The US Open–The Best Place to Watch the Best in Tennis
They say there’s nothing quite like being there in person, and that is so very true of watching the US Open. It’s where the best of the best go to play tennis…it’s the tournament they work all year to win.
Sure, there are smaller tournaments around the country that are fun to see. I enjoy the Atlanta Tennis Open because I just have to drive downtown to watch some of the greats play their game, but the smaller tournaments are the equivalent of watching a high school football game instead of the Super Bowl. Just not the same.
Sitting in Arthur Ashe Stadium, especially during a night match, the atmosphere is electric. I know many people aren’t happy unless they’re sitting on the front row, but I can tell you, if all you can afford or all the tickets that are left are the upper levels, or what you’d call ‘nosebleed’ seats anywhere else, you’re still going to love the experience. My first year I attended the Open, I bought seats at the last minute and that’s all that was left. I’ll tell you, it was like a big party up in those seats. Because it’s so far from the court, you don’t have to worry about whispering, or keeping quiet so that you don’t disrupt play. It’s a true blast. And if you’re all the way up and able to look over the stadium wall toward the rest of the National Tennis Center, you’re going to love the view. On one side you can even watch a match going on at another court.
The players scheduled in Arthur Ashe Stadium are usually those you want to see most, but if you get a grounds pass for the day, you will have no problem watching match after match of superb skills. On some courts, you may have to get seats early because there will be a line of people who want to watch (count on that for doubles matches with the Bryan Brothers, for example)—and no guarantee of seats, but on other courts you can simply be walking by and decide to stay and watch, ending up close enough to see the sweat on their foreheads.
A few things to keep in mind:
- It’s hot during the day. Some days, it’s sweltering. As in, you better have sunscreen, lots and lots of water and a fan of some sort to keep the air around you moving. At night, it can get chilly. Especially if you’re up high in those nosebleed seats I referenced earlier.
- If you end up sweating through your shirt, or freezing, you can just go to the shops sprinkled around the grounds and buy a souvenir shirt. In fact, I say go ahead and leave a coat home and plan to buy a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt while you’re there. It’ll remind you all year of the fun you had.
- Don’t bring a big purse or bag. They won’t let you through the gate with a bunch of stuff anyway. There are lockers on the grounds, but if you don’t have a bag, you don’t have to wait in the same long line to have it searched. Less is more.
- Also bring your Amex card. They have certain areas that are only open to people with an American Express card. If you don’t want another credit card, just get the Serve card that’s preloaded and use that money as your spending money while you’re at the Open. There are also special discounts if you use your Amex (note—this may have changed—so check the site. It was definitely the case the past two years).
- Also bring your USTA membership card. You’ll get certain extras for that, too.
- If you’re in the city for the tennis, don’t worry about all of the site seeing, etc. If you do want to see more than tennis while in New York, make sure you get to Time Square one night (it’s so much cooler at night than in the day time), and get to the Empire State Building. To me, you have to do both at least once in your life.
(the view from the top of the Empire State Building)
- Don’t just watch the singles matches. Doubles matches with the professionals are just crazy fast, and crazy good. I don’t know how they develop these cat-like reflexes, but I want some. There’s nothing that compares when all you’ve seen before is your local tennis talent.
- Catch some of the juniors action, too. I watched the girls juniors finals last year and these teens played their hearts out. Their families were in the stands just a few rows down, and as a mom, I actually got teary-eyed watching them as they watched their children. I used to sit and watch my children take lessons each week. I know what a commitment it is to get your kid to the courts each day. All those balls you have to pick up at practice. And let me tell you, even watching Serena Williams practice last year, her mom was STILL out there picking up the balls. STILL!!! That’s pretty incredible, considering her daughter took the title that year.
(Serena Williams’ mom picking up practice balls, just like the rest of us tennis moms.)
(Serena Williams practicing)