The US Open: A Tournament Where You Are the Hero

The US Open is trying to make the spectator the star, even as the tournament’s traditional stars fade from view. Since Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams retired, the American federation has continued to bring in dollars by building an event where any price seems acceptable if New York becomes “the place to be.”

But the mood in the press-conference room has been subdued, despite the air-conditioning working hard. Since the start of the tournament, little-known qualifiers have followed one another while unremarkable favorites have dropped out. In the country of show business and celebrity, the first week of the New York Grand Slam has exposed the loss of appeal surrounding global tennis.

One tournament employee, who helps conduct interviews, remembers a very different atmosphere. “Back in the days of the Big 3 [Federer, Nadal, Djokovic], the Williams sisters, Murray, Wawrinka, Del Potro and Sharapova, wow, it never stopped here. There was always incredible tension, especially after a defeat.”

Carlos Alcaraz may be a popular figure, the employee said, but he does not possess Nadal’s aura. That comparison captures the challenge facing the US Open: the event can keep improving the experience for fans, but spectacle alone cannot easily replace the names that once made every match feel significant.

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Back in the days of the Big 3 [Federer, Nadal, Djokovic], the Williams sisters, Murray, Wawrinka, Del Potro and Sharapova, wow, it never stopped here. There was always incredible tension, especially after a defeat. Alcaraz is a good guy, but he does not have Nadal’s aura.