The iconic Roger Federer on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Wow…what a difference a year can make. The picture I took above is of Roger Federer playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium in last year’s event. I was fortunate to be able to go to the tournament and I had great tickets courtesy of @wilsontennis . This year - not so lucky. Of course, no one is lucky because the tournament is taking place without any spectators. The arrival of Covid 19 has meant most sports were either stopped completely or just recently introduced again (with severe restrictions). We have been able to watch hockey, baseball, basketball and now tennis with the players living in a protected bubble.

In the case of the US Open the players are living in a few carefully chosen hotels or can pay for private accomodation - which is being carefully monitored to make sure everyone stays in their bubble. I had hoped to possibly attend this year but for obvious reasons that was not possible. First of all the border between Canada and the United States remains closed to vehicle traffic, although you can fly. But when you return to Canada you must quaratine for 14 days - so that would create quite a damper on things. But if you could go to NYC - you still can’t go to the tournament. My guess is the vibe of the event is a bit different.

Each Grand Slam tournament often reflects the culture of it’s location and NYC doesn’t disappoint. It is situated in Queens which is a borough of NYC. It’s very easy to get there and if your like most people you take the #7 train to Willets Point. When you exit you can see the stadiums for Flushing Meadows and if you look to other side you can see Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. For the old timers it was formerly called Shea Stadium.

I have been to the Open probably around ten times. The first time I went was in the late eighties as I was asked if I wanted to work in the Wilson booth. In those days the retail was not quite as advanced as it is now. You didn’t have all of the permanent stores that are built into the main stadium.

The complex is called the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre and is home to 22 tennis courts on 46.5 acres of land. It is a public facility when the tournament is not being played and there are three stadiums with the Arthur Ashe stadium holding around 23,000 people. One time I actually had a ticket for that stadium on the 2nd last row from the top. The players looked like ants.

So - what do you feel when you attend the Open. Well, just like NYC the tournament is loud, brash and busy. People are usually in a hurry to get to the side courts to see their favourite player. If you are hungry you can easily spend your hard earned money on just about any type of food. The food court is always busy and seating is often a challenge. A fancy martini will set you back about $20 and if you want to take home a jumbo Wilson tennis ball it will cost you a cool $40 USD. The early rounds are often the most fun because the side courts will offer all kinds of great matches and you can get up close to many of the up and coming players. All of the tournaments now sell tickets exclusively for the stadiums so if you don’t have a ticket for those stadium courts your out of luck - and go figure - all the best players will be playing on the “show courts.”

The entry to the event can take a bit of time as they have very restrictive check in to ensure proper safety. The tragic Sept 11 attack on NYC changed a lot of things in our life’s - and getting in to the Open can take a bit of time as you have to line up to get in and they tell you don’t bring a backpack.

One year my buddy Jason called me up and asked me if I was coming to the tournament and if so, bring a jacket. Because Wilson is a sponsor and he is the primary contact for the sponsorship he was invited to sit in the USTA Presidents Box and so he had invited me as his guest to attend the Tuesday night of the first week. I’ve sat in some VIP boxes at various events but this was clearly something special. We had a fantastic dinner prior to the night matches and then we were escorted to our seats. These are the same seats that you can see the countless celebrites that attend the event. It was a very special night.

I can’t recall all the hotels that we’ve stayed in during the Open. All of them were very good. They usually were picked for their proximity to Grand Central Station because that’s where you would get on the train to get out to the event. Grand Central Station is a place worth visiting us for it’s own grandeur. The picture below is at the W Hotel on Lexington. Wilson would take over the lobby and place marketing pieces in strategic places.

One of my early memories is staying a the W Court - a hotel that doesn’t exist anymore. It was a small boutique hotel located at 39th and Lexington. I had exited my room to go downstairs and so I pushed the elevator button and stood waiting patiently for it to arrive. I heard a door close around the corner and down a hall way and I could hear footsteps coming to the elevator. I turned around and it was Roger Federer. Yikes - now what do I do? I introduced myself and told him I was with Wilson and that I had just seen him play in Toronto at the Rogers Cup. We both got in the elevator and then he invited me out for dinner…..okay, the dinner part is not true but he was gracious and polite.

Like most fans we want to support our local hero’s so I usually would try to find the courts that the Canadians would be playing on. In the early years you had to be at the tournament on the first few days because it was a rare occurance for a Canadian player to be around on the 2nd week -except for the doubles specialist Daniel Nestor. Now the Canucks are a real threat including winning the Women’s Singles Event last year.

Of course going to NYC is not just about the tennis. When your in the big Apple there is so much to do. From shopping to eating you have it all. I would try to fit in a dinner at one of my all time favourites - Grotta Azzura.

Given I have a weakness for Italian food a trip to Little Italy was often in the cards. The original Grotta was located at the corner of Mulberry and Broome and it stood for more than 50 years. It was started in 1908 by the Davino family and it was a classic old school red sauce joint. It was a favourite of old blue eyes - Frank Sinatra and it had closed for a few years and then reopened with a slightly changed location. I remember you would go down the stairs to this small room and all the waiters were older Italian men who had been there for many years. A more recent fav has become John of 12th Street. It is also an old standby as it opened in 1908 in the east village.

So…no live tournament this year for me or really anyone. But in the big scheme of things this is the price we need to pay to ensure we all stay safe during these difficult times. I hope to get back to the tournament and to NYC in the future however I’ve been lucky to see one of the great sporting events of all time - till the next time!