Black Tennis Pros

The Louis Armstrong Stadium was alive with talking, screaming and informative 2019 U.S. Open Championship title hopefuls on Friday morning, as Media Day represented one of the many exciting activities that U.S. Open Fan Week has provided.

The bleachers were filled with fans who frequently drowned out the media, and the player being interviewed, whenever one of their favorite  players appeared.  So much so, that the interviewee would yield to the player being thrown chaotic fan love, at least until the noise level died down.

While most of the players attempted to be as forthcoming and responsive as they could be, surprisingly, at least to me, it was Alexander Zverev that placed the most bottom lined response on the table. In response to being asked about his recent losses and how he felt about the upcoming U.S. Open, he responded, “Personal things that I had outside the court, they were a distraction for me. I mean, as I said in the summer, there are a lot of things that I had to do that I didn't do in the last few years, so obviously those kind of things were a new learning process. I'm still a young guy, still only 22 years old. There are still a lot of things that I needed to learn. Not only on the tennis court but in life, in general."

"Those things I think every young person has to go through. The only difference between me and other young people is that I have to play in front of 20,000 people sometimes. You know, that's a little bit extra on you."

“We'll see how it goes, it's the first time in probably a few years where I'm not a favorite in any way at a Grand Slam, and it takes some pressure off, as well. It's a different mindset for me now. We'll see how it goes, but I'm excited." 

Media Day provided a truly informative morning.  To review all player interviews, visit usopen.org

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