August 10, (THEWILL) – Since Serena Williams announced that she will retire after the year’s final grand slam competition, fans have been lining up to purchase tickets for the US Open.
Chris Widmaier, the spokesman for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), said about the news: “You talk about the Serena effect, it’s like a tsunami. Since people have learned of the news, we’ve sold, as of 3 pm (Tuesday), 13,000 tickets to the Open, including 4,500 or thereabouts for opening night. That’s a spectacular day. In fact, it may be unprecedented.”
It is particularly amazing how much attention there is in Williams’ opening match. Widmaier claimed that although tickets for the Arthur Ashe Stadium top deck on the first Monday night of the tournament, August 29, can retail for AU$50, some people are trying to sell their $50 tickets for $10,000 on the Ticketmaster secondary market.
Williams may not even play on opening night as the draw for players and their opponents are made public on Thursday, before the event. Yet, it makes the record sale of open day tickets all the more intriguing. After the news of her retirement broke on Tuesday morning, about 1,500 tickets for a potential Wednesday night Williams second-round match have been sold.
Given that Williams, a six-time US Open champion, will likely be a strong favourite to advance in that match — against a first-round opponent — about 900 tickets for a potential Thursday night Williams second-round match had also been sold.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
