US Tennis Group Sues NYC for Overstepping Limits Amid Cohen’s Queens Casino Bid

The U.S. Open operator, which operates at facilities in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, filed a lawsuit aiming to block a proposed Queens casino project.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Tennis Center this week submitted the lawsuit against New York City to the Manhattan Supreme Court. The organization said that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park project would conflict with the “superiority clause” that the center was awarded in its lease agreement with the city.

The clause states that third parties “are subject and subordinate in all respects to the rights of the USTA National Tennis Center” on nearby city-owned land.

Knowingly violating the terms

The lawsuit directly accused New York City mayor Eric Adams, who will be replaced by mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Jan. 1, 2026, of violating the terms of the agreement.

The USTA in its suit asked Manhattan’s highest court to step in before the Adams administration created “irreparable injuries.” Notably, the agreement prevents conflicting events, other than Mets games, during the weeks that the U.S. Open is in progress.

“The threat of serious damage to the US Open and the NTC is now both real and potentially disastrous,” the lawsuit read.

The USTA is not aiming to receive financial compensation in its lawsuit, which it deemed to be an “inadequate remedy” since the casino project may not be required to comply with the USTA’s lease agreement.

The organization noted its frustration with how Mayor Adams’ office handled the casino bidding process. They claimed that they privately raised issues for months, but the administration refused to share any documents with the USTA and did not confirm that its lease rights would be upheld.

Lost for time

One of the USTA’s biggest issues with the handling of its lease situation is the timeline. 

According to the lawsuit, the mayor’s office planned to address the complaint once Mamdani took over – the only problem is that the Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) will choose the casino license recipients in December. 

“The City’s stated intention to ignore the NTC’s concerns until the next mayoral administration — which will not take office until January 1, 2026, after the City and Queens Future’s lease agreement has already been finalized and executed — confirms that that the City has threatened to — and intends to — default on its obligation,” the lawsuit read.

This isn’t the first time that the USTA has run into issues with the mayor’s office enforcing its lease agreement. Citi Field, the Mets’ home stadium, was allowed to host a Billy Joel concert in August during the U.S. Open, violating the “Superiority Clause.”

A spokesperson for Metropolitan Park wrote to THE CITY to say that the casino, if approved, will be built to facilitate nearby sporting attractions, including the USTA NTC.

Metropolitan Park is one of three remaining casino projects vying for three licenses. While the GFLB hopes to award all three licenses, there is no guarantee that will happen.