How Much to Tip at the US Open

Event-specific guide for US Open visitors in NYC. Baseline US norms: United States · Full dataset: World Tipping Guide 2026.

US Open and NYC tipping at a glance

• Walk-up concession (grounds)

  Optional

  USTA’s visitor materials reviewed for this guide do not state a tournament-wide gratuity rate — for counter or grab-and-go, a full restaurant-style tip is not expected

• Bar (grounds or NYC)

  $1–2 per drink or 15–20% of the tab

  No tip expected for fully self-service purchases

• Table service (grounds or NYC)

  18–22%

  Tip on the pre-tax total — mandatory gratuity for larger parties varies; check menu and bill

• Café / counter coffee

  Optional

  Not sit-down 18–22% — see NYC tax and tip screens if prompted

• Taxi / rideshare

  15–20%

  Upper end for excellent service or luggage help

• Subway / LIRR

  No tip

  Pay the normal fare — Mets–Willets Point serves the tennis center

• Hotels

  • Housekeeping$3–5 per day

    Leave daily (staff often rotate)

  • Bellhop / porter$1–2 per bag

    When they carry luggage

  • Doorman$2–5

    Cab hail or significant luggage help — not door-opening alone

• App delivery (NYC)

  15–20% customary

  Since 26 Jan 2026 apps must offer ≥10% + custom at checkout (DCWP UI rule, not a recommended rate)

Inside the grounds, match the tip to the service type above — walk-up and café counters are not automatic sit-down tips. If a payment terminal prompts you, see the NYC tax and tip screens section

Before you go: three US Open tipping facts

The 2026 US Open runs 23 August–13 September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens (Fan Week opens 23 August; main draw from 30 August).

• The US Open is cashless — cards and mobile payments are accepted, and reverse ATMs are available inside the grounds (Box Office, Food Village, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Grandstand)
• No tournament-wide published tip rate — USTA’s visitor materials reviewed for this guide do not state a tournament-wide gratuity rate; match the tip to the service you receive
• You do not tip on the subway or LIRR — both can take visitors to Mets–Willets Point

Why tipping matters in NYC

Tipping is more than a small bonus at many New York restaurants. In 2026, eligible food-service workers in NYC may be paid a cash wage as low as $11.35 per hour, with tips counting toward the city’s $17 minimum wage through New York’s tip credit. That helps explain why tipping is expected for table service — but not automatically for every payment screen.

NYC tax and tip screens

Getting there and hotels

Coming from abroad?

Tipping at a NYC restaurant may feel familiar—or very different—depending on where you are visiting from. These comparisons cover common adjustments for international visitors; they are not estimates of the US Open audience.

• Canada

  Tipping will feel familiar — if you normally leave 15–20%, use 20% as a simple NYC default; the upper end of the US range is a more generous tip

• United Kingdom

  Do not assume that a discretionary service charge has been included — check the bill, then tip 18–22% for table service when gratuity is absent

• France·Germany·SpainorItaly

  Practices vary across these countries, but NYC full table service generally calls for a percentage rather than only a small courtesy tip or round-up — check the bill first, then use the NYC range when gratuity is absent

• Mexico

  NYC’s restaurant range is generally higher — if you would normally leave 10–15%, use 20% as the straightforward local default for full table service

• Japan

  Restaurant tipping is expected in NYC even though it is generally uncommon in Japan — a payment-screen prompt at counter service is still optional

• Australia

  What may be an optional reward at home becomes an expected percentage at a full-service NYC restaurant — counter service remains different

Not sure what applies to you? Check your home country’s full tipping guide, then use our United States tipping rules for restaurants, taxis, hotels and other services