Morning at the Practice Facility
Free with a grounds pass from 9am — arm's reach from world top-10 players before the sessions start
The US Open practice facility is on the eastern side of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds, a short walk from Arthur Ashe Stadium. It has 12 practice courts and, during the first week of the tournament, you can stand at the fence within arm's reach of players ranked in the world's top 10 going through their pre-match routines.
When to go
Morning is the window. Arrive at the grounds when gates open (around 11am for day session grounds passes, but practice begins earlier — check the USTA schedule for practice facility opening times, typically 8am or 9am). The hour before the day session starts is when the most interesting practice activity happens: players warming up for that day's match, working on specific shots, finishing off their preparation. After noon, most of the practice courts clear out as the session has already started.
A grounds pass covers access to the practice facility without any additional ticket. The one advantage over the main stadiums is proximity — the practice courts have no fixed seating, so you stand at the fence and you are genuinely close to the court.
What you'll see
In the first week, expect to see players ranging from seeds 10 through 30 using the practice facility, alongside unseeded players and qualifiers. Top seeds (1–5) typically have designated practice times and courts that attract larger crowds, but the total practice facility crowd is much lighter than the main stadiums, and the access is proportionally better.
Doubles teams also practice here, often at times when singles players are in session. If you're interested in doubles, the practice facility is the best opportunity to watch the best players in that format up close.
Practical notes
Bring water — the practice facility courts are exposed, and August heat is direct. Shade is limited. Early morning is comfortable; by 11am it can be genuinely hot. A hat is not optional. The practice facility has no dedicated food concessions, but the main grounds concourse is a short walk.
Why it's special
Practice court access at the US Open is better than any other Grand Slam. At Wimbledon, the practice facility at Aorangi Park is accessible but the AELTC limits close access carefully. At Roland Garros the practice areas are separated from the main crowds. The USTA has a relatively open policy — grounds pass, morning, the practice facility — that puts fans genuinely close to players in a setting that doesn't exist elsewhere at this level of the sport.
The experience is unglamorous in the best sense. No commentary, no crowd noise, no stakes — just players hitting serves and working on the shot pattern they're going to need against a specific opponent later that day. Watching that, close up, without the mediation of a broadcast, is a different kind of sports observation. It's where you see how good these players actually are without the match context to frame it.
Insider tips
- 1
The practice facility is on the eastern side of the USTA grounds — a separate area from the main stadiums. Allow 10 minutes to walk there from the gates and orient yourself.
- 2
The window is 8am to 11am. By noon, most players have moved to warm up for the day session and the courts clear out. An early grounds pass or arriving with the gate opening is the right approach.
- 3
The USTA publishes a practice schedule the evening before on the US Open app. Player assignments change based on the next-day match schedule — check it the night before rather than hoping to find your preferred player by walking around.
- 4
There are no fixed seats at the practice courts — you stand at the fence. Spots at the front rail fill fast on courts with top-10 players. For courts numbered 8–12 with mid-ranked seeds, you can often walk straight to the front.
- 5
Doubles teams practice here when singles players are in session. If you follow doubles, the practice facility is your best access point — the crowd is lighter and the proximity is excellent.
Practical info
What to avoid
Don't arrive expecting top-3 seeds to be uncrowded — the biggest names attract a significant following even at practice, and the front rail fills early. Don't come at noon; the interesting window closes as the day session approaches. Don't ignore the secondary courts where unseeded and lower-seeded players are working — the technique is visible at close range in a way it isn't on the main show courts, and there are no crowds competing for your view. And don't assume practice is a watered-down version of the main event — watching a player work on a specific shot pattern they're going to need in three hours, at arm's reach, is a different quality of sports observation.
