The U.S. Open begins today at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, and all fans 12 and older must be vaccinated in order to sit in the stands.
The organization announced the news over the weekend, saying they are following CDC, New York State, and New York City COVID-19 related guidelines. The new NYC Executive Order requires vaccines for indoor spaces and performances, and the city told the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) that the various stadiums where games take place would fall under that policy (Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand, etc.).
They decided to extend the requirement across the entire grounds.
Thank you for putting the health and safety of New Yorkers first. The @USOpen is an iconic New York City event and we’re proud to welcome it back, fully vaccinated! https://t.co/GM31ewwyrG
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 27, 2021
However, you don’t have to be fully vaccinated — only one dose is required. You can show proof via the NYC COVID Safe App, the state’s Excelsior Pass App, a CDC Vaccination Card (or photo), NYC Vaccination Record, or an official immunization record from outside NYC or the U.S.
And, children under 12 can still attend the US Open because they are not eligible for a vaccine, as long as they are accompanied by an adult who can show proof of vaccination in one of the ways detailed above.
Since tickets had already been on sale for many months before this mandate was put in place, the website states that any unvaccinated ticket holder can either get vaccinated, sell their ticket to a vaccinated customer, or get a refund via Ticketmaster.
At least there will be fans in the stands this year — if you remember, last year they were completely empty due to COVID-19 safety concerns.