NEW YORK – Forget Mel Deuces and the celebrities in the audience shots. The main element of the US Open – the Grand Slam held in the biggest tennis stadium in the world – will always be tennis itself. The trick, in 2026 and beyond, is to make sure that the audience actually cares about, you know, tennis.
Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev did their best on Sunday, bringing both narrative and firepower to the final four. No, the crowd was setting up for each of the galleries at each turn, and more than a few dark fans appeared on the basic concept of “sit down while the point is being made.” And when Shelton and Zverev were included, serving shots that hit 150 mph or strokes that spanned the width of the fingernails at the limits, the crowd was right with them, rising and falling, an animal that energetically beats in tennis unlike any other stage.
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Less than 24 hours before the same court; Elena Rybakina finished off Aryna Sabalenka in the three years of the triumph of the purpose and the power of spirit and fire. Sabalenka, who had won the previous two Opens, entered as a crowd favorite. But fans in the stands at Arthur Ashe love the hard-fought on-court battles as much as they love the endless roll of celebrity cameos on video boards. So after two dozen Hollywood and music stars took their turns in various rounds of applause, the crowd focused on the competition. Sabalenka drew cheers, and, as soon as the results became clear, Rybakina inspired the celebrities.
Two matches at this year’s US Open ended on a triumphant note. Finally, the tennis tournament is underway tennisnot the ticket prices or the entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium style bridge or the hundred dollar chicken nuggets. (I confess, I confess; I would have a problem with the last part.
The presence of the influx dominated early coverage of the US Open, in large part because they did their job of focusing on themselves. But in time the final crescendo of the tournament was reached. Two hours before the last crowd, the cheapest tickets that could be obtained in the amphitheater could be had for less than $400; suggesting that tennis is a prime motivator by many attending the US Open.
Those lucky thousands of attendees on Saturday and Sunday witnessed two potentially formative moments in tennis history: the rise of the American men’s game and the true flowering of a new competition in the women’s game. And you don’t have to have Mel Deuce on the front of your body to prove it well.
Spectators pose next to a stack of Honey Deuce cocktail glasses at the US Open.
(Reuters/REUTERS)
But the influence is only part of the public challenge of the US Open. A much bigger obstacle is the calendar itself. Starting the tournament in late August, it places Labor at its center, and ending on the following Sunday, the US Open marked the final face of men against the NFL Week 1.
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There’s no shame in admitting that the NFL owns an American audience, just as there’s no shame in admitting that you’ve been baking in direct sunlight all day. Several other leagues have changed their calendars to accommodate the NFL; Golf has helped the playoffs in August, and NASCAR runs many of its event races on Saturday nights.
So what does the US Open do — stand pat and accept the loss of the audience, or think boldly and rethink the traditional schedule? Earlier in August, the non-started tournament was given back to the summer heat, which is already scorching the outdoor courts. By pushing the tournament later in September, scheduling conflicts fall and the U.S. Open falls on its traditional Labor Day date, while not resolving the core issue of scheduling vs. soccer. Most of the people moving to Saturday evening have the same problem.
Some weekend players fall into the fear of running afoul football, whether on NFL Sundays or college football Saturdays. (A 90-minute storm delay in the Oregon-Oklahoma State game on Saturday pushed the women’s final into the window, forcing football on ESPN2 and then ESPNews football.
Moving people’s end to Monday makes sense, from a logistical and valuation perspective, if not necessarily delivered. Monday would eliminate all but one game worth of the competition. Yes, the international market wanted to hit, but the French Open and the Australian Open forced the Americans to raise their fears and we survived.
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With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the forefront and Zverev dominant, the men’s game is on the cusp of a new era of greatness, and the American men are working on that story. The women’s sport features a rivalry between Rybakina and Sabalenka that has world power, and once again the American women are taking their field. The national tournament should have its turn in the spotlight, with a focus on tennis.