All renderings courtesy of USTA
The U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium is getting an $800 million revamp, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Monday, marking the largest single investment in the tennis tournament’s history. Unveiled on Monday, the project includes a redesigned grand entrance designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, expanded public space, upgraded concourses, a larger courtside bowl, and a new players-only building with state-of-the-art training facilities, premium accommodations, and cafes. Work is already underway and will roll out in three phases, continuing through 2025 and 2026 without disrupting tennis events, with completion expected ahead of the 2027 U.S. Open.
“The US Open is the pinnacle of sports and entertainment, with the greatest athletes and fans in all of sport, and this reimagination of Arthur Ashe Stadium and construction of a state-of-the-art Player Performance Center will enhance the experience for everyone that comes on site to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,” Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA, said in a press release.
Entirely self-funded by the USTA, the project addresses the stadium’s cramped conditions and limited walking space, while aiming to meet the growing demand driven by tennis’s rising popularity in the United States.
New York City owns the 46 acres in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park that house Arthur Ashe Stadium and leases the land to the USTA, similar to its arrangements with the Yankees and Mets for their stadiums, according to the New York Times.
The USTA has already spent more than $1 billion on construction around its grounds, including three new stadiums and the renovation of all of the outdoor courts and practice areas.
Led by Rossetti, the architect of the original Arthur Ashe Stadium and the 2018 grounds renovation, the project will significantly enhance the world’s largest tennis stadium and elevate the fan experience.
The upgrades start with a striking new grand entrance that befits the sport’s grandest stage. Rossetti collaborated with architect Daniel Libeskind, the master planner behind the rebuilt World Trade Center, on the design.
Open space for fans on the promenade and loge levels will increase by 40 percent. Completely modernized concourses will introduce fresh retail options alongside new food and beverage vendors. Additionally, bathroom access will be substantially improved across all concourses, with new escalators and elevators connecting each level.
To enhance the courtside experience, the courtside-level bowl will be expanded by 2,000 seats, increasing capacity from 3,000 to 5,000. New club and restaurant areas will offer premium dining and hospitality, along with two new dedicated luxury suite levels.
A major component of the project is the new $250 million player performance center, offering nearly 2,800 players and their teams a state-of-the-art support facility during the U.S. Open each year. The two-story center, located on the top two floors of a four-story building west of the stadium, will feature expanded indoor and outdoor fitness and warm-up areas, including turf, track, and official U.S. Open training courts.
It will also feature spacious locker rooms and lounges that offer players a spa-like experience, complemented by expansive indoor dining, an all-new outdoor player courtyard, a player-only cafe, and a dedicated player entrance. The center should be fully complete by the 2027 U.S. Open.
Phase one, scheduled for completion ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open, will focus on structural work to enable in-stadium construction during the following two phases. This phase will also include building the first two stories of the player performance center, as well as some behind-the-scenes work.
Phase two, set to begin between the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Opens, will remove the existing courtside and suite levels at Arthur Ashe Stadium and replace them with the expanded courtside bowl and two new luxury suite levels. It will also complete the top two floors of the players’ center, though the facility won’t be accessible to players until after phase three.
The final phase, scheduled between the 2026 and 2027 U.S. Opens, will complete the major components of the project, including the new grand entrance, loge and promenade levels, concourses, elevators and escalators, hospitality suites, and the player performance center.
“This project enables us to maintain the greatest stage in tennis—Arthur Ashe Stadium—which was constructed more than 25 years ago, and modernize it in a way that will set it up for the next 25 years,” Lew Sherr, CEO and executive director of USTA, said.
“It also provides us the opportunity to give the players that compete in that stadium an unparalleled space that will enable them to perform at their best and enjoy a higher level of luxury and comfort while they are off the court.”
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All renderings courtesy of USTA
