They also got a glimpse at how easy it was to reach the facility. Fans have known for years to catch the 7 train into Willets Point. However, when the Long Island Railroad stop that served the tennis center on game days became a full-time stop for a pandemic-era vaccination center in 2021 and then, by public demand in 2023, it got even easier to access the site.

Now, with Major League Soccer’s New York City FC opening its Etihad Park nearby in 2028 and a casino potentially being built near the Mets’ CitiField, there’s potential for even more visitor traffic in the area—with a window for outdoor events from roughly April through mid-October.

“People are traveling to events, people see Queens as a viable opportunity to host events,” Studley said. 

Team sport

Much like its regional competitors at MSG Entertainment or Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, the USTA has no shortage of deep-pocketed brand supporters willing to serve gaps in the local entertainment landscape.

Kankam noted that sponsor J.P. Morgan Chase has previously backed the USTA’s Sounds of the Open concert series, while noting that relative newcomers, including Aperol and Dobel Tequila, may have an interest in attaching themselves to shows at the tennis center. 

Meanwhile, the USTA works closely with New York City Tourism + Conventions to see if there’s an opportunity for it to host entertainment connected to larger events (think the 2026 World Cup, which holds its finals in New Jersey), bringing in production partners for the finer details. Having worked at Atlantic Records and MTV before her time at the USTA, Kankam hasn’t so much returned to those roots as they’ve returned to her and the tennis center.

“We have seen where folks want to be associated with the US Open or, in the case of the Alicia Keys collaboration last year, where it was great being called to put a spotlight on her musical and creating music,” Kankam said. “People are looking at when the eyes of the world are on the US Open and looking at it as a place to see and be seen.”