NEW YORK — It’s billed as the most attended annual sporting event in the world, and it’s back: The U.S. Open tennis tournament, with more than 700,000 ticket buyers each year, will take place from Monday, Aug. 29, through Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Flushing, New York.
Though the championship began 135 years ago in Newport, Rhode Island, as a men’s competition (the women’s event started six years later in Philadelphia), it wasn’t called the U.S. Open until 1968 and didn’t move to Flushing until 1978.
Tennis fans can buy tickets for the games, but attending a match isn’t the only way to get into the U.S. Open spirit: the U.S. Tennis Association, the organization that operates the tournament, has two tennis-related events before the official games start, and bars, restaurants and hotels around New York City are doing their bit with packages and themed drinks and food.
Tickets
Tickets for the 2016 U.S. Open can be purchased three ways: at USOpen.org, by calling Ticketmaster at 866-673-6849 and at all Ticketmaster outlets; there are several in New York City, and locations are listed on ticketmaster.com. Prices begin at $35.
The tournament will have day sessions beginning at 11 a.m. and night sessions beginning at 7 p.m. from Aug. 29 through the quarterfinals on Sept. 7. The women’s singles semifinals are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 8, and the men’s singles semifinals for 3 p.m. on Sept. 9. The women’s singles final is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sept. 10, with the men’s singles final at 4 p.m. on Sept. 11.
Tennis, Free
See the live matches free, no strings attached. On Sept. 8, the USTA is hosting its second U.S. Open Community Day from noon to 6 p.m. when admission to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is free, and fans will be able to watch both the men’s and women’s doubles semifinals as well as the Champions Invitational where former Grand Slam tournament champions such as John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova play.
What Bars and Restaurants Are Doing
Several bars and restaurants in the city are hosting U.S. Open viewing parties and serving special drinks and food. Below is a sampling:
Bottle & Bine, a New American restaurant in Midtown East, is serving a U.S. Open Combo Special throughout the tournament. It includes the Match Point cocktail, made of gin, violet cream, lemon juice and simple syrup, and a Maine lobster salad; the price for both is $26. The restaurant also has two large televisions in its bar area where the games will be on view.
Warren 77, a sports bar in TriBeCa, has a U.S. Open Happy Hour on weekdays throughout the tournament from noon to 6 p.m.; selected draft beer and wines are $6, and chicken wings are $1 each. The bar has nine televisions, which will show the matches.
Riverpark, a farm-to-table restaurant in Kips Bay, is serving a U.S.-Open-inspired cocktail menu. The selection of drinks includes a John McEnroe, with watermelon and jalapeño-infused tequila, watermelon, cherry liqueur and lime. Drinks are $16.
Hotel Packages
New York City Vacation Packages, a travel company selling trips to New York City, is offering a U.S. Open Package. Included are a two-night stay in one of about 30 hotels in Midtown Manhattan such as the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel; tickets to a match on Sept. 3; a $25 credit toward food and souvenirs at the tennis center; a round-trip MetroCard to use to take the subway back and forth from the tennis center; and free admission to attractions like the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History. From $434.50 per person.
The Quin, in Midtown West, is offering the U.S. Open Tennis Experience: a two-night stay in a suite, two prime tickets to a match and breakfast. From $1,995 a night.
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