A Sneak Peek at Flushing Meadows: US Open 2021 Venue

One of the most highly anticipated Grand Slam tournaments every year, the US Open will be allowing full audience capacity for its entire two weeks this year after the COVID-19 pandemic banned spectators last year. Fortunately for fans, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has finally announced that tickets will be on sale for courts and ground passes starting this month leading up to the tournament season in August at the sprawling Flushing Meadows in New York from the 30th until September 12.

For those who haven’t been to this year’s venue, the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park has been home to the Mets baseball franchise for over five decades now. It has hosted two world fairs so far and is most prominent for being home to the annual US Open since 1978 wherein thousands of tennis fans flock to its world-class Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Let’s take a sneak peek at what else the venue has to offer, now that many of us can move around more thanks to life-saving vaccines.

A note on the USTA’s decision

While most establishments in the U.S. have more or less become lenient towards face mask mandates and social distancing, the USTA’s decision to return to 100% capacity for the US Open goes with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) advice that allows vaccinated individuals to attend sporting events, but with ample consideration of COVID-19 numbers within the area.

For tournament organizers, health and safety measures will still be in full effect as approved by federal, state, and city officials. A comprehensive medical and safety plan created in conjunction with the Medical Advisory Group, and other health and security officials will also be put into place to mitigate potential risks. Check the US Open’s latest updates on health and safety here.

Earlier in the year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had already eased social distancing rules, given that 70% of the city’s adult population has already been vaccinated with at least one dose. Baseball games are already in full capacity at Flushing Meadows, but since the US Open will be the first major tennis tournament to hold full capacity in the country, which is a far cry from last year’s no spectator matches, no stones will be left unturned to ensure that it doesn’t become a super-spreader.

Back to full capacity

In 2019 before the pandemic broke out, over 700,000 fans went and gathered for the US Open. Recent Grand Slam tournaments such as the French Open allowed a maximum 5,000 crowd capacity at the Roland Garros grounds for its first week and eventually became more lenient for the succeeding weeks, with an estimated 13,000 seats filled during the finals match between world number 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

The recently concluded 2021 Wimbledon championships held at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club saw Djokovic back in the finals against Italian Matteo Berrettini, who he defeated to capture his 6th Wimbledon title and 20th Grand Slam to tie co-legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. That tournament was initially set for a 50% capacity for the first week and also grew to full spectator capacity by the final matches.

With all seats taken, the atmosphere at this year’s US Open will definitely be nothing short of electric which the tournament has come to be known for, especially during the evening matches.

Other attractions

For fans flocking to Flushing Meadows who want to take a breather from the matches, the child-friendly New York Hall of Science is nearby for educational tours. The hall is considered one of the leading science museums in the country and has been part of the park since the 1964 World Fair. Among the cool stuff you can check out at the New York Hall of Science are exhibits on climate change, perception, physics, and of course, sports.

A few steps away, you can also marvel at some of the first US rockets to be launched into space at Rocket Park. And if you are in a sporting mood yourself, you can also play a round of minigolf while learning the science of motion and gravity.

Another museum that might be worth your while is the Queens Art Museum–the only surviving structure from the city’s first World Fair in 1939. There, you can see the Panorama of New York’s five boroughs, a Family Art Workshop where you can spend time with the little ones, the iconic Unisphere, and live musical performances on schedule on the museum’s lawn area.

Over at the indoor World Ice Arena inside the Aquatic Center, you can rent skates and while away time or practice your triple axels for free. If you have a New York City recreation center membership, you can also freshen up in the Olympic-sized swimming pool a level up from the skating rink. Be sure to check schedules beforehand so you won’t waste your time visiting the many places of interest within Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

What to expect this year

Now that we know that the US Open will be opening its gates to full capacity with fewer to no COVID-19 restrictions, here are some tips you’d want to check out to be safe and sure. Individual tickets are now on sale via the tournament’s official Ticketmaster site here, and you should take note that there will be no separate ticket ‘exchange’ site this year.

Also being done for the first time, the men’s semifinal round will be split into two ticketed seasons with the Day and Evening sessions by September 10. That means you’d have to secure two separate tickets if you plan to watch both matches. And unlike previous years, the qualifying tournament and player practices for the week leading to the main draw tournament will be closed to the public this year. Due to existing public health and safety concerns, the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day will not push through as well this season.

Now that everything has been laid out for you, go score your tickets and enjoy this year’s almost- back-to-normal US Open!

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