Mandatory Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
There was something for every age at this year’s US Open Fan Week and the tennis lovers had fun. It was every tennis fan’s dream.
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was flooded with guests who were able to participate in free, exclusive pre-tournament events and activities, including free Wheaties, Happy Hour Heineken (for the adults, of course), customizable tennis balls, immersive gaming arenasand the opportunity to play and watch tennis alongside some of the biggest names in the sport.
“Seeing them on TV and then seeing them here is really cool,” said Daniela Luna, who flew in from Texas especially for the US Open fan week. “I like to see the players up close. Seeing them practice and being up close is the best.”
Luna’s favorite tennis player is Coco Gauff, and there was no shortage of closeness to Gauff on Tuesday. She took the stage before Arthur Ashe with tennis legend Billie Jean King. It was a passing of the torch, so to speak, as King handed over the reins as Wheaties cereal box cover athlete to Gauff.
Wheaties handed out 1,000 boxes of cereal to excited fans in about 10 minutes. Fans then had the chance to play tennis with Gauff and King on a pickleball-sized court. There’s plenty of tennis to watch during Fan Week, even if it’s just the volleyball match between Gauff and King.
The Flushing complex has 22 courts, and almost every one of them is home to the best tennis in the world. While the Fan Week celebrations continued, qualifying rounds for the 2024 US Open were also underway. Fans were able to step away from DJ sets and watch the players battle for a spot in the tournament. Other pros practiced in front of an audience.
Sam Hirsch, a “huge tennis fan,” lugged around a few boxes of Wheaties with Gauff’s face on them. He said, “I got to watch Naomi Osaka practice, which was incredible. And Ben Shelton happened to be practicing on the court next to her. I got to see them both at the same time. It was great.”
As Tuesday evening approached, fans entered Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch the first Mixed Madness tournament with some of the biggest names in tennis.
The Mixed Madness teams were: Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas and Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton.
It was an all-star line-up. Osaka and Kyrgios took the court wearing Kobe Bryant Lakers jerseys. Fritz had just won a bronze medal in doubles at the Paris Olympics. Badosa and Tsitsipas are the hottest couple in tennis. Gauff and Shelton are America’s darlings in the sport.
There’s no doubt that Gauff and Shelton are fan favorites. Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted at the sight of the two young players. (They are 20 and 21 years old, respectively.)
The four doubles teams were fighting for $250,000, so it was not an easy, entertaining tournament. Osaka/Kyrgios lost in the first round of the tournament. So did Gauff/Shelton, much to the dismay of the crowd.
Anisimova/Fritz fought with Badosa/Tsitsipas for the prize money and the opening trophy. Badosa/Tsitsipas won six games to three.
Tsitsipas and Badosa hugged and announced that they would be competing in the US Open mixed doubles tournament this year. The pair are looking to repeat what they did at Mixed Madness when it comes to the US Open championship. Badosa posted about the win on Instagram He called the Mixed Madness win the “best date night ever.”
