US Open

The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the tennis year — and the loudest, most electric of the four. For two weeks at the end of summer, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens becomes a round-the-clock festival: day sessions in the sun, night sessions under the lights, and a New York crowd that makes it feel more like a stadium concert than a tennis match. It's also the most accessible major for a first-timer — huge grounds, a festival atmosphere, and the whole city on your doorstep.

One of the oldest championships in the sport, the US Open traces back to 1881 and is the fourth and final Grand Slam of each season, closing out the North American hard-court swing. It's the only major where every show court plays under lights, and its main stadium, Arthur Ashe Stadium, is the largest tennis arena in the world, seating close to 24,000. The scale is the point: two full weeks, hundreds of matches, and an energy unlike any other Slam.

The tournament is held in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, one of the most diverse corners of New York City, roughly 35 minutes from Midtown Manhattan. That location is a big part of the appeal — you get world-class tennis by day and the full sweep of New York by night, from Queens' food scene to the bright lights of Manhattan.

The US Open sells by session rather than by a single all-access pass. A grounds admission gets you into every court except the two show courts — Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong — while reserved seats for those are sold separately and split into day and night sessions. The night sessions in Ashe are the marquee tickets and sell out first. The first week is the best value: the full draw is still in, and a grounds pass puts you feet from top players on the outer courts. Tickets are sold through the official channels and Ticketmaster, with verified resale filling the gap once sessions sell out.

Late August into early September in New York is hot and humid — daytime sessions can be brutal in direct sun, so night sessions are more comfortable. The food on the grounds is a genuine part of the experience, not an afterthought. And the real magic is the opening days: arrive early and court-hop while all 128 players are still in the draw.