Day Trip: US Open is a Smash Hit on Kids' Day

It has been speculated that Roger Federer is the greatest athlete ever. That’s a far-reaching claim and, if you’re not a tennis fan, it may sound a little over the top. Even so, no one can deny that he and his cohorts are all superb athletes and, if you are a tennis fan you probably fall into either the Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal camp.

Or, maybe you are ready for a new champion like Novak Djokovic or the too-few-wins-for-his-talent Andy Murray. Then there’s the women: Kim Clijsters on the rise after recently becoming a mother, Serena Williams coming back from a major health scare, and No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki holding onto her top position without any grand slam wins this year.

All of these super athletes will soon be at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, just a stone’s throw from suburban New Jersey. Well, sort of. They will all be there, but Queens is more like an hour-plus car trip or two train rides away, but a journey to the US Open is worth it.

Last year my family and I went to Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, an event which is happening again soon, on Saturday, August 27. We had $10-each general admission tickets, which got us through the main gate and allowed us to go into Arthur Ashe Stadium for a spectacle of musicians and tennis players goofing off on a big stage.

Additionally, on Kids’ Day, all of the grounds and courts are open for viewing, with many star-studded practice matches being played on the smaller courts. Instead of heading straight for nose-bleed seats in Ashe, we wandered the grounds in search of, you guessed it, Roger Federer.

Other fans had seen Federer playing on Court 16 earlier, but by the time we got there he had moved on. Undeterred, we wandered into Louis Armstrong Stadium only to find a lot of empty seats and two top-twenty players finishing a match. Rumors among the fans swirled: someone big, really big, was about to take the court. My sons were hoping for Nadal, I was just hoping.

We waited in the blazing-hot second-row seats we’d scored and were soon wowed with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. They warmed up and practiced like old friends, interacting with their respective trainers all the while.

We were only a few feet away from the court and privy to their outbursts of effort, frustration, grace and incredible physical strength. I was in heaven, but the kids got a little bored after about an hour. No problem, we wandered some more.

We found John McEnroe, wearing an old Rage Against the Machine T-Shirt, playing against a woman who I am pretty sure was Victoria Azarenka. Johnny Mac right in front of us! For some reason, my eight-year-old wasn’t too interested in watching the legend nor the up-and-coming star, so we sought shade.

In the cool dark halls somewhere under the Grand Stand there were a few kids standing, looking anticipatory, with giant tennis balls and Sharpies in hand. My son had brought the giant tennis ball he’d won at tennis camp, with the hope of procuring a few signatures, so we sidled up next to the other fans and asked what was happening. We were at the door to the locker room. Maybe we could get McEnroe’s signature. I was willing to wait.

Maria Sharapova, who is even more stunning in person than she is in her ubiquitous ad campaigns, walked by. She whispered something to her guard, waved at us and kept walking. Mikhail Youzhny, who was later defeated by Nadal in the semi-finals, cheerfully gave us his signature. Even with those sightings, it turns out that waiting for a chance at signatures loses it’s charm pretty quickly, so we decided to catch a glimpse of the Main Event in Arthur Ashe.

We found four vertigo-inducing seats and caught the last hour of a very kid-friendly show which included Andy Roddick playing tennis against some children and the Bryan Brothers (many-time men’s doubles champions) performing as musicians in their not-too-shabby band.

This year Diggy Simmons, Cody Simpson, and many more musicians, actors and tennis stars will be performing. Also, there are numerous other interactive and kid-oriented activities throughout the grounds all day. Check out www.arthurashekidsday.com for details

Kids’ Day at the US Open isn’t just for tennis fans, but it is a day when tennis fans of all ages can catch a glimpse of the stars of tennis or watch a practice match between top players. It’s an outing that requires a little planning and flexibility, especially with young children, but the payoff can be fun and thrilling. I have yet to see Roger Federer play in person, so we’ll try again this year. We will be leaving early and taking the train.