FLUSHING, N.Y., September 30, 2026 (Media Release)

The 2026 US Open set the stage for and delivered its most successful tennis and entertainment celebration in history, crowning world-class champions, showcasing standout performances by American athletes and shattering all-time global engagement and viewership records. From record-breaking turnouts taking advantage of expanded free and affordable fan access to unprecedented digital reach worldwide, the US Open reaffirmed its standing as one of the most valuable platforms for fans, partners and players, while delivering the sport’s best economic opportunities for players.

“Shattering records at the US Open isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about expanding the reach of the game we all love to build the next generation of players and fans. We’re determined to make the US Open the favorite destination for every professional player, continue to deliver exceptional return on investment for our partners, and give every fan an experience they’ll talk about for years. If a fan leaves Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, or logs off their screen feeling inspired to grab a racquet and play, that is the ultimate victory,” said Craig Tiley, CEO of the USTA.

Historic Champions and American Player On-Court Success

• Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina each added to their Hall-of-Fame resumes by winning the Men’s and Women’s Singles Championships, each their first US Open titles. In doing so, both players captured their second Grand Slam of the season, making them the most accomplished man and woman of the year in Grand Slam play. Zverev became just the second German man to win the US Open, securing his second major title following his French Open victory in June. By winning the US Open, Rybakina now is a French Open title away from completing a Career Grand Slam, a feat accomplished by only 10 women in history.
• Ben Shelton reached his first major singles final, becoming only the second American man to reach a Grand Slam final in the last decade, alongside Taylor Fritz. Other notable American results included Taylor Townsend winning the women’s doubles title to achieve the Career Grand Slam in doubles, and Christian Harrison, who captured the men’s doubles championship, following his Australian Open title earlier this year.
• Americans overall set multi-generational high marks for the total number of players advancing deep into the Singles Main Draws – indicative of sustainable, long-term success. Ten U.S. players reached the round of 16 and six reached the quarterfinals, both the most since 2002, and both the men’s and women’s draws featured two American semifinalists for the second time in three years.
• Mixed doubles champions Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik; men’s doubles champions Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski and women’s doubles champions Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova all took home $1 million as teams.
• Further American success followed in juniors, with Marcel Latak winning the boys’ singles title and twin sisters Annika and Kristina Penickova winning the girls’ doubles title.
• This year’s Wheelchair Championships featured British star Alfie Hewett sweeping the men’s singles and doubles titles with Gordon Reid. Japan’s Yui Kamiji won her second consecutive US Open title to complete a sweep of the women’s singles and doubles, alongside Zhenzhen Zhu, while Dutchman Niels Vink secured his second consecutive quad singles trophy to complete the Calendar Grand Slam, with Sam Schroder and Jin Woodman taking the quad doubles title.
• France’s Aaron Gabet and Spain’s Valentin Gonzalez-Galino won the boys’ doubles title, ending Marcel Latak’s bid for a junior boys’ sweep. In the junior wheelchair competition, Britain’s Matthew Knoesen swept the boys’ singles and doubles titles, a feat also accomplished in the girls’ division by Japan’s Seira Matsuoka.

The Most Highly Attended US Open in History while Maintaining Accessibility

More than 1.2 million fans attended the 2026 US Open, once again setting a record for the event. This included sellouts of every ticketed event of the entire tournament. In total, more than 300,000 fans visited during US Open Fan Week, also a record.

While the US Open works hard to keep original face-value tickets accessible, unprecedented demand means inventory at every price point sells out almost instantly and this high demand drives up secondary market prices to levels beyond our control. However, the US Open strives to create free and affordable ways for fans to experience the US Open. These include:

• Free grounds admission was available to the public for eight of the 22 days of the US Open this year. Over the seven days of free access during Fan Week, a record number of fans got an up-close look at the world’s best players during practice matches and enjoyed a packed lineup of world-class tennis, entertainment and special events, all for free.
• More than 300,000 fans had free access to watch more than 2,500 hours of top player practice, including from courtside in Arthur Ashe Stadium, alongside two days of the star-studded Mixed Doubles Championship and the world-class competition of the US Open Qualifying Tournament.
• The US Open Fan Week Stage showcased more than 30 different performances, including top singers and DJs, Broadway collaborations and cultural entertainment from around New York City and Queens institutions. Five different podcasts also produced live shows from the Fan Week Stage, including the US Open SERVED Media Day Live Show, hosted by Andy Roddick, which turned US Open Media Day into a high-energy, interactive experience on the plaza for the first time.
• Over the course of the event’s three-plus weeks, more than 30 percent of attendees accessed the US Open at no cost and more than 50 percent accessed the event for $100 or less.
• Tickets to Arthur Ashe Stadium started as low as $38 for the 2026 US Open, and evening grounds passes were made available for $25 when night sessions were sold out in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. Fans could access the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the final three days of the event for $30, including access to Finals Fan Fest in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Additionally, 1,000 Main Draw tickets priced at $100 were set aside for purchase by New York City residents.

