New Delhi: The US Open main court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, will get revamped as part of an $800m renovation project at Flushing Meadows, as announced by the United States Tennis Association. The same has been described as the “largest investment in US Open history” at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
The project includes a plan to increase the capacity of the stadium by 2,000 seats. Currently, the stadium has a capacity of 23,772 and is the largest tennis arena in the world. The stadium will be equipped with a new main entrance with facilities inside for fans to be modernised. The renovation will be completed by 2027, with construction taking place in phases to avoid any interruption in the 2025 and 2026 editions of the tournament.
A Reimagined Arthur Ashe Stadium headlines historic US Open transformation.
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— US Open Tennis (@usopen) May 19, 2025
CEO and executive director of the USTA, Lew Sherr, said, “This project enables us to maintain the greatest stage in tennis, Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was constructed more than 25 years ago, and modernise it in a way that will set it up for the next 25 years.”
Player experience takes centre stage in historic expansion
As part of the broader plan, a brand-new two-story Player Performance Centre will also be built at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. This $250 million facility is designed to elevate the player experience with expanded indoor and outdoor fitness zones, upgraded warm-up areas, and redesigned locker rooms that aim to offer a luxurious, spa-like feel. There will also be a larger and more modern dining space for players to unwind during the tournament.
The improvements mark a major shift from the early days of the tournament. Tennis legend and four-time US Open champion John McEnroe recalled how, decades ago, a keg of beer in the locker room used to be considered a top-tier perk for players. Speaking at an event in Manhattan, the 66-year-old New Yorker joked that players from his generation wouldn’t believe the high standards being introduced now, and expressed excitement at how far the event has come in treating its stars.
This new project comes on the heels of a previous five-year $600 million renovation that wrapped up in 2018. That plan brought major changes including the opening of a new Louis Armstrong Stadium which features a retractable roof and seats over 14,000 fans.
The USTA continues to push the envelope for the US Open which attracted a record-breaking crowd of over one million people in 2024. With the main draw expanded to 15 days starting from this year, organisers expect the tournament to be more fun as roughly 70,000 additional attendees will get access to the early rounds of the event. All of this signals the event’s ambition to not just stay relevant but to lead the way in tennis for years to come.
From spa-like locker rooms to a larger draw and fan capacity, the US Open’s ambitious $800M overhaul to redefine what it means to host a Grand Slam. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
