U.S. Open ticket prices are through the roofs at Ashe and Armstrong stadiums

Penny Bawden had come all the way from London to take in the U.S. Open, but it did not take her long to grasp two truisms about the event.

First, this: “Everything is expensive, terribly expensive. Everything. For that drink, with about a shot of Chambord in it, I paid $22.”

But also, this: “It doesn’t seem to stop it, does it? It’s very crowded. Somebody’s got the money. Or they save up.”

Bawden made a sweeping motion from the outer balcony of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday afternoon as every corner of the National Tennis Center teemed with fans from around the world. They numbered 73,007 on this day (and night), the first time in the history of the event that a single-day attendance number has eclipsed 73,000, the USTA announced. 

It was, indeed, another great day to be the USTA, with a seemingly endless supply of tennis aficionados willing and able to pay their way.

People have been complaining about expensive food at the Open for decades. (In fairness, concession prices at other sports events largely have caught up to the Open on many menu items.)

But tickets are the biggest-ticket cost, and those continue to defy gravity in an ever-rising tide of options — and prices.

Trying to pin down precise costs is complicated, thanks to an array of prices and packages, and to the fact that not only do prices vary by day and circumstances on the resale market but even when buying from the USTA itself.

When a reporter approached the box office just before noon on Wednesday, the pickings were slim, and costly.

There was one seat available in Section 41 of Arthur Ashe for the afternoon, a corner location on the first level that was offered for $567.26, including taxes.

What about a seat in the less-expensive Louis Armstrong Stadium? There were options there that ranged from $255.87 to $335.56.

A humble grounds pass to check out lesser lights on other courts? $103.44.

When tickets first went on sale, an upper deck seat at Ashe for the first round had a face value of $60 for day sessions, $35 at night. A courtside ticket for the men’s final cost $4,000.

The real action, though, is on the secondary market, where anything goes.

One fan said she bought seats on StubHub at the 100-level for Monday afternoon and paid $755 for two, including fees.

Another said he paid $277.89 from Ticketmaster’s resale site for two tickets for Tuesday at Armstrong.

As of Wednesday, StubHub had grounds passes for Thursday afternoon, including fees, at $211 each and seats in Armstrong for $322 each.

What about the men’s final on Sept. 10? The least expensive tickets on StubHub were $711 each, including fees, and courtside seats were going for $14,587.

TicketIQ said that average prices for this year’s Open are $621, the highest ever tracked by that secondary market site.

Last year’s average price on TicketIQ was $568, even with the added excitement surrounding Serena Williams’ final Open. In 2011, the average was $299.

TickPick said its average actual purchase price this year is $376, up 11% over last year’s $339 at this stage.

StubHub said its sales volume is up 60% over 2022, with the average ticket price for sales averaging around $360, comparable to last year.

“It’s prohibitive; it’s outrageously expensive,” Kim Nolan of St. James said outside Ashe following the afternoon session.

Still, she said she was coming back next week for the men’s semifinals with tickets that a friend obtained for a relatively modest $217 each.

Bawden said she did not know what she paid for her tennis tickets, because they were part of an all-inclusive package trip through a broker.

But there she was. “Well, we don’t come to New York that often,” she said. “But it is expensive. We’ve had a few surprises.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.