Ceremony's move to the Empire State Building marks tennis' ascent
By Liza Horan
Aug. 31, New York—Days before the first ball was hit at the 2007 U.S. Open, the crack staff of the U.S. Tennis Association's Pro Tennis group had ensured that all the finishing touches were in place for players, spectators and the media. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was pristine and waiting for qualifiers to arrive, practice and compete for a few spots in the main draw.
Running the U.S. Open is a 12-month operation, as America's Grand Slam is the largest annual attended sporting event in the world. No detail is left to chance. So with the big stage set for the U.S. Open, the Pro Tennis staff's attention focused to another, yet exceedingly recognizable, stage: the Empire State Building.
The barren southwest corner of the 71st floor of "the world's most recognizable and celebrated office building," as its leasing agent calls the landmark, would be transformed into the new setting for the U.S. Open Draw Ceremony. The primary business of the ceremony, which had been held at the United Nations in recent years, is to determine where seeded players will be placed in the draw, yet it's an opportunity for the USTA President and the Chief Executive of Pro Tennis to address the media, USTA board members and select others about how successful and exciting the tournament is.
Though hazy, the view west toward New Jersey and south to New York Harbor was grandiose, perfectly matching the announcement that the U.S. Open is big business—about $425 million to New York's economy. "That's far more than the Yankees, the Mets, the Knicks and the Rangers combined," says Arlen Kantarian (above right), Chief Executive of USTA Pro Tennis. "We've taken what was a sporting event and made it an entertainment spectacle."
Record prize money ($20 million for main draw and $1 million for qualifying), 660 players, more than 900 matches and 72,000 balls, and a live webcast of matches on the second Monday all are part of the long list of new items for this year's tournament. Click here for a list of overall improvements and fan enhancements.
In efforts to provide special treatment for players, a $8 million renovation of the player's lounge was completed, the locker rooms were closed to members of the media (a first among sporting events in this country, upsetting journalistic organizations), and the USTA-hosted players party made a comeback after a few years. The players-only party, flying on the coattails of the smashing red-carpet 2006 party co-hosted by the Tennis Channel and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, is tonight at the Gansevoort Hotel's Ono restaurant. Kantarian says, "We want them to have the finest experience possible."
No one would have known the room had sat empty and unfinished a couple of days prior. But when the location of the Ceremony was confirmed, the USTA staff turned the dull gray to bright white and constructed and elevated stage for the proceedings. Highlights included a promotional video of the U.S. Open that each year conveys the excitement and drama of the tournament through highlights, which run from the emotional (Andre Agassi's farewell in 2006) to the lighthearted (a team of court staff on hands and knees wiping down a wet court with towels that fades into a group of Zamboni-styled court drying machines at work). It's always inspiring.
U.S. Open Referee Brian Earley directed the random picking of seeded player names, which were chosen by such attendees as USTA Board Member and New York City former Mayor David Dinkins, former player and USTA National Coach Katrina Adams and others. For the first time, the USTA had coins minted for the occasion. Each bore "2007 U.S. Open" and a sticker with a player's name. The coins, encased in plastic, lent a more serious and momentous air to the proceedings. The USTA has not said where the coins will go, but they would make very exclusive souvenirs.
As they have for the last several years, players-turned-commentators Mary Joe Fernandez (left) and Patrick McEnroe offered their own forecasts for how the seeds would fare, once the draw picks were made. Both appeared a bit
crestfallen that neither Venus and Serena Williams nor Andy Roddick and Roger Federer would have a chance to meet in the finals.
The No. 7 seeds, Nadia Petrova and Fernando Gonzalez were on hand for photo opportunities, which included posing with a relatively miniature version of King Kong on the Observation Deck.
The Empire State Building hosted the official kick-off the to 2007 U.S. Open and will be with the event in spirit: The New York skyline will have a shot of "tennis ball yellow"—as USTA President Jane Brown Grimes calls it—on the nights of the final Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the tournament.
