US Open

The US Open is the most exciting and best tennis tournament to watch.  New York City makes the perfect back drop for the worlds best tennis players to battle in front of raucous crowds.  Every tennis Major has something unique that makes it prestigious in it's own right (except for the Australian Open that no casual tennis fan even knows exists).  The French Open has it's clay courts that change the game so dramatically, an American has only won there four times (Michael Chang '89, Jim Courier '91/'92, Andre Agassi '99) since 1968.  Wimbledon has it's special grass courts that play more similar to a hard court, but also requires all competitors to wear white to keep with old British lawn tennis tradition.  Then there is the US Open.

The US Open is the rock concert of tennis majors.  First, big stars come out to watch.  Before the Open even begins there are celebrations leading up to the tournament that include celebtrity matches and big pop concerts (CarlyRae Jepsen and The Wanted performed this year).  The Open is supposed to be a party and the organizers ensure this every year.

Second, athletes put on a fashion show while playing for two weeks.  This is not stuffy Wimbledon with all white clothing.  We are in NYC, the fashion mecca of the world and the athletes, especially the women, play right into this.  There are colors everywhere and all the big name companies put their athletes in newly designed outfits that beg for attention.

Third, the US Open is highlighted by primetime, and even late night, star studded matches.  Rarely will you see any of the top seeded men or women not on Center Court at 7 and 9 PM.  It becomes a showcase for the greats like Roger Federer and Serena Williams and a potential springboard for their unseeded competitors.  The late night matches are full of energy from the crowd creating the most fun atmosphere a tennis player can dream of.

Fourth, the athletes interact with the fans at the US Open more so than at any other major.  At the end of every match the winner is interview live to the fans.  The players then sign a few tennis balls and hit them into the stand all while music is blaring and the fans go crazy.  It is a party from beginning to end with a match at the US Open.

The US Open is a ton of fun with great tennis players finishing up their major season at an awesome venue.  It will be the usual suspects in both the men's and women's draw with the one exception being the absence of Rafael Nadal due to injury.  For American fans, Andy Roddick will be making a push to up his game for his home tournament, but John Isner is the one to watch.  The big server thrives on the hard courts and will hope to cause problems for some of the more mobile players with his crushing swings.  Serena Williams is the odds on favorite to win her 4th US Open coming off a Wimbledon win and multiple gold medals in London, plus a nice resurgence this entire season.  No matter what, be sure to enjoy the electric atmosphere and high level tennis for the next two weeks!