The US Open Experience at Hudson Yards – the immersive, free-to-the-public pop-up event held from August 30-September 5, the same dates as the first seven days of Main Draw competition, saw 250,000 total visitors and 10,000 players on court over the course of its seven-day run at Hudson Yards. The Experience brought the energy and excitement of the US Open to Manhattan and offered a multitude of authentic US Open and USTA activations, including a replica of the player walk-on tunnel into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Advantage Arena gaming zone with tennis-themed video games like Fortnite, Roblox, Tennis Clash, and Tiebreak and Red Ball tennis courts that featured programming and play from the likes of Court 16. US Open partners supported the event, including product sampling of Heineken 0.0, La Roche-Posay sunscreen and Lavazza coffee, fitness activations with Peloton and Polo Ralph Lauren’s anamorphic tennis-ball sculpture, a suspended installation of 2,000 tennis balls creating the iconic emblem of the brand.

The Experience also served up the iconic Grey Goose® Honey Deuce® US Open signature cocktail, offered US Open merchandise for sale, featured a range of daily live DJ sets and showed live matches on the big screen – a flagship of the dozen-plus free US Open watch parties held across the United States.

Global Platform for the Sport

ESPN Delivers Breakthrough Reach: In the first year of its new, 12-year domestic rights agreement, ESPN’s 2026 US Open coverage across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC marked the best viewership since 2022. This included the Women’s and Men’s Singles Championships combining to average 3 million viewers.

Worldwide, the US Open also amassed a record 374 million global broadcast viewer hours.

Ultimate Platform for the World’s Biggest Brands to Engage Their Customers: The US Open is the ultimate platform for the world’s biggest brands to engage their customers, proven by 32 world-class partners. The longevity of US Open partners was highlighted by significant anniversaries, including 45 years for JPMorganChase & Co; 40 years for evian and Tiffany & Co.; 35 years for Heineken and IBM and 20 years for Grey Goose. This year’s addition of trailblazing partnerships in health tracking technology (Oura Ring), electrolyte beverages (Electrolit), interactive fitness (Peloton), connectivity (AT&T), legal AI (Harvey), prediction markets (Kalshi) and beauty retail (Sephora) highlights the US Open’s expanding cultural reach and relevance and the powerful health and wellness benefits of the sport of tennis.

Record Fan Engagement on Digital and Social Platforms and Gaming Media: More than 12 million unique fans visited the US Open’s digital platforms powered by IBM in 2026. These platforms – including both USOpen.org and the US Open App – saw more than 270 million total engagements, a 16-percent increase over 2025.

The US Open’s owned and operated social media channels had more than 3.9 billion total interactions – up 26 percent over 2025.

The US Open’s video game collaborations saw record numbers of players throughout the three weeks of the US Open, including:

• Champions of the Court on Roblox: More than 8.8 million unique visitors with 23 million visits.
• US Open Minigame in Fortnite: More than 5.3 million players with an average playtime of 31 minutes per player.
• Tiebreak Grand Slam Edition: Over 9.8 million matches played on US Open courts during the tournament, surpassing 16M total hours played.
• US Open Serve Speed Game on Gwoop: 14 million-plus unique players and 32 million total sessions.

Largest Player Compensation in Professional Tennis History and Introduction of US Open Player Support Program and Grand Slam Player Council

The USTA once again offered the largest player compensation package in professional tennis history, reaching $108 million at the 2026 US Open. This represents a 20-percent increase from the previous record set at the 2025 US Open ($90 million), the second consecutive year of a 20-percent increase and a 44-percent increase in total compensation over two years. Players across the event enjoyed significant increases, including the largest Grand Slam payments in history for Main Draw Singles Champions at $5.5 million and first-round singles payout at $140,000.

The US Open also became the first Grand Slam to establish a Player Support Program, committing an initial $2 million, equally split between men’s and women’s players, as part of the program’s total 2026 compensation. The US Open joined the other three Grand Slam events in forming a Grand Slam Player Council to give players a voice in sporting matters.

Finally, every player received $3,500 total in American Express and travel related gift cards to offset incidental expenses incurred while competing at the US Open, representing a $2 million investment from the USTA.

Additionally, players were delivered over 25,000 pieces of match content – including photos and video highlights – via the US Open Players App to post on their own social media accounts. More than 325 players registered to receive content and engaged with the content provided.

A Platform for Growing the Game Locally and in Underresourced Communities

The USTA Foundation’s annual Opening Night Gala raised over $2.7 million to help support more than 230,000 young people with access no-cost tennis, education and mentorship programs, as well as college scholarships and high-performance training support, through more than 270 community organizations that are part of the Foundation’s flagship National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. Former world No. 3, 2017 US Open champion and Olympian Sloane Stephens was honored with the USTA Foundation’s Serving Up Dreams Award this year. Stephens has leveraged her elite tennis career into a powerful platform for social change through the Sloane Stephens Foundation. Established in 2013, her foundation empowers thousands of young people in under-resourced communities across Compton, Calif., Fresno, Ca., and Miami Gardens, Fla., by providing a blend of academic enrichment, mentorship, mental health support, and athletic training.

The USTA engaged 750 kids from more than 50 different community groups from across the country to participate in its Net Generation Kids on Court program, offering kids the opportunity to play in front of fans on main competition courts.

