It might be in a bar, or an elevator, or a cab, or an office, or a restaurant: But sometime during the U.S. Open, if you live in New York, you’re going to hear people talking about tennis who you never imagined would be talking about tennis. Over the years, I’ve overheard them marveling about Federer in his all-black attire; happily bemoaning their lack of sleep after staying up to see a 2:00 A.M. finish; and continuing to yearn for the days of McEnroe and Connors—this is the Big Apple, after all. In 2021, I was pleased to hear the words “Leylah” and “Raducanu” on a daily basis at my gym. People were really tuned into this year’s Open.
Those conversations are always music to my ears, but they inevitably lead me to an unwanted question: How many of these temporary tennis lovers will be watching the fall tournaments after the Open, when the players scatter to Asia and Europe? The faithful will follow along, of course; they’ll tape Beijing and Shanghai during the nighttime hours, and Paris and London during the weekdays, and keep track of the races to No. 1. But for the general public in New York and the U.S., the sport has always vanished after the Open, and with it the interest and momentum built up over those two weeks. From an admittedly U.S.-centric viewpoint, it has always seemed like a huge lost opportunity.
This year has been different. Having Laver Cup in Boston in September gave U.S. fans a chance to get a closer look at the ATP’s Next Gen—in particular newly-minted Grand Slam champion Daniil Medvedev—and see what they can bring, personality-wise, to that entertainment-first format. It also ended up reminding us of what’s missing from Laver Cup: the WTA. Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, among others, would have been huge draws in Boston after their heroics in New York. Maybe the fact that Laver Cup co-creator Tony Godsick is Coco Gauff’s agent will give organizers an incentive to make it a dual-gender event in the future—provided the women want to be included, of course.
