US Open 2026 · Charity draw · New York

Every $10 gives a child a second serve.

We pay for urgent surgeries for kids whose families can’t — kids who want nothing more than to get back on a tennis court. Donate $10 or more and you’re entered to win two seats at the 2026 US Open Men’s Final, Section 117. The single largest gift takes home two more seats and a Wilson RF 01 signed by Roger Federer.

Donate & enter the draw See the prizes Entries close Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET · Draw held at the stadium — you don’t need to be there to win

How it works

Three steps. One Sunday in September.

There’s no ticket to buy and no raffle book to find. You give to a child’s surgery; the draw is my way of saying thank you.

1

Give $10 or more

Every gift goes toward surgeries already scheduled and waiting on funding. Leave your email and phone number with your donation — that’s how we reach you if you win. Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, in under a minute.

2

Every $10 is one entry

$10 is one entry. $50 is five. $250 is twenty-five. The more you give, the more your name goes in — and the closer you get to the top gift. Entries close September 1 at 11:59 PM ET.

3

Drawn at the stadium

The draw is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during US Open week and filmed. You don’t need to be there: the winner and the top donor are called and emailed the same day, and tickets are transferred digitally.

The prizes

Two ways to end up in Arthur Ashe on Final Sunday.

Both prizes are for the same session: the 2026 US Open Men’s Singles Final, Sunday, September 13, 2:00 PM ET, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York.

Any gift of $10+

The draw: two seats in Section 117

Event
US Open Men’s Singles Final
Date
Sunday, September 13, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET
Venue
Arthur Ashe Stadium, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, NY
Seats
Section 117, Loge level · 2 tickets together
Odds
One entry per $10 given. Drawn at random from all entries.

Tickets are delivered by official mobile transfer to the email you gave with your donation. Travel and accommodation are not included — but we will happily tell you where to eat in Queens.

Single largest gift

Top donor: two seats in 117 + Federer’s racket

Wilson RF 01 racket in white and gold, new with tags, resting on a Wilson box
Wilson RF 01, white & gold edition — signed by Roger Federer The frame Federer designed after retiring, in the white-and-gold finish. New, unstrung, tags still on. Hand-signed on the frame; certificate of authenticity included. This is the actual racket you would take home.
Also
2 tickets, Section 117 — same Final, same section as the draw prize
Who wins
The largest single donation when entries close on September 1, 11:59 PM ET. If gifts tie, the earlier one wins.
Still entered
Every $10 of the top gift also counts as entries in the main draw.

Where the money goes

$300,000 is a season of surgeries.

This is not an institution. It is one person who knows these children, paying the hospital so they don’t wait. No galas, no salaries, no overhead beyond card fees.

Who this is for. Children I know personally — kids who play tennis, whose families I’ve sat across a kitchen table from — and who need an operation now, not when the money is found. Cardiac, orthopedic, reconstructive. The surgeries are already scheduled; the invoices are what’s missing.

How it works. Every dollar is paid directly against a hospital invoice. After each operation, with the family’s consent, I’ll publish the story and what it cost, so you can see exactly where your gift went.

What I don’t do. I don’t keep a percentage. Card processing takes roughly 3%; everything else goes to the hospital. If we raise more than $300,000, the surplus goes to the next child on the list — there is, unfortunately, always a next child.

Urgent surgeries, avg. $22,000 each, incl. anaesthesia and hospital stay$264,000
Post-operative rehabilitation and physiotherapy$27,000
Card processing fees (approx. 3%)$9,000
Campaign goal · 12 children$300,000

Section 117

Lower bowl, on the shaded side.

Section 117 sits on the Loge level of Arthur Ashe Stadium — the lower ring above the courtside boxes, close enough to hear the ball off the strings and read the spin. It’s on the south-west side of the bowl, under the roof structure, so the afternoon sun stays off you through the Final.

Both pairs of tickets — the draw prize and the top-donor prize — are in this section, seated together.

117 PROMENADE · LOGE · COURTSIDE · COURT ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM
Schematic — not to scale. Exact row and seat numbers are confirmed with the winners after the draw.

Rules & questions

The fine print, in plain words.

Full official rules are linked in the footer. These are the parts people actually ask about.

When are the tickets for?

The 2026 US Open Men’s Singles Final: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 2:00 PM ET, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York. Gates open earlier in the day; the tickets are valid for the full session.

When and where is the draw?

Entries close Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. The draw is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during US Open week, on camera, with the exact time announced by email to all donors. You do not need to attend to win.

Do I have to be at the stadium to win?

No. Winners are contacted by phone and email the same day using the details you left with your donation. If we can’t reach you within 48 hours, the prize goes to the next entry drawn — so please double-check your email and phone number.

How are entries counted?

One entry for every full $10 in a single gift: $10 is one entry, $25 is two, $50 is five, $100 is ten. Multiple gifts from the same person are each counted separately. There is no cap on entries.

How is the top donor decided?

The single largest donation received before entries close. If two gifts are equal, the earlier one wins. The top donor receives two tickets in Section 117 and the signed Wilson RF 01 Pro, and their gift still counts as entries in the main draw.

Who can enter?

Anyone 18 or older. The draw is open to donors in the United States; donors outside the US are welcome to give and to enter, but travel is not included and it is your responsibility to be able to attend the Final. Void where prohibited by law. No donation is necessary to enter — see the official rules for the free entry method by mail.

Can I get cash instead of the tickets?

No. Prizes are non-transferable and have no cash alternative. If a winner can’t attend, the prize goes to the next entry drawn.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

No. Second Serve Fund is a personal fundraiser organized by Second Serve, not a registered charity, so gifts are not tax-deductible. You’ll receive a receipt by email, and a public accounting after each surgery.

Where do the tickets and the racket come from?

They’re mine. I bought the Final tickets and the racket myself, and I’m giving them away as a thank-you to the people who help these kids. Not a single dollar you give is spent on prizes — every dollar goes to the hospital.

Is this connected to the US Open or Wilson?

No. The USTA, the US Open, Wilson Sporting Goods and Roger Federer do not sponsor, endorse or administer this draw. The tickets and the racket were purchased privately.