NEW YORK, NY — Game, Set, Match! Sports fans across the Tri-state area can enjoy the wind down of summer-time with Men’s and Women’s pro-tennis being played in Flushing, Queens.
Sports biggest bargain, US Open Fan Week, gets underway next Monday, August 18, and will run through Saturday, August 23. As per custom, admission to the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is free although the United States Tennis Association requests all attendees sign up for their “Fan Access Pass” on the US Open website (LINK).
Image Credit: USOpen.org
The heart and soul of Fan Week are the qualifiers where some of the best men’s and women’s tennis players in the world compete in tournament play on the BJK side courts to earn the few wildcard slots for the main draw. Most of the players are up-and-comers from around the world, but there are always a few familiar names, whose ranking has slipped and will also be taking part in the action.
In addition to the qualifiers, there will be plenty of free entertainment every day on the stage between Arthur Ashe Stadium and the fountains. The sports comedy troupe, Dude Perfect, and hip-hop artist, Young Dylan, who is known to sports fans for his appearances on Nickelodeon’s NFL telecasts, will be headlining Arthur Ashe Kids Day.
The US Open is as famous for its many culinary options as it is for tennis. All the food kiosks will be open during Fan Week. There will be a daily $10 kids meal deal on each day. The USTA wisely recognizes that attending a professional sporting event can drain a family’s budget. Having an affordable event like Fan Week is a strategic investment for developing the tennis patrons of tomorrow.
Image Credit: USOpen.org
The USTA is promising that all the sponsors’ booths will also be operational during Fan Week. This was not the case last year when many of them did not open until the main draw was underway the last Monday of August. Most of these booths offer some free souvenirs or interactive games. I am hoping IMG Hotels will be offering complimentary five-minute back and shoulder massages again!
There will be some ticketed events which must be purchased. This will be the first year that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be played during Fan Week. Among the better-known players who will be taking part in the mixed doubles, which has prize money of $1,000,000, will be Venus Williams, Emma Navarro, Emma Raducanu, Madison Keys, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, and Tommy Paul.
Image Credit: USOpen.org
The mixed doubles taking place the week before the main draw means many of tennis’s biggest names will be coming to Flushing Meadows a week early. Fans will be able to watch them practice during Fan Week at no charge.
Another ticketed event, Stars of the Open, will take place at Ashe on August 21. Retired legends like Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Douglaston’s own John McEnroe will dust off their racquets for an exhibition.
Juan Soto breaks up Gavin Williams’ no-hit bid with solo homer in ninth inning
It is a sad situation when it can be argued that Juan Soto’s most important home run hit as a Met came in the ninth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians last Wednesday at Citi Field. That blast over the centerfield fence was the only hit the Mets could muster off Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams. That loss marked the Mets’ eighth in their previous nine games, and the Flushing faithful rightfully booed them throughout that soporific game.
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Latino Sports
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza chastised the Mets hitters in his postgame press conference for failing to make adjustments to Williams’ pitching strategy.
Mets honor Sarah Langs with Amazin’ Mets Foundation Legacy Award
There was one highlight at Citi Field last Wednesday, however. The Mets honored MLB Network personality Sarah Langs, who is courageously battling ALS (also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), with an on-field ceremony before the game.
Beatles Night at Citi Field this Friday, August 15th during Mariners-Mets
This Friday, August 15, the Mets will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ last concert at Shea Stadium, with a Beatles Night promotion. A well-known Fab Four cover band, The Tribute, will perform throughout the evening.
Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports
Let’s hope the Mets won’t be singing “I’m A Loser” after their game that night with the Seattle Mariners.
ESPN’s Big Partnership with the NFL and WWE
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro grew up a Yankees fan in Westchester. Last week, he swung for the fences in a manner which Aaron Judge would envy. He signed off on a pair of deals which reinforced ESPN’s image as the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” He agreed to give the National Football League a ten percent stake in ESPN in exchange for his company owning the NFL’s cable assets, the NFL Network and the Red Zone Channel. He also approved ESPN shelling out $1.6 billion to the WWE for the rights to televise its premium live events as Wrestlemania and the Royal Rumble for the next five years. These acquisitions were made to entice cord cutters to shell out thirty dollars a month for ESPN “direct to consumer” streaming service.
Image Credit: ESPN
ESPN was able to wrest away these WWE signature events from Comcast’s streaming service, Peacock. That does not necessarily mean Peacock is out of the professional wrestling game. The WWE’s vast library of wrestling matches and studio shows (some which were comedy gold) are not part of the ESPN deal. Similarly, NFL Films remains in the sole ownership of the National Football League and is outside of the purview of ESPN.
“God. Family. Football” on FOX Nation
FOX Nation is a minuscule streamer compared with its rivals, but it is trying to gain attention with niche sports. “God. Family. Football” is a reality series about the Christian Evangel Academy football team in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Image Credit: FOX Nation
The star of the series is the school’s charismatic head coach, and pastor, Denny Duron. Fox Nation also has plans to televise some Professional Bull Riders events.
Giants and Giants Meet-Up thanks to “Dan From Warwick,” Mike Francesa and WFAN
The New York Giants and Eli Manning paid tribute to one of the most memorable phone calls in WFAN history in the latest edition of “The Eli Manning Show” podcast which can be seen on YouTube. Around ten years ago, a listener who identified himself as “Dan from Warwick” called Mike Francesa and asked him if the New York Giants ever get together with the San Francisco Giants. Dan’s earnest demeanor belied the fact he was pranking Francesa. The WFAN host took the call literally and teed off on Dan.
Fast forward to August 2025 and the San Francisco Giants are in town to play the Mets. Manning and the New York Giants contacted the San Francisco Giants public relations staff and arranged to have Manning, and his former teammate, Shaun O’Hara, have breakfast with current SF Giants players, Logan Webb, and Matt Chapman, as part of a “Giants-Giants” meet-up.
Francesa proved to be a good sport as he made a cameo appearance as he acknowledged that Dan from Warwick was right.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
