U.S. Open Pushes Beyond Queens to Bring Tennis to the People

Today’s guest column is from Nicole Kankam, managing director of pro tennis marketing and entertainment for the United States Tennis Association.

When the USTA debuted a new marketing campaign for the U.S. Open in 2022, Queen Latifah, in a TV and digital spot, pointed up to the Arthur Ashe stadium lights and delivered the campaign’s bold tag line: “Spectacular awaits.” More than four years of extraordinary growth later, the words ring truer than ever.

The growth of the U.S. Open hasn’t been a coincidence. It’s been the result of a deliberate, strategic effort from the USTA, the not-for-profit governing body of tennis in America, to turn the tournament into a global beacon of the sport, all in the name of growing the game. Accomplishing that mission requires delivering a truly world-class experience, but it also means the event must remain accessible and welcoming to fans across every economic level.

To ensure the U.S. Open is an event that’s truly open to all, we’ve expanded the first week of the event—Fan Week—and are this year offering more free fun for fans. This year’s U.S. Open Fan Week starts on Sunday, Aug. 23, kicking off with Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. With a free Fan Access Pass, members of the public can enter the grounds free of charge, all week long.

Fan Week offers a variety of activities and world-class tennis, including practice sessions, the U.S. Open qualifying wildcard challenge and the U.S. Open qualifying tournament. And based on the success of last year’s reimagined Mixed Doubles Championship presented by Vital Proteins, we’ve added an extra day of mixed doubles qualifying that fans can watch for free.

Along with creating more low- to no-cost tennis events for visitors, the tournament also has expanded its activities and entertainment around the Open.

Music lovers have multiple free opportunities on the grounds—a stellar lineup on Fountain Plaza stage, the pulsing headphones at the U.S. Open silent disco party and DJ sets during the U.S. Open block party. The Savannah Bananas will play tennis on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. Marvel fans also get a piece of the action, with 45,000 limited-edition, New York City-themed Spider-Man comic books available for free during the week.

Just as important as the experience on the grounds, we’re also bringing the U.S. Open to fans beyond Queens with a series of activations celebrating the event’s New York connection.

To bolster the 2026 theme of “Celebrating our New York story,” the USTA has created a slew of immersive, fan-friendly and free activations throughout the five boroughs.

Running the first week of the singles main draw, the U.S. Open Experience is a free, public event in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards that gives fans the chance to pick up a racket—perhaps for the first time—and play Red Ball tennis on two 40-foot sport courts. Gamers can show off their skills with tennis-themed video games in titles like Fortnite and Roblox. Everyone will have the chance to strut through a replicated player tunnel like the one in Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

Throughout the five boroughs, the first-ever U.S. Open ice cream truck will be dishing out free scoops at public park tennis courts.

From anywhere in the world, fans can tune into the U.S. Open’s YouTube channel and watch “Rally the Boroughs,” a five-episode competition series that follows three teams of tennis enthusiasts through New York as they solve clues and overcome unique challenges, with the winning team earning tickets to the 2026 singles finals.

The U.S. Open is a premier sports and entertainment spectacle, and the event reached that lofty level thanks to the support of its incredible fan base. These new activations and free offerings are designed precisely with those fans in mind—the ones who come back year after year, those cheering on from their homes, and those new fans we have yet to meet. We’ve worked hard to ensure that spectacular truly awaits all of them.

Nicole Kankam is the managing director, pro tennis marketing and entertainment, for the United States Tennis Association, where she oversees all marketing and entertainment for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. She’s led numerous award-winning marketing campaigns for the U.S. Open that have driven record-setting ticket sales and fan engagement while championing social responsibility.