US Open Fan Week 2026 Begins as NYC Prepares for Major Street Closures

The 2026 US Open began its free Fan Week on Monday, August 24, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, launching qualifying matches while city officials implemented extensive traffic closures across New York City.

Organizers expect over 1.2 million spectators to visit Flushing Meadows-Corona Park through the end of the tournament on September 13. The main draw of the final Grand Slam of the season is scheduled to start on August 30.

Qualifying rounds from August 24 through August 27 will determine which players capture the remaining 32 spots in both the men's and women's singles draws. Main draw entrants include stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina, and Taylor Fritz, while competitors such as Jack Draper, Grigor Dimitrov, Bianca Andreescu, and Zheng Qinwen enter qualifying.

To manage high crowd sizes, organizers required adult visitors to register for a free Fan Access Pass. High demand temporarily forced registration to close on Thursday before officials reopened access on Friday afternoon, citing capacity management needs.

Brendan McIntyre, the spokesman for the U.S. Open, explained the reasoning behind the registration system.

"You need to register for a pass to get in," said Brendan McIntyre, spokesman for the U.S. Open. "But that does not guarantee you will get in."

The tournament added the pass requirement following rapid growth in Fan Week attendance over recent years, according to the USTA.

"We just don’t want to have a situation where too many people come out and a percentage are unable to get in because we have too many people on site," said Brendan McIntyre, spokesman for the U.S. Open.

To handle the expected surge of tennis fans, additional subway and Long Island Rail Road service is scheduled at the end of each day. The NYPD and the Department of Transportation announced major road closures around Queens through September 13, including sections of Northern Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue, College Point Boulevard, 126th Street/Seaver Way, and the entire length of Meridian Road.

The traffic restrictions also coincide with other weekend events across the city, including Summer Streets closures on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn and Grand Concourse in the Bronx, a Pakistan Independence Day parade along Madison Avenue, and a Midtown street fair on Sixth Avenue.

Qualifying matches are scheduled to broadcast live on ESPN2 and stream on fubo and the ESPN app starting at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. Eastern Time daily through Thursday.