NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic walked onto Arthur Ashe to raucous applause, sun glinting off the Olympic gold medal around his neck. Aryna Sabalenka , reigning Australian Open champion, wowed the crowd with a tweener while practicing with Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova . Coco Gauff , the defending U.
S. Open champion, filled Louis Armstrong Stadium while hitting with Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic . Advertisement Welcome to the Saturday before the U.
S. Open. Seats are full.
Crowds mill. The DJ spins beats on a stage overlooking Fountain Plaza. The lines are long for food, beverages and merchandise.
Spectators get in free of charge, moving through the grounds and watching their favorite athletes up close. The sounds of smashed tennis balls, loud music and ambient chatter can’t be escaped. The thrilling agony of qualifying week is done.
The tennis party is in town. While the top players were vibing, the tours studied the schedule. Three professional tournaments — a WTA 500 in Monterrey, a WTA 250 in Cleveland and an ATP 250 in Winston-Salem, N.
C. — didn’t wrap up until that buoyant Saturday. There were finals to be played, ranking points to be accumulated and prize money to be earned.
As fans and players revelled in the looseness of fan week with carefree smiles and unserious exhibitions, the tennis calendar paid no heed. GO DEEPER How the fight to improve the tennis calendar risks destroying its soul American McCartney Kessler, who received a discretionary wildc.