The 2009 US Open tennis tournament begins Monday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing. Attending is always a highlight of my year and a true out-of-body experience.
I have watched the US Open on television since I was a very little girl. I loved Jimmy Connors’ spirit, bemoaned MacEnroe’s mouth, admired Lendl’s cool, endured Sampras’ calm, and was bored (most of the time) by Federer’s perfection. (I watched the women’s draw as well, but I do love the men.)
To get the chance to experience it in person always blows my mind.
The venues are smaller and more intimate then they appear on TV, and the personalities even bigger. You can sit in the highest level of Arthur Ashe stadium — and believe me, I have — and still have an incredible view of the action and all the celebrities in the crowd. During my first US Open, I watched Matthew Perry during every break in the action. (His seats were way better than mine. )
When you attend the US Open, you can also watch matches in Louis Armstrong, the Grandstand, and other smaller courts. You might get a chance to see some up-and-comer make their big move.
This year, I feel, is Andy Roddick’s Open. After his near success at Wimbledon, it seems destined to be. And I will be there, a very small part of tennis history.
