Shaded Seats at Louis Armstrong Stadium

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you, after using a link on this article. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Located in Queens and only a short distance from Citi Field, Louis Armstrong Stadium pays tribute to the iconic jazz musician who lived nearby. It acts as a secondary stage for the US Open, complementing the larger Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s one of the world’s prominent tennis venues and provides first class fan experience. However, it’s worth noting that New York City can experience sweltering late August heat, with high temperatures common during the tournament. Fortunately, you can use this article alongside the seating chart to locate shaded seats at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Where are the seats in the shade at Louis Armstrong Stadium?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Louis Armstrong Stadium are located:

On the south side of the stadium
On the west side of the stadium
In the back half of the upper deck directly under the roof

Matches at the US Open begin daily at noon, and the sun doesn’t set in New York City until around 7:30 pm. That’s seven-and-a-half hours of tennis action that takes place while the sun is shining bright.

Louis Armstrong Stadium opened in 2018, replacing an older venue with the same name (and a lot less shade). One major difference compared to the old stadium is that the current one has a retractable roof. However, the roof’s job is to allow play to continue in the event of rain. So, as long as precipitation is not in the forecast, the roof will be open, and the sun will soak both the court and many fans in the stands.

Louis Armstrong Stadium Orientation to the Sun

Louis Armstrong Stadium is oriented in a northwest to southeast direction. By noon the sun is high in the sky over the south stands. Over the course of the afternoon the sun dips down along the west side of the stadium and sets closer to the northwest corner.

The graphic below shows the approximate location of the sun throughout the day on September 1st.

Shade and Sun at the US Open secondary stadium Click or tap here to see an interactive seating chart and seat views at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at early Afternoon Louis Armstrong Stadium Matches

The addition of the roof to the new Louis Armstrong Stadium is great for fans because creates a lot of shade that didn’t exist in the previous venue. However, you still need to know where to find it! If you’re attending the first match of the day at noon, approximately half of the seats at Armstrong will be in the sun and about half in the shade. As the afternoon progresses, the percentage of seats in the shade will increase.

To avoid the sun, choose a seat in sections 1-7 or 101-109. Seats in the upper level will provide shade almost the entire afternoon as they benefit from being farther back and thus under the roof. However courtside seats will also get shade relatively early in the day as stadium structure blocks the suns rays as it moves across the sky.

Seats in the back half of sections 116-122 will get shade early in the day as the roof directly above blocks the sun. However, be careful picking a seat in these sections as the rows closer to the court will not be shaded and throughout the afternoon more and more rows will move into the sun.

Sections on the north and east sides of the stadium will likely receive sun for the first several hours of each day if not the entire afternoon. Courtside sections 9-16 will be mostly sun-soaked. One exception is seats in the last 4 or 5 rows that are direct beneath the upper deck structure.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at late Afternoon Louis Armstrong Stadium Matches

There are many more choices for seats in the shade later in the day. If the match you’re attending starts around 4pm or later, sections 1-10 and 101-113 will provide you protection from the sun. Avoid sections 12-16 and 117-121 as they get the most sun for the greatest number of hours. By 7:00pm most seats will be in the shade and once the sunsets you can enjoy the rest of the matches under the lights.

Ready to get your US Open tickets?

Use the individual game links on the side (or bottom of the page on mobile) or click or tap here to see the upcoming sessions at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Learn about why we recommend buying tickets on SeatGeek.

Enjoy the Open!