Tennis is beginning to make a comeback of sorts, with public courts and private clubs reopening slowly across the United States and elsewhere - but is it too soon to start having “fun”? I feel like the entire focus has been on the virus, appropriately so, and that people having a good time almost feel partially guilty since so many people are suffering either physically, mentally, financially or in other ways. We’ve all felt the effects of the pandemic in one way or another.
In these unbelievably strange times, having the option of playing tennis safely with friends definitely brings color to the cheeks and brightens the soul; there are guidelines to adhere to and ways of playing outside that minimize the chances of passing on or catching the virus. I think the USTA did a great job of outlining tennis safety tips on its site here, knowing that courts across the country will be opening soon despite the ongoing suspension of USTA tournaments and leagues.
The West Side Tennis Club, home of the US Open until ‘77, just started allowing members to use its courts; as a member since 2016, I am pumped to play a few times next week with friends. During this two-month plus quarantine, I’ve been riding the Peloton bike almost every day and have come to realize that while my recent injury will likely remain unless I get surgery at some point, the level of pain on a scale of one to ten has gone down. So, that’s good news for sure; and it’s probably because of the bike-riding, I’m almost positive. The next step is seeing how drills and point play go; it’s going to take some time to get back into the swing of things, but it’s worth the wait. Tennis isn’t going anywhere.
Do you think that the US Open will happen this year, sans or with a limited number of spectators? UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) tournaments have already started and are being broadcasted on the Tennis Channel, featuring players who have competed in the US Open and are household names. Just the other day Reilly Opelka and good bud Tommy Paul, both of whom have the potential of cracking the top 20 this year despite the pandemic’s effects on player rankings, were playing in a sanctioned event at a private home in Florida. No one was seen watching from the stands; no one picked up the ball for them on the court - what a novel experience for the players and fans watching from home. I wonder how many people were tuning in and whether Tennis Channel’s ratings went up or down during this period; on the one hand, many people are hungry to watch tennis. But while the pace of a match is kind of slow in between points as is, players now have to pick up their own balls for obvious reasons which prolongs things even more. That must have an effect on viewership.
While these are competitive matches, I think that the players and organizers have to become a bit more inventive in how the matches are played and presented on TV. It’s no longer a grand production in-person; the stage isn’t as glamorous as before and the stakes are not nearly as high given these matches count outside of the ATP and WTA rankings. That said, it’s absolutely amazing how fast the UTR tournament calendar came to fruition, giving local players the opportunity to earn a living in tennis despite having been sidelined since Indian Wells due to COVID-19.
The US Open is the most profitable and well-attended tennis event in the United States, and quite possibly the world (would be interested to see a graph on this detailing attendance and revenue earned at the Grand Slam level on average in the past ten years). I recall a stat indicating that over the two-week period, the tournament brings in more money than the Super Bowl (OK, the SB is a one-day event, but hey - football and tennis are apples and oranges, especially in the minds of advertisers). More than 3/4 of the USTA’s annual revenue comes from the US Open, and we still do not know for certain whether the most highly anticipated tennis event will be happening in New York or not, or at all for that matter; Roland Garros announced less than two months before its scheduled start that it will move from later this month to October. If the timing aligns, the USTA will most likely make an official announcement on scheduling toward the end of June. Right now, the tennis center is being used as a temporary hospital. The doctors, nurses and medical personnel working on the front lines in general are our heroes; perhaps the ones working on site at the US Open could be commemorated for their heroic efforts during the tournament itself, assuming it happens all together.
Please, please happen.
A good friend of mine and I made a pact that assuming the tournament is allowing at least some spectators and we get lucky enough to attend, we will go whether the tournament takes place in New York or California or Florida - wherever in the country, we will do our best to watch in-person. Let’s hope and pray that tennis returns to the normal soon. Play if you can, and do it safely; that shows our support to the sport. We will get through this together.