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Arthur Ashe Stadium, the grandest stage in tennis, is set for an $800 million reinvention that promises to serve both fans and players a serious upgrade—without so much as a single delay in play.
Announced Monday by the USTA, the transformation is the largest investment in the history of the U.S. Open and will completely modernize the stadium, build a state-of-the-art Player Performance Center, and usher in a new era for one of New York’s most iconic sporting events.
The renovation will unfold over three phases through 2027, carefully scheduled to avoid disrupting the 2025 or 2026 tournaments. The new look will include a Daniel Libeskind-designed Grand Entrance, expanded concourses (up 40-percent), more elevators and escalators, vastly improved food, drink, and retail spaces and 2,000 additional courtside seats. Two new luxury suite levels and sleek hospitality lounges will bring a level of comfort and glam typically reserved for the Met Gala.
“This project enables us to maintain the greatest stage in tennis, which was constructed more than 25 years ago, and modernize it in a way that will set it up for the next 25 years,” said USTA CEO Lew Sherr. “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.”
That includes athletes getting their own $250 million playground in the form of a new Player Performance Center. Perched atop a four-story structure on the west side of the stadium, the facility will feature indoor and outdoor training turf, spa-style locker rooms, lounges and a private cafe. The center will also boast a new players-only courtyard and an exclusive entryway, giving the world’s top competitors the backstage treatment they deserve.
The architectural heavy-hitters behind the redesign include ROSSETTI (the original Ashe Stadium architect), Libeskind (of World Trade Center fame), and hospitality design expert Garrett Singer, known for building out buzzy clubs and restaurants across the country.
And in a refreshing twist, the entire project is fully self-funded by the USTA—no taxpayer dollars required. With the Open already delivering $1.2 billion in annual economic impact to the city, the upgrades promise to pay off for the city as much as for the sport.