The furore around ticket prices at this year’s US Open has been taken out of context, according to former champion Andy Roddick.
Tennis365 led the way earlier last month as we were the first to report on the extravagant prices for tickets to attend the men’s US Open final on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
At the time of our first report, the top price for tickets to watch the final match of this year’s US Open had already topped $20,000.
Now that figure has reached ridiculous levels, with the ticket resale market offering men’s final tickets for an obscene $34,944.18.
That figure is all part of the dynamic pricing feature on the tournament’s official ticket site, with former world No 1 Roddick quick to suggest anyone who believes USTA chiefs are profiting for those lavish sales are missing the mark.
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“Smart people are getting on an opinion that benefits themselves, right?” said Roddick on his podcast.
“They do this without mentioning secondary marketing and how the pricing actually works once it’s out of the USTA’s hands—which you have to go through.
“So listen, just have a nuanced argument. Is it overpriced? Is it too expensive? Hell yes, completely agree on that. Absolutely, we’re not arguing that it’s not. This sucks.
“But to say the USTA are charging these prices is categorically false. The issue here is the ticket resale market.”
The notion that anyone could pay $34,944.18 for a single ticket to watch a tennis match seems implausible, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski suggesting the market for resale tickets has become ‘crazy’.
“You gotta buy two tickets and bring a date for you, so it will be an expensive night if you are buying on the resale market,” said Rusedski on his podcast.
“It’s crazy what some people will pay for tickets, but I guess it’s supply and demand. And you know, you are in New York City, which is one of the most expensive cities on the planet at the moment, especially with inflation.
“So there are some wealthy individuals who can manage to do those things, but I’m quite shocked by those prices. I’m glad I don’t have to pay for tickets when I go to the US Open.
“There’s got to be some balance for the fans and prices of tickets. If you’re charging that much money for people, and you know, people’s wages haven’t gone up at that rate. So they still have to make it affordable so you can have your regular fan get in there and not put themselves in debt or put themselves in these situations. And that’s where you gotta find the balance.
“I remember some of my best opportunities as a child were either watching tennis live, watching the Canadian Open or going to the ice hockey at the Montreal Forum.
“Usually you’re gonna go with your mom, your dad, your sister, or your brother, and you’re thinking four tickets, okay, is maybe a hundred, two hundred dollars back then. And now you’re talking in the thousands, which just seems crazy, especially with the size of the stadiums. You saw the sty stadiums in America and also the US Open is the biggest stadium in the world at any major.
“So it’s these combinations where I think they have to still have that affordability for people to come out and experience this wonderful sport, whether it’s tennis, whether it’s football, whatever sport you desire. And seeing something live is even that much more special rather than watching it on TV.”
The USTA are not reaping the rewards of these extravagantly inflated ticket prices, with the resale market becoming a huge money spinner for companies like Ticketmaster and those eager to cash in on tickets bought for a face value price.