Aug. 31, New York—Days before the first ball was hit at the 2007 U.S. Open, the crack staff of the U.S. Tennis Association's Pro Tennis group had ensured that all the finishing touches were in place for players, spectators and the media. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was pristine and waiting for qualifiers to arrive, practice and compete for a few spots in the main draw.
Running the U.S. Open is a 12-month operation, as America's Grand Slam is the largest annual attended sporting event in the world. No detail is left to chance. So with the big stage set for the U.S. Open, the Pro Tennis staff's attention focused to another, yet exceedingly recognizable, stage: the Empire State Building.
The barren southwest corner of the 71st floor of "the world's most recognizable and celebrated office building," as its leasing agent calls the landmark, would be transformed into the new setting for the U.S. Open Draw Ceremony. The primary business of the ceremony, which had been held at the United Nations in recent years, is to determine where seeded players will be placed in the draw, yet it's an opportunity for the USTA President and the Chief Executive of Pro Tennis to address the media, USTA board members and select others about how successful and exciting the tournament is.
Though hazy, the view west toward New Jersey and south to New York Harbor was grandiose, perfectly matching the announcement that the U.S. Open is big business—about $425 million to New York's economy. "That's far more than the Yankees, the Mets, the Knicks and the Rangers combined," says Arlen Kantarian (above right), Chief Executive of USTA Pro Tennis. "We've taken what was a sporting event and made it an entertainment spectacle." Record prize money ($20 million for main draw and $1 million for qualifying), 660 players, more than 900 matches and 72,000 balls, and a live webcast of matches on the second Monday all are part of the long list of new items for this year's tournament. Click here for a list of overall improvements and fan enhancements.
In efforts to provide special treatment for players, a $8 million renovation of the player's lounge was completed, the locker rooms were closed to members of the media (a first among sporting events in this country, upsetting journalistic organizations), and the USTA-hosted players party made a comeback after a few years. The players-only party, flying on the coattails of the smashing red-carpet 2006 party co-hosted by the Tennis Channel and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, is tonight at the Gansevoort Hotel's Ono restaurant. Kantarian says, "We want them to have the finest experience possible."No one would have known the room had sat empty and unfinished a couple of days prior. But when the location of the Ceremony was confirmed, the USTA staff turned the dull gray to bright white and constructed and elevated stage for the proceedings. Highlights included a promotional video of the U.S. Open that each year conveys the excitement and drama of the tournament through highlights, which run from the emotional (Andre Agassi's farewell in 2006) to the lighthearted (a team of court staff on hands and knees wiping down a wet court with towels that fades into a group of Zamboni-styled court drying machines at work). It's always inspiring.
U.S. Open Referee Brian Earley directed the random picking of seeded player names, which were chosen by such attendees as USTA Board Member and New York City former Mayor David Dinkins, former player and USTA National Coach Katrina Adams and others. For the first time, the USTA had coins minted for the occasion. Each bore "2007 U.S. Open" and a sticker with a player's name. The coins, encased in plastic, lent a more serious and momentous air to the proceedings. The USTA has not said where the coins will go, but they would make very exclusive souvenirs.As they have for the last several years, players-turned-commentators Mary Joe Fernandez (left) and Patrick McEnroe offered their own forecasts for how the seeds would fare, once the draw picks were made. Both appeared a bit
crestfallen that neither Venus and Serena Williams nor Andy Roddick and Roger Federer would have a chance to meet in the finals. The No. 7 seeds, Nadia Petrova and Fernando Gonzalez were on hand for photo opportunities, which included posing with a relatively miniature version of King Kong on the Observation Deck.
The Empire State Building hosted the official kick-off the to 2007 U.S. Open and will be with the event in spirit: The New York skyline will have a shot of "tennis ball yellow"—as USTA President Jane Brown Grimes calls it—on the nights of the final Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the tournament.
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