Alex Eala's US Open Opener Sends Resale Tickets Up 96% to $353

3 articles · Updated · Sportico · Sep 1

$180 get-in prices for Tuesday's Louis Armstrong night session jumped to $464 within hours of Alex Eala's placement there, before easing to $353 by late Tuesday morning, according to TicketData.
That surge far outpaced every other newly scheduled session: no other price rose even 25%, while Tuesday night tickets for Arthur Ashe Stadium — featuring Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev — were as low as $78.
USTA officials had already put the 21-year-old Philippine star in Armstrong's 14,000-seat stadium rather than 24,000-seat Ashe, but tournament director Eric Butorac said the secondary market was "blowing up."
Eala's draw reflects fan demand built by her July upset of Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, her August DC Open title and a following of 1.9 million on Instagram — unusually high for a player who has reached a major's second round only twice.
The spike is likely to intensify scrutiny of resale prices and could pressure the U.S. Open to move Eala to a bigger stage if she advances, with sportsbooks giving her roughly an 80% to 85% chance of reaching round two.