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U.S. Tennis Association Unveils $800M Makeover of U.S. Open Complex in Queens, N.Y.

USTA unveils $800M renovation of U.S. Open complex in Queens, NY. Project includes upgrades to Arthur Ashe Stadium, new Player Performance Center for players. Three-phase construction to be completed by 2027 without disrupting tournament play.

Mon June 02, 2025 - Northeast Edition
USTA & Tennis.com


America's biggest tennis stage will soon get a major makeover.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) unveiled plans May 19, 2025, for an $800 million "reimagining" of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y., which will include a top-to-bottom transformation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the U.S Open's iconic center court.

The largest single investment in the tournament's 145-year-history, the renovation project is set to be completed in time for the beginning of the competition in August 2027. It will take place across three phases, without interrupting play or fan access for the next two tourneys.

The project is entirely self-funded by the USTA, with New York City continuing to benefit from more than $1.2 billion in annual economic impact due to the three-week-long U.S. Open.

Combined with the tournament's most recent transformation project, completed in 2018, the USTA has invested nearly $2 billion into the U.S. Open and its home facility without using any public, taxpayer or government funding.

Tennis.com reported that fans can expect more elbow room in Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was built in 1997 and last renovated in 2016. The latest project will include new loge and promenade levels and an expansive promenade concourse with an oversized, publicly-accessible premium bar featuring views of the Fountain Plaza and the Unisphere.

Also in the works is a new Player Performance Center to support the nearly 2,800 players and teams that converge on the U.S. Open every summer.

The $250 million facility will feature a two-story player area designed with both indoor and outdoor performance and relaxation spaces, as well as expansive locker rooms and lounges and a two-level parking structure on what is currently Parking Lot A.

"This is an incredibly exciting moment for our sport and for the U.S. Open," said Brian Vahaly, the USTA's chair and president. "We're proud to unveil the largest single investment in the history of this event, a multi-year transformation that will elevate the experience for every fan, player and partner who enters the grounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center."

Lew Sherr, the USTA's CEO and executive director, said the reimagination of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the nearby Player Performance Center will enhance the experience for everyone that comes to the tennis complex.

"There is something for everybody in this design," he told Tennis.com. "We are enhancing and modernizing every aspect of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the venue — from seating to concourses to restrooms to points of sale, including premium hospitality and courtside experiences.

"There's also an extraordinary opportunity to support our athletes in a much better way [with] … a modernized and new facility with premium amenities and equipment to allow them to compete at their absolute best, and also to allow them to enjoy the three-week experience with us in Queens like never before," said Sherr.

Designers Reimagine Arthur Ashe Stadium at All Levels

Rossetti, an architectural firm based in Detroit, Mich., is behind the design of the reimagined Arthur Ashe Stadium, named for the only Black man ever to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open prior to his death in 1993.

In addition, Rossetti was the architect of the arena's original construction, as well as the transformation project that was completed in 2018; and also is the lead architect of the newest renovations at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

The design studio, led by President and CEO Matt Rossetti, conceptualized and designed the Player Performance Center after having created similar facilities for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.

To create the look of the new Grand Entrance of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rossetti worked with Daniel Libeskind, the world-renowned master planner and architect for the reconstructed World Trade Center in Manhattan. And, for the concepts and design of Ashe's new club and restaurant spaces, Rossetti also collaborated with Garrett Singer, known for designing many of America's trendiest restaurants and clubs.

The enhancements within Arthur Ashe Stadium will include:

• a brand-new, visually striking Grand Entrance befitting the grandest stage in all of tennis;

• a 40 percent increase to the promenade-level concourse, adding significantly more open space for fans at the promenade and loge levels;

• completely modernized concourses with newly designed retail experiences and food and beverage spaces;

• significantly increased access to restrooms on all concourses, and more escalators and elevators to all levels;

• an upward extension of the courtside-level bowl with 2,000 new seats, expanding the courtside experience from 3,000 to 5,000 seats;

• all-new club and restaurant areas with enhanced dining options and premium hospitality spaces; and

• two new dedicated luxury suite levels.

Player Performance Center to Provide Unparalleled Support

The ultramodern Player Performance Center will be built on the top two floors of a four-floor building on the west side of Arthur Ashe Stadium, adjacent to the practice courts. It will include:

• new and expanded indoor and outdoor fitness and warmup areas, featuring turf, track and U.S. Open court surfaces for training;

• redesigned and expansive locker rooms and lounges to provide players with a spa-like experience;

• upsized indoor player dining and an all-new outdoor player courtyard, as well as a dedicated player-only cafe; and

• an entranceway specifically built for players.

The new Player Performance Center will be fully completed and accessible for players and teams by the 2027 U.S. Open, according to the USTA, and the entire reimagination project will take place over three phases without interruption to scheduled play or fan access for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments.

For Phase one, in advance of this year's U.S. Open, the timeline of construction at the tennis center is as follows:

• structural work reinforcing the column load for Arthur Ashe Stadium, enabling the in-stadium construction and overhaul to take place in future phases;

• erecting the first two stories of the four-story Player Performance Center. The initial levels of the structure are designed to contain parking; and

• a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, with no major changes noticeable to fans attending the 2025 U.S. Open.

Phase two (in the year between the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Opens) will include:

• the removal of the existing courtside and suite levels in Arthur Ashe Stadium so as to replace them with a new, expanded courtside bowl and the pair of dedicated luxury suite levels; and

• the completion of the top two floors of the four-floor Player Performance Center. While both levels of this facility will be built during this portion of the work, it will not be finished and accessible to players until after Phase three as the interior will be completed during that time.

Phase three (between the 2026-27 U.S. Opens) will see the rest of the tennis complex's renovations reach their end, including:

• Arthur Ashe Stadium's visionary Grand Entrance, designed by Daniel Libeskind;

• its new loge and promenade levels, including the enlarged promenade concourse with its large, publicly accessible premium bar;

• full enhancements to all concourses, including retail and food and beverage spaces, as well as restrooms and other amenities;

• two new sets of escalators and elevator banks at the South entrance, improving fan traffic to all levels;

• the Garrett Singer-designed premium hospitality lounges in-stadium, enabling premium ticket holders to access unparalleled hospitality without having to leave the tennis arena; and

• the interior of the Player Performance Center.

"This project enables us to maintain the greatest stage in tennis … and modernize it in a way that will set it up for the next 25 years," Sherr said. "It also provides us the opportunity to give the players that compete in [Arthur Ashe] 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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