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AUSTIN, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—In a statement that revved the tennis world, former number one tennis star Rafael Nadal stated he will return to the courts on Monday to begin preparing for next month’s Montreal Masters followed by the US Open. The knee injury that had Nadal sidelined since the French Open in May isn’t enough to keep the tennis master from reclaiming his number one title from the soon-to-be dad Roger Federer. As Nadal gears up for battle, Federer takes paternity leave. So will the 2009 US Open reunite these titans of tennis? According to the latest ticket sales, fans seem to think so. The economic budget squeeze felt by all is proving advantageous for bargain seekers and prompting fans to buy later this year than not at all.

In 2008, fans purchased US Open tennis tickets early in the year but sales stagnated closer to the tournament. “Sales trends for the tournament this year compared to last are flipped,” said Rafael Rivas, Vice President of Sales for TicketCity. “The solid economy coupled with the hype surrounding Federer and Nadal’s battle to be the best pushed fans to buy in April and May last year. Demand then slowed as the final grand slam approached and the economy weakened. This year, fans were hesitant to invest early in tickets but are now motivated by the recent news and lower prices,” added Rivas.

While purchase trends may differ due to the economy, sales for the grand slam tournament continue to climb. “This year sales for US Open tickets began in mid June, spiking some during Wimbledon in July with half of our total sales for the event occurring within that time period. After this week’s announcement, we’ve seen demand grow stronger and experienced a 15% boost in sales.”

Responsible for the flip in sales trends, the economy continues to impact a buyer’s budget and affect the seller’s prices. “Ticket prices for the 2009 US Open have lowered by 30% across the board this year. Some sessions have even decreased in price by 50%,” stated Rivas.

The lower prices, however, don’t appear to be encouraging varied purchases or new buyers. “What have remained consistent between years are the sessions purchased and where our clientele are based,” added Rivas. As sales show, the most popular ticket with the best value for fans is Session 11, the first Saturday of play. The most desirable and highest priced ticket remains Session 26, the men’s singles final held on the final Sunday. While TicketCity serves clients all over the United States and world, this year as with the last, 35% of the US Open client base resides in the northeast area and 15% are international fans.

With 2009 US Open tickets starting at just $33, fans that didn’t make it to the last grand slam in Wimbledon can find even better values for the next. Rivas finished by saying, “Low ticket prices coupled with low travel costs make this the year to experience the US Open.”