Kalshi has secured an exclusive partnership with the U.S. Tennis Association to become the US Open's prediction market platform partner as the tournament's main draw gets underway in New York.
Exclusive Deal Takes Effect Immediately
Front Office Sports reported on Aug. 30 that the partnership took effect immediately after being finalized following the tournament's qualifying rounds. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal gives Kalshi an official role at one of tennis's four Grand Slam tournaments and restricts rival prediction market platforms from advertising at the US Open venue and across tournament television coverage, including ESPN broadcasts.
USTA Leadership Change Accelerated Deal
The US Open had previously considered waiting until 2027 or later before entering a prediction market partnership. Plans changed after Craig Tiley took over as USTA CEO on July 20. Tiley played a major role in pushing for an agreement covering the 2026 tournament. Kalshi was absent from the US Open's official partner list as of Sunday afternoon, but the company already offers a large number of contracts tied to US Open matches, with some recording more than $1 million in trading volume.
Sports Partnerships Drive Kalshi Expansion
The US Open agreement expands Kalshi's sports strategy. In June, Kalshi secured World Cup branding exposure through a partnership with ADI Predictstreet, FIFA's official prediction market partner. Kalshi and Polymarket have partnerships with the NHL, while Polymarket has worked with Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees. Kalshi has separately announced relationships with MLB clubs including the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants.
Legal Challenges Continue
The commercial push continues while courts consider whether sports event contracts offered on federally regulated prediction markets can remain outside state gambling regimes. Two days before the US Open partnership, the Ninth Circuit ruled that Kalshi had not shown that federal commodities law was likely to preempt Nevada gaming regulations as applied to its sports event contracts. A conflicting Third Circuit ruling previously upheld preliminary relief preventing New Jersey regulators from enforcing state gambling laws against Kalshi, making Supreme Court review more plausible.
