"Tickets already being resold, how is this legal?""US Open disaster is my villain origin story": American tennis fans fume over 2024 presale debacle

American tennis fans hoping to watch their favorites in action at the 2024 US Open were left fuming when they encountered complications during a recent ticket presale. Several fans also complained that the tickets were already being resold at markup.

The 2024 US Open is just three months away, with the main draw matches scheduled from August 26 to September 8 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.

The tickets for the event are set to go on sale on June 3. However, American Express cardholders have obtained an early access. The Amex Presale tickets, which went live on May 28, will be available through June 1 on Ticketmaster.

Fans, though, didn't have a pleasant experience when they sought the presale tickets. Several individuals said that their purchase was unsuccessful, while others reported a website malfunction and criticized the waiting time.

"I have never seen a more broken website than Ticketmaster during the US Open AmEx presale," one fan wrote on X. "Just spent 5 minutes wondering whether I actually snagged tickets."

"I ended up with nosebleed tix for the quarterfinals after trying on 3 devices and getting timed out a few times," the fan added.

"The US Open presale disaster is my villain origin story," another fan said.

Many tennis fans also claimed that the US Open tickets were already being resold at higher prices.

"Trying to buy @usopen tickets on @Ticketmaster within less than half an hour of pre-sale going online and this many tickets are already being resold at a markup - how on earth is this legal?" another fan said. "That's of course without mentioning the 20 minute circle of death that prevents you from buying any of the remaining tickets"

"My favorite is watching people resell grounds pass tickets at 2x the price," added the fan.

"Dude, I was on at exactly 9 am, and there were no AMEX pre-sale tickets available in the 1st or 2nd bowl. Only option was 3rd bowl or resale. This is why something has to be done about this monopoly," another person said.

"Great metaphor for the grasping mass affluent experience: Amex has an exclusive presale for US Open tickets, but when you try to actually buy them you discover it’s just exclusive access to Ticketmaster resales by scalpers who bought tickets in an even more exclusive pre-pre-sale," one individual said.

"The US Open presale tickets are for resellers to grab all the tickets and make money. Not for the average fans and customers. Don't expect to buy tickets online through Ticketmaster. It's all a tease to promote the event @usopen @ticketmaster @americanexpress @USTANTC," one individual declared.

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The US Open previously courted controversy over ticketing prices and questionable scheduling of tennis matches

American tennis player Ben Shelton pictured in the semifinals of the 2023 event (Image Source: Getty)

This is not the first time that the US Open has been in hot water. When Serena Williams retired from tennis during the 2022 event, there was a reported surge in ticket prices.

Many fans complained that the tournament was selling passes at exorbitant rates, with the cheaper seats priced around $2,000 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium (Center Court).

For night session matches involving players like Rafael Nadal, the resale rates reportedly crossed the $11,000 mark. The edition also registered the latest finish in tournament history when World No. 2 Jannik Sinner and World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz battled it out untill 2:50 a.m. for a spot in the semifinal.

Despite the scheduling issues, though, the organizers decided on continuing with two night session matches during the 2023 edition. That doesn't sit well with the tennis community, and the tournament was accused of prioritising money over players' well-being and fan comfort.