News and Society

“I think we scored,” Unger said to McLeod, after she arrived, still eating an apple.

Veterans of the Open, the sisters had traveled to New York from St. Paul and Detroit, but their seats were in the top level at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Unger reasoned that the practice courts might be their only shot at seeing a player like Federer up close.

Sure enough, around 12:15 p.m., Federer strode onto the practice courts and began to play. Hundreds of fans packed themselves against a fence, a sea of polo shirts and straw hats, firing away on camera phones, whispering and pointing amid the rhythmic popping of tennis balls hitting rackets.

“They’re so relaxed,” Unger said as she and her sister watched Federer from the back of the bleachers in almost a daze, heads shifting slightly from left to right with the volleys. “It’s amazing.”

While most of the action at the Open centers on the on-court drama, the practice courts — five on the ticketed grounds and more outside the main park — have a subculture of their own. They reward insiders who check the schedule posted on a large screen next to the viewing area, or those who wait, sometimes for hours, for a top-ranked player to come out for a casual back and forth.

The top players generally practice on five courts near Ashe Stadium, and the viewing area is one of the more exclusive spots on the grounds. Within a barricaded area, a limited number of bleachers are set up along one side of the courts, which are otherwise surrounded by tall hedges and a covered fence. (The action on the practice courts can also be seen by enterprising fans from the top of the bleachers on Court 4.)

Overheard at the court earlier this week: “That’s Andy Roddick. I can tell by the way he walks,” “Who is she hitting with?” “Did you see that volley?” and lots of “Wow.”

This is an intimate side of the United States Open, and perhaps an endangered one. As part of an overhaul to the tennis center, the United States Tennis Association announced plans in June to add an elevated viewing platform between the practice courts and neighboring tournament courts.

“I understand the concerns about security,” said Andy Kyzyk, a New York native. “But when I was a kid here, the players just walked around. It was incredible.

“Watching them practice like this by the fence is great. You get to see what they’re like when they’re not on. This is their gala, their moment. And to kids, they’re just athletes. I think it’s important they see the human side.”

Kyzyk, who has attended many Opens, said that the practice areas provided greater opportunities for procuring autographs and photos. His 13-year-old son, Danilo, was stationed near the barricade where the players would make their exit.

Fans without tickets can take their chances on practice courts outside the tennis center. To get there, spectators must hike past Ashe Stadium, through the food and vendor booths and beyond the secured entrance and walk just beyond where spectators exit No. 7 trains. When asked for directions, many of the volunteers politely offered confused smiles and said that they were not sure where the “other” practice courts were.

With a view of Citi Field in the distance, dozens of players took to the courts before a smattering of fans. These courts were free to the public for viewing, void of security clearances and stadium noise, instead interrupted by the occasional plane roaring past to land at La Guardia Airport. On Friday and Saturday, they also host the qualifying matches for next week’s junior tournament.

Disappointed that Rafael Nadal was not playing in this year’s Open, Ruben Martin Vadillo and Mayte Rodriguez Gil, visiting New York from Madrid, did not bother purchasing tickets for the event.

“It’s too expensive,” said Vadillo, a 31-year-old physical therapist.

Still, they took the train to Queens to see what they could see without crushing their wallets. They were shocked to see Spain’s Fernando Verdasco practicing in the outer courts.

“He’s very popular in Spain,” Vadillo said, leaning on the fence and wearing a red Spain jersey. “It’s so great to see him play!”

View the original article here