Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
History could be coming our way this August, as Serena Williams looks to cap a terrific 2015 season with a complete sweep of all four Grand Slam events. A win at the 2015 U.S. Open would give Williams her first-ever calendar year Grand Slam and make her just the sixth-ever singles player to pull off the feat. The last player to win the Grand Slam all in one year was Steffi Graf in 1988, so a Serena victory in Flushing would be the first time in almost thirty years that the Grand Slam sweep has been achieved.
With tennis history on the line, demand for US Open tickets has steadily increased, according to Championship Tennis Tours. Ground passes for the first week of tickets currently start at $87 with an average price for seats within Arthur Ashe Stadium at $178. Labor Day weekend is a little pricier at a minimum of $99 for grounds passes and seating at Arthur Ashe costing $202 on average.
After Labor Day Weekend is where the ticket prices have seen the biggest jump thanks to an increase in demand. The cheapest Promenade tickets for the quarterfinals are $95 with courtside seats costing a minimum of $695. From there, prices jump to a get-in rate of $125 for the women's semifinals and $175 for the finals. If you want to be as close as possible to see Serena try to chase down history, it will cost at least $1,695 for courtside seats to the women's finals.
The 2015 U.S. Open isn’t all about Williams, but such a historic feat certainly takes center stage. Very few will be betting against either her or the top-seeded Novak Djokovic on the men’s side. Both players claimed Wimbledon titles in July and will naturally approach the final tennis Grand Slam as the odds-on favorites. Williams’s run at history and these two stars combining to give tennis a dominant king and queen of tennis are two huge reasons why this year’s U.S. Open is must-see action, especially in person.
While Williams and Djokovic are understandably the driving force behind a much anticipated U.S. Open, they should face some stiff competition as they try to secure their next Grand Slam. Serena Williams wasn’t quite her best at Wimbledon, so it’s entirely possible she could get some tough matches throughout the tournament. Maria Sharapova has claimed the U.S. Open in the past and could be someone Williams has to worry about, while Victoria Azarenka might be Williams’ toughest challenger should they meet at the Open.
For Djokovic, it’s the usual suspects, as any pairing with the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray and even Rafael Nadal could spell trouble. Ultimately, though, Djokovic and Williams are at the top of their game and are the heavy favorites heading into the 2015 U.S. Open for a reason. Fans can probably brace for history with Williams, and maybe expect Djokovic to continue his own dominance, but potential upsets along the way are just another layer of the value fans can expect to get out of the final Grand Slam of the 2015 tennis season.
