The 2024 US Open made history by surpassing one million attendees, marking the highest turnout ever at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This landmark achievement underscores the growing popularity of the tournament.
In a thrilling men’s final held on Sunday, American Taylor Fritz faced off against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Despite a valiant effort, Fritz, the 12th seed, was defeated in straight sets. On Saturday, the women’s final saw sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula lose to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who is ranked second in the world.
The presence of American players in both singles finals contributed to an impressive 8 percent increase in attendance from the previous year, which had set a record with 832,640 fans, according to the USTA.
High-profile attendees at the men’s final included pop superstar Taylor Swift, her boyfriend Travis Kelce, and his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes, adding to the event’s star-studded atmosphere.
Taylor Fritz’s appearance in the final marked the first time an American man reached the US Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006. It was also the first instance an American reached the final of any Grand Slam since Roddick’s appearance in the 2009 Wimbledon championship match.
Following his defeat, Fritz expressed his disappointment, saying, “I feel like the fans, especially American fans, have been longing for a men’s champion for a long time, and I’m pretty upset with how I played. I feel like I let a lot of people down.”
The 2024 US Open boasted a record prize pool of $75 million, with both Sabalenka and Sinner earning $3.6 million for their victories.
