I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone on this scavenger hunt. Behind the baseline, other hopeful fans swarmed around the seats like locusts, canvassing for any available real estate. Not surprisingly, and to their dismay, no one moved an inch. Finding a seat on a rush hour train in Manhattan might be easier than finding an open seat in this section of Grandstand. Keep in mind – this was at 10:45 a.m., when most other courts on the grounds are just beginning to fill up. But at Grandstand, not an empty seat remained among the thousand-plus behind the baselines and in the shade.
Fans can sit extremely close to players on the outer courts, and deal with much less stress when finding a seat. And the Louis Armstrong and Arthur Ashe Stadiums are where the world’s most elite players are usually scheduled to play. So what’s the big attraction of Grandstand court? I asked some fans who were lucky enough to snag prime seats their reasons for coming.
Pete Durmer had the best seat in the house for Bethanie Mattek’s second round match against Alize Cornet – directly behind the baseline, front row and center. From his vantage point, Durmer would have no trouble getting on television, feeling the vibration of the ball against the wall in front of him, or even whispering to a player, if it was allowed. “It’s nice,” said Durmer. “I hope they don’t ever go and start reserving these seats [like they do in Armstrong or Ashe]. It’s a pain in the neck and nobody’s sitting in them most of the time.”
For fans possessing only a grounds pass, Durmer’s baseline seat in Grandstand is the holy grail. But they are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it’s commonplace to see fans scoping them out just minutes after the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center opens. “I know a lot of people here that are pretty much regulars,” Durmer said. “I don’t see them this year, but there are some ladies here that sit in these seats all the time, every year.” Maybe they weren’t quick enough today.
Although Grandstand’s bleachers go up a ways, the open-air court is nestled tightly between the baseline seats and the shaded area behind the umpire. During the first week of the U.S. Open, top-ranked players often play here, providing fans the unusual combination of star talent in an intimate setting. Doug Sutton, who sat on the sidelines Thursday, knew exactly where he was heading when the gates opened that morning. “I’ve been coming out here for three or four years now,” said Sutton. “I like to come out here because of the intimacy and how close you can get to the players. We’ve been on the sidelines on both sides, because we like to be in the shade. In a few hours, the sun will be over behind us.”
Cindy Sutton and friend Tari Sager, who sat in front of Doug, echoed these praises. When comparing Grandstand to Armstrong and Ashe, they both agreed that, “This one’s better. It gives us a better idea of how hard these guys hit the ball. We have seen Pete Sampras play in the finals on Arthur Ashe but the seats there are so high. This is such a better venue to watch tennis. We always like to see who’s playing here first.”
The Grandstand has always provided a very personal viewing experience for fans, even when it was the second-largest court at the U.S. Open. When the tournament moved to Flushing Meadows in 1978, it sat just 5,200. Currently, it seats around 6,000, making it the third-largest court on the grounds. The expansion came as part of a renovation to the court in 2003. For a while before then, a restaurant looked over the court, giving diners a chance to grab a bite to eat, as well as a great view of the tennis below. In 2003, the restaurant was taken out, and replaced by the shaded seats that fans camp out at today.
Like everyone I spoke to on Thursday, the Grandstand is also one of my favorite places to watch tennis. At my first U.S. Open in 2005, I was enamored by the tennis that I saw around the side courts, but it wasn’t until I watched a match on Grandstand that I truly felt like I’d experienced live tennis to the fullest. The match wasn’t even a high-quality contest – Giorgio Galimberti retired in the fourth set of his second rounder against Richard Gasquet. But as I walked towards the exit that evening, I couldn’t wait to sit in those spectacular baseline seats again.
After the Mattek/Cornet match concluded, I headed back to the Grandstand to watch Andy Murray play Michael Llodra. As always, I hovered around the baseline seats to see if anyone would dare vacate them. And as usual, no one did. Even the media seats along the sideline were filling up fast, so I darted towards them and sat down in the first empty chair I saw.
Llodra and Murray played a fantastic match that the entire crowd appreciated. Murray, who ended up winning the match in four sets, also extolled the Grandstand environment in his post-match press conference. “It’s absolutely packed, great atmosphere, the crowd are enjoying it, they’re making a lot of noise,” said Murray. It seems that not only the fans appreciate this court.
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