NEW YORK, NY — Traveling and navigating your way through Flushing may become more of a burden than it already is as construction and renovations continue to pile up across the borough of Queens.
The United States Tennis Association held a press conference last week to announce it will be investing over $800 million for improvements to the jewel of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows. The USTA will be spending its own funds, so none of the expenditure will be financed by taxpayers.
Image Credit: USTA
The areas being targeted are the lower bowl of Ashe so that more premium seats can be built; new concession stands; wider walkways both inside the seating areas and outside where the concession stands are; and a new rooftop restaurant and bar. In addition, there will be state-of-the-art player development facilities, a fact which excited Douglaston native and tennis legend, John McEnroe, who was present at the press conference which took place in midtown Manhattan.
Tickets for the 2025 US Open are now on sale. For the first time in its history, the mixed doubles tournament will take place at the end of Fan Week (August 19-20) instead of two weeks later towards the end of the US Open. While the qualifying tournament matches during Fan Week are free to the public, purchased tickets are required for the mixed doubles tournament (More Information at USOpen.Org).
Image Credit: Lev Radin
The good news about the mixed doubles tournament being moved up on the calendar is that it will serve as an incentive for the top male and female tennis players to come to Queens earlier than in the past.
The Billie Jean King Tennis Center will host a big boxing card at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Saturday night, July 12. The top fights will be Edgar Berlanga vs Hamza Sheeraz in a super middleweight bout, while Shakur Stevenson will face William Zepeda for the WBO lightweight championship.
Image Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
While the Billie Jean King Tennis Center has hosted an All Elite Wrestling card every September for the last four years, this is the first time boxing has taken place there. I asked veteran fight promoter Eddie Hearn why the smaller Louis Armstrong Stadium was chosen instead of Arthur Ashe. He candidly replied, “You have to start somewhere.” If the July 12 boxing card sells out quickly, expect Arthur Ashe Stadium to be used in the future.
Graduate of St. John’s wins Pacers-Knicks Tickets for Game 1 of ECF
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro was the commencement speaker at the 2025 St. John’s University commencement ceremonies. Pitaro is a man of clout and generosity. He awarded a pair of tickets to Game 1 of the Pacers-Knicks Eastern Conference Finals to a lucky graduate.
Image Credit: Yahoo Sports/Rick Suter/List Wire
Given the way the Knicks collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost to the Pacers, those tickets may seem like a bobby prize in retrospect.
The 2025 Sports Emmy Awards in NYC
Whitestone’s Mike Tirico and Forest Hills’ Ian Eagle may have divided the vote for the Outstanding Play-by-Play Sports Emmy as Fox Sports’ Joe Davis came out as the winner. Also competing in that category were Ian’s son, Noah, and longtime Knicks and ESPN NBA voice Mike Breen.
13 inning marathon in Queens for Dodgers-Mets
Friday night’s game at Citi Field between the Dodgers and Mets was a microcosm of the 2025 season for the Mets as it offered plenty of disappointment and resilience. The Mets rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to tie the game 5-5, only to lose in thirteen innings, 7-5. The fact the Mets were unable to score a run with a ghost runner at second base to start each of the extra frames was a stark reminder of their ineptitude with runners in scoring position.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Adding to the bad feelings of Mets fans was a rain delay which lasted over an hour-and-a-half which meant the game ended around 1 AM. Juan Soto, who went 0 for 5, heard a smattering of boos from the frustrated Flushing faithful.
Laura Albanese named new Mets beat writer for Newsday
Newsday has named Laura Albanese to be their new Mets beat writer. Tim Healey, who covered the team for the last seven years, left to cover the Red Sox for the Boston Globe. Being on the Mets beat means I will miss reading her columns during baseball season, and it will mean fewer appearances for her on SNY’s daily 6 PM show, “Baseball Night in New York.”
A Wild Sunday in Indiana: NBA Eastern Conference Finals and Indy 500
NBA and TNT personnel could not have been happy with the Indiana Pacers being home for the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals Sunday night. Indianapolis hotel rooms were booked way in advance for the Indy 500, which also took place on Sunday.
Image Credit: Indy 500
Knicks fans who wanted to travel to the Hoosier State to cheer for their team after they dropped the first two games of the series at Madison Square Garden were lucky to find a motel room within 100 miles of Indianapolis.
Harlem Globetrotters’ annual residency at American Dream Mall from July 12-20
The pro basketball team everyone roots for, the Harlem Globetrotters, will have their annual residency at American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ (located adjacent to MetLife Stadium) from July 12 -20. The team is promising to hold tryouts for aspiring players during that week, so start practicing your ball handling and trick shots to “Sweet Georgia Brown.”
Billy Joel cancels tour dates due to Medical Condition
One of New York’s greatest musical heroes, Billy Joel, was forced to cancel all scheduled concerts because of a detected neurological disorder which accumulates fluids in his brain ventricles. In an eerie coincidence, a documentary on his life, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” debuts next week at the Tribeca Film Festival. It will air later in the summer on HBO, and its streaming service, HBO Max.
Image Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images
Joel’s tour cancellation reminds baby boomers that they are getting fewer chances of seeing their rock heroes perform in concert. Heart will be at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City this Saturday night, while Jackson Browne and David Lee Roth will be there June 28 and August 8, respectively.
Final Season of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” on Paramount Plus
The grisly, but well-written and acted procedural, “Criminal Minds: Evolution” has begun its latest season on the Paramount Plus streamer. The recent theatrical film, “Novocaine,” can also be seen on it now.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
