Schwartz: Arthur Ashe Kids Day Provides Mix Of Tennis, Entertainment Ahead Of US Open
By Peter Schwartz
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During his brilliant career, Arthur Ashe won three grand slams, was the world's No. 1-ranked player and was the first African-American player to be selected to the United States Davis Cup team. While his play on the court will never be forgotten, his legacy to the sport and to society in general goes far greater than that.
Ashe announced in 1992 that he contracted the AIDS virus from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery. That prompted Ashe to educate others about HIV and AIDS, as he started the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. Ashe passed away on Feb. 6, 1993, as a result of AIDS-related pneumonia, but he left an indelible mark on the sport that he loved while also dedicating a lot of time to children and youth tennis.
So it's appropriate, in the stadium that bears his name, that the US Open kicks off every year in Flushing Meadows with Arthur Ashe Kids Day, the biggest single-day, grassroots tennis and entertainment event in the world.
This year's event takes place Saturday and will feature current tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as well as musical performances from Flo Rida, Laura Marano, Jordan Fisher, Zara Larsson, Troye Sivan and Forever in Your Mind.
"It's really become a phenomenon onto itself," said Chris Widmaier, managing director of communications for the United States Tennis Association. "Opening up the grounds to families is a very special day for us."
The event begins with a grounds festival from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center that is free for everybody.
There will be interactive games and family activities, including a skills challenge and education zone, a tennis-themed obstacle course and a speed zone to test the power of your serve. There will also be musical performances on the Hess Festival Stage and open practices where fans can watch the pros prepare for the US Open.
At 1 p.m., the scene shifts inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for the ticketed show that includes exhibition matches and skills competitions as well as musical performances.
"We're able to create this very unique blend of tennis player and celebrity," said Widmaier. "It gives us a different way of exposing kids to tennis."
Proceeds from the event will benefit the USTA Foundation, which helps fund the National Junior Tennis and Learning Network. This nationwide group of more than 500 nonprofit youth-development organizations was founded by Ashe 47 years ago. It provides free or low-cost tennis, education and life-skills programming to more than 225,000 children each year.
Perhaps the best thing about the event is that it's family-affordable entertainment.
"By and large, most of the seats for the stadium show are $10," said Widmaier. "It's a one-of-a-kind event in our sport. We take pride in bringing a very affordable fun day for families to celebrate tennis and to celebrate the legacy of Arthur Ashe."
While the musical performers will get the crowd up on their feet singing and dancing, Djokovic and Nadal will be taking time out of preparing for the US Open by having some fun showing off their skills on the stadium court. With the tournament starting two days later, the stars are showing their commitment to the sport and the fans by embracing the show.
"At the end of the day, we are a tennis tournament," said Widmaier. "Novak is a special performer and really knows what he's doing on the court competitively, but he really has a lot of fun with this. Rafa is just a big name and a fan favorite. He just wows everyone when he comes out there."
The event also could be an opportunity for the USTA to show off the new retractable roof on top of Arthur Ashe Stadium. In the past, there were many matches that were postponed because of rain but now the roof can be closed in a matter of minutes to keep the action going.
The early forecast from Weather.com shows no chance of rain Saturday, but could the fans at Arthur Ashe Kids Day be treated to a demonstration of the roof opening and/or closing?
"That's under consideration," said Widmaier. "I'm not going to guarantee you that we're going to open or close the roof. It's all part of the show, so you have to be there to see it."
You can read into those comments as you wish, but regardless of whether or not the fans will get to see the roof in motion, there will be no shortage of entertainment on Arthur Ashe Kids Day. From the novice young tennis player to advanced-level kids and all children and families in between, there is truly something for everyone.
You just know that Arthur Ashe will be looking down and smiling because his love for the game and for kids will be celebrated and honored.
For ticket information, click here.
Don't forget to follow Pete on Twitter at @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow Arthur Ashe Kids Day @AAKidsDay and @usopen.