U S Open venue to undergo 800M transformation

NEW YORK - The site of the U.S. Open will undergo an $800 million transformation, the USTA said on Monday, with a top-to-bottom modernisation of the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium and a new player performance center planned for the sprawling Queens campus.

Work at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will be completed by the 2027 U.S. Open, with construction taking place in phases to avoid any interruption of the 2025 or 2026 editions of the tournament.

The project will be entirely self-funded by the USTA, without the use of any public funds or taxpayer money, the sports national governing body said, calling it the largest single investment in U.S. Open history.

This project enables us to maintain the greatest stage in tennis - Arthur Ashe Stadium - which was constructed more than 25 years ago, and modernise it in a way that will set it up for the next 25 years, USTA CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr said in a statement.

It also provides us the opportunity to give the players that compete in that 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.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium upgrades include the addition of a new grand entrance to the facility, 2,000 new seats to the courtside-level bowl and two new luxury suite levels.

The stadium will also have upgrades to concourses, dining and retail shops.

A two-story, $250 million player performance center will include expanded indoor and outdoor fitness and warmup areas, improved indoor player dining facilities and redesigned locker rooms that promise a spa-like experience.

The announcement comes seven years after the USTA completed a five-year, $600 million renovation project at the grounds.

The more than 14,000-capacity