A Dutch friend recently posted on Facebook that he is continually surprised by the petite amount of vacation time we Americans are allotted and astonished that many don’t even take what they’ve been given. I assured him that I have plans percolating that would require 14 months’ of vacation. This is a serious problem. For my employer. Not for me.
I would love to see each of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments including the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon. But, given vacation limitations, I wasn’t able to get to them in 2013. So I indulged in my annual expedition to the US Open – one of the perks of living within a stone’s throw of NYC. Flushing Meadows certainly isn’t Paris, but the Open is the world’s largest annual sporting event.
Over 700,000 fans pass through the gates of the Billie Jean King USTA Tennis Center to mourn summer’s end and enjoy a terrific sporting event. There’s no better opportunity to see world-class athletes perform up close and personal; many of the courts are small with limited seating. During the early days of the tournament, you can get a grounds pass for under $70 and spend the day moving from match to match at all but Arthur Ashe Stadium (The early round Ashe matches are usually blowouts between a top seed and an unranked opponent.). I logged 9 hours last Friday, leaving exhausted, sunburned and happier than Serena after a lopsided win.
Some years you luck into a 5-set thriller. Sandwiched together with your fellow fans because of the intimate bleacher seating, you’ll catch excited whispers between points. Swirls of German, French, Italian, Spanish fill the air like the Tower of Babel. The setting’s elegant. The crowd? Extremely well-heeled. Your bleacher-mate may have arrived by limo and is sipping a $24 glass of Moët & Chandon. You took the #7 subway. But you share a common tongue because, at the Open, a great shot’s a great shot. Game. Set. Match.
It’s my dream to attend finals of any one of those 4 big tennis events……
I hope it happens for you…
if $$ are the issue and you can see clear of the finals, I was told that, at the Open, the week before the event the grounds are open for free and you can wander around, watch the juniors compete and catch the stars practicing. It may be similar at the other venues. Thanks for visiting.
I was in London eight years ago during the start of Wimbledon. We got day passes for the grounds (not Court One or Centre Court). It was an amazing experience. We watched some of the “seniors” play (35 and older!) and we were sitting right next to the court with their families.
So, Wimbledon has opportunities for intimacy, like the Open. I’ve always assumed it was a stuffier tourney. Thanks for sharing this terrific memory.
One of the best things you can do at Wimbledon is watch an Andy Murray match on the big screen from “Henman Hill”. When he’s playing, all the people who have grounds passes (but not tickets for the court) watch from the hill, it’s an unbelievable atmosphere!
Good to know! Thank you!