Kristie Ahn tried to block out the din.

It was Saturday afternoon of Labor Day weekend last year, and Ahn, a 27-year-old Stanford graduate from New Jersey, was on the United States Open’s Grandstand court upsetting the former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to reach the round of 16 at a major for the first time.

After she served an ace to close out the 6-3, 7-5 win, Ahn burst into tears and finally allowed herself time to soak in the adoration that comes with being a local hero at the U.S. Open.

“The crowd was crazy,” said Ahn as she prepared to return to the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for this year’s vastly altered Open. “Sad that it won’t be the same, but I’ll always have that awesome memory.”

The 2020 Open, starting on Monday, is proceeding on time this year, though with drastic alterations because of the pandemic. With no spectators, far fewer players competing, smaller support staffs and no smell of hamburgers and waffle fries coming from the food court, the tournament may seem more closed than open.

Source: New York Times

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