Mayor's Initiative Offers 1,000 Discounted US Open Tickets to NYC Residents
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has secured 1,000 affordable tickets for the US Open to distribute to local residents on a first-come, first-served basis. The move addresses concerns about the tournament's soaring ticket prices. Details on how to obtain the tickets are expected to be announced soon.
The 1,000 tickets, priced at $100 each, cover main-draw matches from Aug. 30 through Sept. 8, including quarterfinals. They include ground passes and seats in Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums. Eligibility requires a certified NYC zip code, and purchases open Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET. Resale through Ticketmaster is barred, directly countering the platform’s secondary-market surge, where grounds passes have reached $478 despite a $65 face value. Mayor Mamdani frames this as part of a broader push to make major sporting events accessible, citing prior efforts for the World Cup and track championships.
This initiative could ease financial barriers for local tennis fans, but its impact may be limited given only 1,000 tickets for a tournament drawing hundreds of thousands. It may pressure other venues and events to adopt similar affordability measures, yet the first-come, first-served model could favor those with flexible schedules. The resale restriction may curb scalping, but broader pricing dynamics remain unchanged.