Serena's retirement sparks 'unprecedented' demand for US Open tickets
‘The Serena effect is like a tsunami!’: Williams’ shock retirement announcement sparks ‘unprecedented’ demand for US Open tickets… with some fans trying to resell their $35 opening night seats for $7,000!
- The 41-year old tennis legend announced she would hang up the racket soon
- After that revelation, more than 13,000 US Open tickets were sold in one day
- Williams has only been eliminated before the US Open quarterfinals three times
Very few athletes are so enormous in stature that they carry their own gravitational fields.
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of them, and today showed another example of the ‘Serena effect’, after Williams, arguably the greatest tennis player in history, announced she would retire following this year’s US Open.
Speaking to the New York Post, United States Tennis Association (USTA) spokesman Chris Widmaier said the demand for tickets hit a point no one could have predicted.
‘You talk about the Serena effect, it’s like a tsunami,’ Widmaier told the Post.
Serena Williams celebrates after winning the 2014 US Open, her most recent title in New York
‘Since people have learned of the news, we’ve sold, as of 3 p.m., 13,000 tickets to the Open, including 4,500 or thereabouts for Opening Night.’
When clarifying, Widmaier called it, ‘a spectacular day. In fact, it may be unprecedented.’
There has been particular interest in Williams’ first match, with tickets that retail for $35 in the upper deck being re-sold on the second hand market for $7,000.
On top of that demand, there is no guarantee that Williams even plays on the first night, with the draw set for the Thursday prior to the tournament.
While Williams will be a favorite to win that match, fans might be more wary of purchasing second round tickets given her recent record.
Serena has only been eliminated at the US Open before the quarterfinals three times.
However, she fell in the first round of her last two major appearances – both at Wimbledon.
Even still, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the Post reported around 1,500 tickets for a possible Wednesday night second-round match had been sold.
A 17-year old Serena Williams holding the trophy of her first major at the US Open in 1999
Much of Serena Williams’ storied career revolves around the courts in Flushing, Queens.
This tournament will mark 23 years since she won the 1999 Open at just 17-years old, the first major title in what would go on to be a long and storied career.
During that time, she won a record 23 major championships, the most of anyone in the open era and the second most across all eras behind Margaret Court.
Her dominance on the courts in Queens puts her tied with Chris Evert for the most titles in the open era.
The most recent major final Serena reached was the 2019 US Open, where she fell to Canadian Bianca Andreescu.
Williams surprised the sports world Tuesday, announcing her retirement from tennis to focus on her other business interests and growing her family.
Williams announced her retirement Tuesday, deciding to focus on other vn having another child
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