“The crowd gives you an energy that probably you don’t feel in other courts,” Carlos Alcaraz previously said about playing in the US Open. But soon, we saw the Olympics finalist point out the “tight schedule” as one of the reasons behind his abrupt second-round exit from the event. Moreover, the Arthur Ashe Stadium’s lackluster atmosphere this year is leaving fans devoid of the passion and excitement that normally define the US Open event.

Since the beginning of the 2024 US Open, a bizarre trend regarding the order of play has troubled fans. At first, Sloane Stephens replacing the defending champion Coco Gauff in prime time during the opening night bewildered the fans. More dissatisfaction followed as the loud noise and disturbances in the famous Arthur Ashe Stadium (established in 1977) ruined fans’ experience even more, who now prefer to move to Louis Armstrong Stadium instead. 

Although Arthur Ashe is comparatively larger and can accommodate more spectators, the oldest stadium of the US Open is gaining more popularity, where the fan experience is more enjoyable with relaxed vibes. On top of it, the burden of tight schedules has left players like Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Novak Djokovic feeling burned out at the last grand slam of the season. As a result, fans are expressing their concern about the disappointing experience in the ongoing edition of the US Open!

Fans react with utter disappointment at the poor vibe and the scheduling problem at the US Open

Djokovic’s second-round matchup against Laslo Djere at the Arthur Ashe Stadium concluded with the latter giving a walkover in the third set following an injury. However, referring to the underwhelming energy at the stadium, one of the attendees wrote on X, “I was there last night to watch Djokovic and was so excited but the energy was so flat. You could not hear the ball being hit at all, or if or when the balls were called out. It felt like watching match with the sound turned off. It was very strange.”

Besides, the late-night finishes became a point of concern for the Serb himself, who sent a message to the US Open organizers criticizing how late-night matches are “not really what you want,” as a player, irrespective of fans’ preferences towards it.

Moreover, the US Open tournament snubbed the local players Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, to schedule the four-time US Open winner Djokovic’s third-round match in the night session. This did not sit right with fans, as one fan pointed it out by saying, “They had a chance to get that atmosphere tomorrow but they put Shelton/Tiafoe on day instead of night which is insane to me.” A similar instance occurred in the case of Gauff’s encounter with Elina Svitolina as well (set to occur in the daytime instead of night), which left fans baffled and displeased even more.

One fan pointed out the “tough” scheduling of the first week of matches resulting in an unfavorable fan experience. “I’ve been to hundreds of matches on Ashe over the past 25 years. Many were completely electric. The 1st week is tough because the pairings are often so lopsided. I prefer to spend the 1st week on the outer courts and in Armstrong, particularly during the day.”

Another fan, referring to the overcrowded Arthur Ashe Stadium, wrote, “Completely agree. Have always preferred watching matches in Armstrong (both iterations) to Ashe. Used to get nosebleed Ashe tix to get on site, then spend the day in Armstrong, old Grandstand, and the outers. Much better vibes and fan experiences.”

With its retractable roof and large space (accommodating 23, 771), the Arthur Ashe makes for the largest stadium in the world. However, after it reopened for the US Open event in 2018 with some renovations, the Louis Armstrong Stadium with comfortable seats (14,000) and better vibes has become the new favorite of fans.

One fan pointed out, “I agree so much. People seemed preoccupied with anything BUT tennis.” Besides the atmosphere, top players like Djokovic are leaving a request for the organizers, saying, “I hope to be scheduled in that slot for upcoming matches to finish at a decent time.”

As the tournament progresses, hopefully, organizers will be keen on injecting some much-needed energy into the proceedings while also focusing on the scheduling problem.