US Open's return attracts 631,134 fans to grounds

WATCH: Billie Jean King discusses the 2021 US Open, held at the USTA National Tennis Center named for her.

More than 630,000 fans flocked back to the US Open, which was played to nearly full capacity for the first time since 2019.

Total attendance was announced at 631,134 for the two weeks, which is 85% of the 2019 attendance of 737,919, a tournament record. No fans were allowed in 2020.

Some of this drop was attributed to fewer numbers coming from across the country and abroad—regular figures indicate that around 20 percent of fans come from other countries. Ticket holders were also required to be vaccinated, and no fans were allowed for the qualifying event.

Regardless of the drop, the crowd played a prominent role in the event this year, with several players citing the cheers from the stands for helping them on court.

There were a record-tying 34 five-setters on the men's side, and several show court three-set comebacks on the women's side, especially involving finalist Leylah Fernandez.

There was an 1% increase in traffic compared to 2019 for USOpen.org, with almost 9 million unique devices accessing a tournament app or website.

Prize money was up slightly to $57.5 million, with a redistribution downwards that led to an amount of $75,000 for the first round. The singles champions received $2.5 million each for capturing the title.