USTA Press Release, August 2021

For 2021, the US Open Qualifying Tournament will not be open for fans to attend. This was a particularly tough decision for the USTA to make, given the immense popularity of US Open Qualifying among fans, but after consulting with local health authorities and the US Open medical team, it was determined that it was the right decision to ensure the health and safety of all.

Qualifying week is the time when the greatest number of players and their entourages are on site. With 256 qualifiers sharing space with the hundreds of main draw singles and doubles players, as well as all of those players’ respective teams, more than 2,500 people need to be accessing the site during this week.  And this year, because indoor capacity at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has been greatly reduced due to COVID protocols, many of the player facilities, including dining, training, and recreation facilities, have been moved outdoors onto the grounds of the NTC into public areas for the week of Qualifying. With that, there is not enough room to allow fans to access the site while still ensuring player and fan safety—which remains our top priority.

US Open fans will be able to watch the US Open Qualifying Tournament on ESPN+ and there will also be coverage of all qualifying matches, player practices, and player interviews on ESPN News, from Tuesday,  Aug. 24-Friday August 27 from 11am-6pm ET.