Open for fun
A festival of free concerts, matches and more kicks off the big tennis tourney in NYC
By ZACHARY KUSSIN T HIS week, you can head to Queens for a slew of free programming, from exhibition games by an earlier generation of tennis legends to concerts to a photo show. And, if you want, you can see Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal practice their tennis swings — again, for free.
It’s all part of Fan Week at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, a weeklong festival that kicks off the US Open tennis championship, which begins Aug. 26.
The festival’s events include matches at the Open’s Qualifying Tournament, in which up-andcoming players duke it out from Monday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. for a chance to compete.
You’ll catch Williams and other top players practicing their serves and backhands in the Grandstand court from Tuesday to Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Visit USOpen.org for a schedule of practices and players vying in the qualifying tournament.
If you never thought you’d get to see John McEnroe play, now’s your chance. He’ll face Jim Courier on Wednesday, followed by Andy Roddick versus James Blake on Thursday, and Friday’s women’s doubles match will feature Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. All matches are free and start at 4:30 p.m. in the Grandstand.
Fan Week isn’t all games. Check out a photo exhibit focusing on the life and career of Billie Jean King, at the Chase Center.
The annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day unfolds on Aug. 24, with performers JAGMAC, Stefan Benz and Jenna Raine. For the first time, nearly 10,000 general admission seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium will be free for folks also looking to catch a glimpse of singer Blanco Brown, Disney star Meg Donnelly and defending US Open champ Novak Djokovic. (Free tickets must be reserved on Ticketmaster; the remainder will be distributed, first come, first serve, on site.)
Concerts geared more to older fans, beginning at 8 p.m., feature indie-pop band LANY on Wednesday, country singer Brett Eldredge on Thursday and soul crooner Leon Bridges on Friday. And it’s all free, no strings attached.