A number of adult groups also took part in pre-match on-court activities, showcasing Red Ball Tennis throughout the event. In addition, three adaptive groups, including wheelchair participants, showcased these formats of the sport in front of the US Open crowds. Nearly 100 kids participated in pre-match coin tosses, and a select handful participated in trophy ceremonies.

Additional Firsts and Milestones

Global Icon and Champion Roger Federer Returned to New York: For one night only, five-time consecutive US Open champion and tennis icon Roger Federer returned to New York to compete in a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition event at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, August 25. Fans were able to watch Federer play alongside 2003 US Open champion and longtime rival Andy Roddick, as well as fellow tennis legends and US Open champions Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

Record Number of Celebrity Guests: The US Open hosted more than 850 celebrities at this year’s US Open, the most in tournament history. Once again it integrated ‘Blue Carpet’ arrivals as live content produced for broadcast and social channels, as well as in-venue for Finals Fan Fest.

Three Groundbreaking Drone Shows: The USTA celebrated the launch of the US Open with a first-of-its-kind dual drone presentation on Monday, August 24, with performances lighting up the skies over Flushing-Meadows Corona Park and above the Hudson River against the iconic New York City skyline, highlighting this year’s theme, “Celebrating Our New York Story.” That marked the first time drone shows took place simultaneously over the New York City area. The following night, the US Open celebrated Roger Federer in equally spectacular fashion, with a drone show commemorating the legendary champion and icon’s career over the Hudson River that was broadcast worldwide.

Bookending Entertainment: The US Open expanded its musical experiences at the 2026 US Open, bookending the event with concerts at both the start and finish of the tournament. On August 21, acclaimed alternative rock band The Lumineers, with special guest Petey USA, kicked off the festivities with a concert inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. The US Open closed with marquee performances from more of the biggest names in music, taking its Finals Fan Fest Afterparty to another level with an electrifying performance by multi-platinum, GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Zedd, featuring HoneyLuv on the day of the women’s singles final.

Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Wheelchair Tennis: 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of the sport’s creation, as it came into existence in 1976, when a young man by the name of Brad Parks became paralyzed after a freestyle skiing accident. Parks and Jeff Minnebraker, a recreational therapist, decided to try wheelchair tennis at the local courts across from the hospital. Throughout this year’s Open, the USTA celebrated the history of wheelchair tennis by honoring past champions and legends. It also hosted the World Tennis Wheelchair Tennis Hall of Champions ceremony to recognize the players, coaches, and contributors who have played a pivotal role in growing the sport. Last year, the US Open celebrated the 20th anniversary of wheelchair tennis at the US Open. The first US Open Wheelchair Championships was held in 2005, and the event has expanded significantly over the years, to include a quad division and a junior division with distinct boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles draws.

USTA Coaching takes the Stage: Launched one year ago, USTA Coaching has grown into a nationwide network of over 17,000 coaches, providing robust digital resources, expanded education hubs, and clear certification pathways for everyone from parent volunteers to career professionals. This year, USTA Coaching launched its first-ever Coaches Open conference during Fan Week of the US Open. The flagship three-day event was designed to recognize and support coaches at all levels. The conference featured exclusive networking, educational opportunities, an innovation showcase and on-court training at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The event featured a star-studded lineup of cross-sport keynotes and industry leaders, including tennis icons Billie Jean King and Andre Agassi, Craig Tiley, USTA Coaching CEO Craig Morris, renowned tennis coaches Darren Cahill and Paul Annacone, basketball legend Dawn Staley, and Olympic hockey leaders John Wroblewski and Aerin Frankel. Attendees gained access to comprehensive programming covering culture, inclusive and adaptive coaching, AI-driven tech tools and hands-on drills. Exclusive to registered USTA Coaching community members, the conference also offered complimentary on-site childcare to ensure wide accessibility for all participating leaders.

Purpose-Driven Platform Unites Fans and Players through the Power of Tennis: For the seventh consecutive year, thousands of fans united under the core message that tennis is for everyone through the US Open’s purpose-driven, “Be Open” platform. The tournament hosted a series of impactful events—including AAPI Amplified, celebrating the Asian American Pacific Islander community; HBCU Live, highlighting the history and culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Somos Comunidad, celebrating Hispanic and Latine culture; Open Pride, honoring the LGBTQ+ community; and military members and veterans on Lt. Joe Hunt Military Appreciation Day. Held throughout the three weeks of the US Open, these celebrations featured vibrant cultural showcases, performances, special ceremonies and equity panels. Building on these community efforts, the fourth annual Champions of Equality event recognized women leading the fight for equality across sports and entertainment. Award-winning journalist Hoda Kotb received the Billie Jean King Champion of Equality Award from cultural icon Billie Jean King, alongside grassroots tennis leaders representing 16 USTA sections. Kotb joined four-time Grand Slam singles champion Kim Clijsters for a panel discussion moderated by Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist Deborah Roberts. Additionally, Tennis for All Abilities promoted accessibility through adapted tennis events and the Para-Standing Invitational.