Tennis Fever in NYC: US Open Season Surge
Every late summer, New York City catches “tennis fever” as the US Open descends on Queens. The city buzzes with energy, subways brim with fans in tennis gear, and even Midtown hosts pop-up courts for office workers sneaking in a few swings during lunch. During these two weeks, interest in tennis spikes dramatically. Local tourism officials report packed hotels and elevated foot traffic as hundreds of thousands of visitors flood the city. On social media, the tournament dominates conversation: in 2024, for example, fans flooded Instagram with selfies holding the Open’s signature Honey Deuce cocktails, a trendy rite of passage for attendees. Even those not at the matches join in, sports bars across NYC fill up with cheering crowds, and Google searches for terms like “tennis rules” and “US Open schedule” surge in the metro area.
This surge isn’t just a feeling; it shows up in data:
Fan Week attendance: up 37% in 2024 compared to the year prior.
Overall attendance: 2023 drew 957,387 fans (an 8% jump from 2022).
2024 milestone: organizers expected to crack the 1 million attendee mark for the first time.
Arthur Ashe Stadium: night sessions regularly top 30,000 spectators, even midweek.
Records broken: daily attendance records were smashed multiple times in a single week.
Beyond the turnstile counts, the economic and cultural footprint of this surge is enormous. The three-week Open period now generates over $1.2 billion in economic impact for New York City. To put that in perspective, that’s more revenue in a few weeks than the Yankees and Mets baseball seasons combined bring to the city. Tourism officials have also stationed kiosks at the tournament to encourage visitors to explore nearby neighborhoods, showcasing how the event can funnel foot traffic to local shops and cultural sites. For two weeks, the US Open effectively turns New York into the world capital of tennis.
Rising Interest: New York’s Tennis Trend Over Time
The tennis buzz in New York isn’t a one-time fluke, it’s been building over years. In fact, New York City leads the nation in tennis fandom. Nielsen ratings have shown that the NYC metro area consistently has the highest percentage of viewers tuning into the US Open among all U.S. markets. Nationally, about one-third of Americans express interest in the US Open, and NYC is at the epicenter of that enthusiasm.
Key data highlights:
1 in 3 Americans express interest in the US Open.
NYC is the #1 metro area for US Open viewership nationwide.
Historically, the US Open’s presence has helped drive local participation and interest in the sport. The USTA reports that tennis participation nationwide has boomed in recent years, climbing to just under 25 million players, with a goal of 35 million in coming years. Much of this growth is attributed to the “halo effect” of the Open. “We joke that this event is the bake sale that funds our ability to grow participation,” says USTA CEO Lew Sherr. Revenue from the Open supports grassroots tennis programs across the country, including in NYC parks and schools, aiming to convert fan excitement into actual play.
Attendance numbers also illustrate this rise:
A decade ago: around 700,000 attendees.
2022: 776,120 (new record at the time).
2023: 957,000+ (record shattered).
2025: tournament expanded to 15 days to accommodate demand.
And beyond the numbers, the cultural spillover is real: the “tenniscore” fashion trend has shown up across NYC streets, with sales of tennis apparel spiking 20% ahead of the 2024 Open. Parks across the city report heavier usage post-Open, as fans inspired by the pros bring their energy straight to the public courts.
New Courts and Community Venues in NYC
One clear sign of tennis’s growing footprint in New York is the expansion of courts and facilities across the metropolitan area. In recent years, the city has invested in new venues to meet demand, ensuring that the Open’s legacy isn’t confined to Flushing Meadows but spreads to communities citywide.
East River Park (2025): six brand-new public tennis courts on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Randall’s Island (2025): Sportime Tennis Center expanded to 30 courts, including a stadium court and year-round indoor courts.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center: undergoing an $800 million renovation, with a state-of-the-art Player Performance Center planned for 2027.
These projects all point to a bigger narrative: New York City isn’t just hosting a tournament, it’s building a tennis ecosystem. Nonprofits like NYJTL run free and low-cost programming on many of these new courts, giving local kids and families real access to the sport. For fans, it means the inspiration of watching the Open can now more easily turn into action on their neighborhood courts.
TeachMe.To Data: NYC’s Local Tennis Surge
TeachMe.To’s NYC data reflects the same story: the US Open sparks not just interest, but action.
Lesson bookings:
Q3 2024 (US Open season) bookings jumped 86.8% YoY.
Nearly 40% of 2024’s bookings happened in that single quarter.
Q2 2024 saw an eye-popping 3500% YoY jump off a small 2023 base.
Q4 2024 closed out +163% YoY.
Coach listings:
2024 overall ended +95.7% YoY in new coaches.
Early 2025 shows H1 listings up 743% YoY (Q1 +975%, Q2 +620%).
In short: the US Open turns casual fans into active participants, driving players to book lessons and coaches to meet the demand.
Players on NYC’s Electric Atmosphere
It’s not just fans who feel it, the pros feed off New York’s unique energy.
Rafael Nadal: “I’ve always had a great connection with the crowd here.”
Novak Djokovic: calls Ashe the *“loudest and most entertaining stadium in tennis.”
Stan Wawrinka: “That’s one of the reasons I keep playing – to relive those moments… New York is really special.”
Aryna Sabalenka: says the atmosphere is “crazy for players to handle,” but unforgettable.
Arthur Ashe Stadium is the biggest in tennis, seating nearly 24,000, and when packed at night, the roar is unmatched. The city that never sleeps lends that same vibe to its tournament: late-night matches often go until 1–2 AM, with fans staying put until the final point.
New Yorkers’ Take: A Cultural Phenomenon
To everyday New Yorkers, the US Open is more than a tournament, it’s part of the city’s cultural DNA.
Tourism draw: ~43% of attendees come from outside the NYC metro; nearly 1 in 5 are international visitors.
Business impact:
Hotels near the stadium book out 1–2 years in advance.
Local restaurants see surges between day and night sessions.
~7,000 seasonal jobs supported annually, with 40% held by Queens residents.
The event also invests in community engagement. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day introduces thousands of NYC children to tennis, while community booths at the Open highlight local businesses and organizations.
A Grand Slam with Global + Local Impact
Ultimately, the US Open operates on two levels:
Globally: it’s one of four Grand Slams, broadcast to millions, creating viral moments like Serena Williams’ farewell and Naomi Osaka’s breakthrough win. It’s a bucket-list event for fans around the world.
Locally: it’s unlike any other NYC sporting event, blending world-class prestige with local energy, fueling the economy, and inspiring everyday players.
As one fan summed it up leaving Arthur Ashe Stadium: “There’s nothing like the US Open in New York. It’s the energy, you can feel it in the air.”
