U.S. Open closed to fans
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Fans at the U.S. Open tennis tournament try to get an autograph from star Rafael Nadal. AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File
By David Brand
Players’ grunts will echo off empty chairs inside the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium this August and September.
The two-week-long U.S. Open, one of New York City’s marquee sporting events, will continue as scheduled, but fans will be locked out of the United States Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King Tennis Center, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
“We must remain vigilant and the USTA is taking all necessary precautions with players and staff, but this is an exciting day for the state,” Cuomo said. The U.S. Open lasts from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13.
The annual tournament, one of professional tennis’ four Grand Slam events, attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world to Flushing Meadows Corona Park each year. There, they sit on small bleachers to watch lower-ranked players toil on outdoor courts while the greatest stars — Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer — pack the towering main stadium, named for tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
“We recognize the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times, and we will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks,” said USTA CEO Mike Dowse. “Being able to hold these events in 2020 is a boost for the City of New York and the entire tennis landscape.”
The USTA says the tournament sinks up to $750 million into the local economy, while creating thousands of short-term jobs, but the economic impact in surrounding neighborhoods is far from obvious.
“Over the years, I have seen very little effort by the USTA to encourage any local exploration in our communities,” Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce Executive Director John Choe told City Limits in 2018. “They make no effort to partner with us and honestly I don’t even think the U.S. Open sees the local community.”
The problem, say Choe and local business owners, is the self contained nature of the tournament. Spectators are cut off much of the surrounding area by highways, while food, liquor and apparel are all sold on the grounds.
“It’s a self-contained paradise for the one percent,” Choe told City Limits. ” It kind of reminds me like the Green Zone in Iraq.”
Meanwhile, the shift back to tennis will mark a drastic change for the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, which was converted into a field hospital to treat people with COVID-19 in April.
