New York is not short of ground stadiums, nor is it short of athletes who can make the crowd stand up. But there are some things Extra During the US Open this summer, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
It started during Fan Week, when a new mixed-doubles format meant look-ins from major singles players—Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Novak Djokovic… to name only a few—though it was a pair of Italian doubles specialists, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori received a $1 million bonus. Needless to say, it was the most popular fan week in history, welcomed nearly 240,000 people into the Open in six days.
Then there is the start of the singles tournament, with defending champion Jannik Sinner and freshly buzzing Alcaraz both making the sparks fly through their first three games – while on the women’s side, fan favorites Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka will face each other in 16 rounds Monday. (Other of our defending champions, Aryna Sabalenka, should have been easier to fight against unseeded Spaniard Cristina bucșa this afternoon – but hey, you never know.)
It’s a crowded open, Loud Open, occasionally hostile (we are watching you, Medvedev and Ostapenko), but it’s also an open, jaw-dropping athleticism and shocking excitement that’s enough to make casual viewers fall in love with the game as well.
Photographer OK McCausland will be out this week at Flushing to capture players, players, fans, celebrities, fashion and of course Honey Deuces. See the transparent lens here.
