Case Study: USTA transforms the US Open into a global sports and entertainment spectacle with HOK

USTA transforms 85% of its campus with HOK

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) faced the challenge that its venue for the US Open was no longer competitive with other Grand Slam tournaments. The event had grown in global prominence, but the National Tennis Center suffered from pedestrian congestion, limited amenities, and weather-related disruptions, failing to meet modern expectations for fan and player experience. The USTA engaged the architecture and design firm HOK to lead a comprehensive 10-year master plan to transform the campus.

HOK implemented a strategic master plan that expanded the campus, added two new stadiums, and installed a retractable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The solution repositioned the venue as an entertainment district, improving circulation and adding amenities to extend fan engagement beyond match play. The transformation resulted in record annual attendance of over 1.1 million fans, eliminated weather delays, and elevated the US Open into a global sports and entertainment spectacle, with 40% of attendees traveling from outside the New York region.

United States Tennis Association (USTA)