Tennis Atlantic

US Open Qualifying Week: Still The Greatest Show on Earth

Steve Fogleman in Queens

(August 18, 2025)—I don’t know about you, but change comes harder to me as I get older. According to my ‘sources’ who attended The Tournament Formerly Known As The Western & Southern Open (TTFKATW&SO), the new money bosses ruined Cincinnati by expanding it to a two week event. They can talk about sellouts, but when Jannik Sinner is playing on Stadium and the courtside is less than half full, it doesn’t look that exciting to me. More like an opportunity to have more days to $ell more concessions, sell more tickets, etc.

I’ve always spoken from a perspective of a fan rather than the players or the financial interests that fuel and profit from professional tennis events. I will reserve judgment on the USTA’s decision to host mixed doubles during Fan Week until it is concluded, but today brings the fan free entry to 64 singles qualifying matches, the same as it ever was. In a very good way.

It’s been a cruel summer for this fan. For now, let’s just say that I am suffering from a major “health scare”. It has slowed my roll at attending as many events as I could during the summer swing and finally allowed me to focus on my family, friends and myself. For example, back to Cincinnati again. Who in their right mind would visit that town every single year but for the tournament? How many times did I not see my daughter for a week and how many times can one eat Cincinnati chili? You really do only live once, but I argue that New York is worth the trip every single year.

To be fair, staying in Queens can be cruel. The air quality is poor, the authentic international food is full of sodium, added sugars and saturated fat and I admit that I loved every bite of it until life forced me to change my diet. But it’s where a tennis nut should stay if they want to be able to spend more than a day or two at the greatest show on earth. I’ve always been jealous of my more casual fan friends who stay in Manhattan for a week, enjoying their vacation and coming out to Flushing for a day or so. Sadly, that isn’t me. And don’t get me wrong. If you live in the New York area, by all means, go home every night and sleep in your home bed. As we all know, there is no better bed anywhere but your own.

Fan Week, or US Open qualifying as I will always call it, is and always has been the most entertaining and egalitarian event I’ve ever known. For the $2.90 price of a subway or bus fare, you are subjected to a million dollar experience. It was slightly disconcerting to see resale general admission mixed doubles courtside seats to Ashe going for $275.00, but you don’t have to go. Ashe was always out of service during qualifying, so no one can accuse the USTA of a money grab. The focus has been on qualifying and that hasn’t changed. Thank you, USTA.

I know that some players are not happy with the star-studded selection process, but the fans ultimately pay for the prize money, so I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.

I’ve never been more excited about USO qualifying. It’s where dreams are made and careers are launched. See you there.

—S. Fogleman