even less than face value in the secondary market for some of the less popular first weekday sessions. Another thing to keep in mind during any day session, if possible, is to choose seats on the west side of the stadium so you don’t have the sun in your face. The day is much more enjoyable when you’re not constantly blocking the sun from your eyes. If you choose to buy a Courtside ticket, you’ll have access to the Aces Restaurant and Champions Bar and Grill, both of which require either a Courtside Box or Luxury seat ticket for access (reservations by calling 718.760.6363 are recommended for any of the night sessions if you actually want to get a table). The nine sessions I listed above are generally sold out once the tournament begins, and you can expect to see elevated prices, ranging from $150 for decent lower-row Promenade seats to $7,000 for the finest Courtside seats behind the server.
Michael Bernstein
President
Championship Tennis Tours
www.tennistours.com
