It is on Monday, 15 minutes before the first ball will be struck at the U. And mine is the lone vehicle veering right off the congested highway and onto Exit 9P. Flushing Meadows traditionally has felt like the most diverse place on the planet in late August and early September.
It has bustled with European tennis tourists β from Switzerland to Sweden, Slovakia to Spain β who make New York their vacation destination because of a tournament. Last year, attendance finished at , This tournament feels like a tennis apocalypse, all tennis fans from all tennis nations disappearing.
Sorry, Alec Baldwin. Two stadium workers each cleaned my box seat a few minutes apart with disinfectant before allowing me to sit. The events used to be held on these grounds.
Compelling marathon rallies on the Ashe court are punctuated not by the usual raucous cheers, but by a couple of clapping sounds from coaches. Odder is the challenge review. As the scoreboard depicts a ball landing a fraction of a millimeter out, the usual loud oohs and groans are replaced by deadly silence. According to a source, John McEnroe is also having a rough time getting pumped up calling matches in a barren stadium.
Mind you, the USTA has done a commendable job in attempting to pull off a festive vibe. We wrote a preview about the Ashe Beach recreational area by the fountain in front of the big stadium. Three dozen white Adirondack chairs with accompanying umbrellas, cabanas and beach balls are situated in front of the popular fountain. But the chairs remain mostly empty of sunbathers. The rec games that have been set up β miniature golf, paddle tennis, soccer pool, a basketball hoop β mostly go unused.
