I recently had the opportunity to travel to Flushing, New York to attend the US Open Tennis Championships. The US Open was held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6 in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Over Labor Day weekend, I observed day six of the tournament. My family bought Center Court Club tickets for the day and night session on Saturday. These box seats stretch around the middle of the whole stadium. The day was exciting to say the least.
The Center Court Club tickets were high quality. It was a relief to get to come and go from the air conditioning inside the box seats as it was quite hot sitting under the beaming sun all day. The food and drinks were served non-stop during each session. The signature drink of the US Open is the “Honey Deuce.” The non-alcoholic version is called the “Honey Don’t” and it contains fresh lemonade, raspberry liqueur, all garnished with three honeydew melon balls (meant to resemble tennis balls). The food was fancy and there were plenty of options to choose from. The courses ranged from sandwiches to pasta, four different types of meat and desserts like personal pies, strawberry shortcake, cookies, and brownies.
This year the US Open celebrates the accomplish
ment of fifty years of equal prize money for men and women. Carlos Alcaraz, the number one player in the world, was scheduled to play Arthur Ashe Stadium at the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on the main court.
We had a great start to the day at the tennis tournament. We settled into our seats to watch the #1 seed, Alcaraz, from Spain, take on #26 seed, Daniel Evans, representing England. Alcaraz had recently etched his name in history by becoming the youngest Wimbledon champion this past summer, and this match promised to be an exciting clash of talents. There was a great deal of tension, as Evans had previously never won a set against Alcaraz. The format for men’s tennis matches is the best of five sets, and Alcaraz was already leading 2-0. Miraculously, Evans managed to win a set against Alcaraz in this three-hour match.
We also got the opportunity to run into country-pop sensation, Maren Morris, adding another layer of excitement to the day. It was a special treat for my family and I, as we are avid fans of her music. It’s tradition for many public figures and celebrities to attend the US Open, along with other international sports tournaments. Jon Bon Jovi, Julianna Margulies, Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Charlize Theron, John Krasinski, Amy Schumer, and Chloe Kim all made appearances at this year’s event.
After the game concluded, we decided to catch some of the women’s singles day match, featuring #26 seed Elina Svitolina from Ukraine and #3 seed Jessica Pegula representing the United States. It’s always a captivating experience to witness top-level women’s tennis, and this match was no exception. However, we had to leave the stadium early to explore the surrounding area.
Our adventure continued as we made our way back to Arthur Ashe Stadium for the night session of day six. The stands were packed with enthusiastic fans. Our Center Court Club tickets made this experience all the better. The first game of the night featured a women’s singles match between #5 seed Ons Jabeur from Tunisia and #31 seed Marie Bouzkova representing Czech. Jabeur is the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in WTA and ATP rankings history, and Bouzkova has won one singles title and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour. To say the least, the whole crowd knew that this would be an exciting match.
The match unfolded over three sets. The two athletes went back and forth, eventually forcing a fourth set, which Jabeur ended up winning. The outcome of this match served as a testament to the incredible level of competition and the electrifying atmosphere that the world of professional tennis consistently delivers. It is rare to get the experience to observe so many talented athletes in one day. Regardless of past performance, anything can happen at The US Open.
All in all, it was a day filled with exciting tennis action, captivating performances, and unforgettable moments. The world of tennis never ceases to amaze, and we left the stadium with memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. The US Open most definitely did not disappoint.
