For 23 years, it has been the world's most annoying sports trivia question: Who's the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles ****** le?
Ben Shelton has always been the one with the ability to change it.
No disrespect to any of the others who have carried the red, white and blue banner for more than two decades across the men's tennis tour since Andy Roddick won his US Open ****** le in 2003. John Isner served his way to millions of dollars and a few nice tournament wins. The likes of Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey did the best they could in the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal/Novak Djokovic era. Taylor Fritz has worked tirelessly to improve his game and continues to be a factor among the best players in the world.
But there is no divine right for any country, even one as big and athletically successful as the USA, to produce Grand Slam champions in a global sport where only a select few are going to rise to the top. It takes everything: Talent, development, the right set of circumstances and maybe a little bit of luck.
And for Shelton, the 23-year old who was born in Atlanta, raised to be an NCAA champion in Gainesville, Fla., and unleashed onto the world stage by a meticulously patient father/coach, only one more match stands in his way of the ultimate American story.

#grand #slam #best #andy

NEW YORK (AP) — Ninety Grand Slam tournaments have passed since Andy Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 final at Flushing Meadows. Since then, no other U.S. male player has managed to win the U.S. Open on home soil or any of the other three majors.
Apart from Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro at the 2009 U.S. Open and his compatriot Gastón Gaudio at the 2004 French Open, every champion across the world's four major tournaments has been European.
Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton — who face off in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday night — could end this drought for American men.
"You know the history; it was the era of the 'Big Three' (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic) — something unmatched," Del Potro told reporters. "But American tennis has the potential to break this pattern. There are so many good players now with the potential to be Grand Slam champions, and I sincerely believe Tiafoe or Shelton can do it."
As the last Grand Slam champion born outside of Europe, Del Potro takes pride in walking the grounds of the U.S. Open.

#grand #potro #since

All four of the top women's seeds are into the semi-finals of the US Open for the first time since the 1975 edition of the tournament.
All of two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, new world No 1 Elena Rybakina, former finalist Jessica Pegula and 2023 winner Coco Gauff survived three-set thrillers to make the last four, with Kazakhstan's Rybakina usurping Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings as a result.
The men's tournament has stood in sharp contrast: top seed Alexander Zverev has now reached the semi-finals of all four grand slams this year, but many of the other big names crashed out early.
The shocks started in the first round as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, with third seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime and 2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz falling in the third round.
Carlos Alcaraz made a fine run to the quarter-finals on his return from a nearly five-month injury layoff but lost to Ben Shelton in a deciding set tiebreak, with an American finalist guaranteed as the eighth seed faces Frances Tiafoe. The men's semis are completed by 2022 semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.

#tournament

The shocks started early at this US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major **** le.
Third seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime is the biggest name to fall so far, losing in four sets to Russia's Karen Khachanov in the second round, while last year's finalist and 10th seed Amanda Anisimova crashed out in the third round to Anastasia Potapova.
2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz also lost in the third round, falling in five to 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo, as did French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli on a Saturday of shocks.

#Third #shocks

Russian oil producer Rosneft has commenced oil shipments from its Vostok Oil project following a commissioning ceremony overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link.
The first oil from the development was loaded onto the Valentin Pikul Arc7-class Arctic tanker at the Bukhta Sever port.
Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also participated in the event.
The Vostok Oil project consolidates a number of significant oil and gas deposits in the northern Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Rosneft estimates the project's resource base at seven billion tonnes (bt) of oil with sulphur content ranging between 0.01% and 0.1%.

#russian #rosneft #president

The shocks have already started at the US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major ***** le.
Third seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime is the biggest name to fall so far, losing in four sets to Russia's Karen Khachanov in the second round, while last year's finalist and 10th seed Amanda Anisimova crashed out in the third round to Anastasia Potapova.
2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz also lost in the third round, falling in five to 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo, as did French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli on a Saturday of shocks.

#seed #Third #losing

The shocks have already started at the US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major ******* le.
Third seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime is the biggest name to fall so far, losing in four sets to Russia's Karen Khachanov in the second round, while last year's finalist and 10th seed Amanda Anisimova crashed out in the third round to Anastasia Potapova.
2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz also lost in the third round, falling in five to 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo, as did French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli on a Saturday of shocks.

#round #shocks

The shocks have already started at the US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major ****** le.
Third seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime is the biggest name to fall so far, losing in four sets to Russia's Karen Khachanov in the second round.
29th seed Cameron Norrie was the first of the Brits to make a tame exit, losing in four sets to France Lucas Van ****** che, while Belinda Bencic is an early women's seed to fall, beaten by Yulia Putintseva.

#losing #exit #major

Argentinian tennis player Mariano Navone is taking the US Open by storm. After beating tennis legend Novak Djokovic in the first round earlier this week, he defeated Matteo Berrettini in round two and will now take on Tomás Martín Etcheverry on September 4.
This is Navone's farthest run in the US Open so far, and without a Grand Slam ******* le under his belt yet, he's chasing that trophy big time. Now that he's making major headlines, fans want to know more about his life off the tennis court, including whether or not he's in a relationship.
Below, we rounded up everything we know about Navone's love life as he prepares to take the court once again.
Yes, Navone confirmed after his round one win that he is in a relationship. He told reporters, "I don't want to get too emotional, but… it's going to be quite a night. In a little while, I'll call my sisters, my girlfriend, everyone. It's just crazy, but I'm truly happy, so happy about this."
Navone's girlfriend is Julieta Villarreal Cerezo. While his Instagram page is mostly tennis updates, he posted a birthday tribute to Cerezo in February 2025.

#navone #open #know

Ben Shelton has American tennis fans clamoring for a deep run at the 2026 US Open, but ***** ody is a bigger fan of his than girlfriend and soccer star Trinity Rodman.
The no. 8 ranked star is playing in the second round of this year's US Open on Wednesday. However, the bigger story from his match against Hubert Hurkacz is Rodman's viral PDA moment.
Both Rodman and Shelton have been known to show their affections for one another publicly at sporting events before. Meanwhile, the USWNT talent's latest display minced no words regarding her feelings for the 23-year-old.
Rodman was spotted in the New York City crowd wearing a shirt that says "I love my boyfriend." The NWSL star already appeared courtside for Shelton's opening round win on Monday against Tallon Griekspoor.
MORE: After US Open loss, conspiracy theorists diagnose Novak Djokovic's mystery illness

#open #shelton #wednesday #however

The shocks have already started at the US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major ***** le.
29th seed Cameron Norrie was the first of the Brits to make a tame exit, losing in four sets to France Lucas Van ***** che, while Belinda Bencic is an early women's seed to fall, beaten by Yulia Putintseva.
Follow the top players' progress with our seed tracker here:

#losing #time #slam

Hello and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! Jason has been placed on the PUP (physically unable to publish) list this week, so I've been called up for a spot start.
Real football doesn't start for another week (and "week zero" of college football is mostly nonsense), which means this is still baseball season, baby. Watching America's pastime has actually never been more affordable, despite those $15 beers at Nationals Park. Sharpen your pencils and grab your scorebooks.
As I said, real football starts next week—and you can join the fun by signing up for the one and only official Reason survivor pool. Don't be lame, do it.
Federal prosecutors have accused Daejon Labrayae Love of posing as a fake player for the San Francisco 49ers as part of a scam that defrauded more than two dozen women out of more than $1.3 million. Love allegedly "had romantic relationships with many of the victims and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together," before asking them to take out personal loans to invest in "nonexistent investment vehicles." Getting deeply invested in a scenario that ultimately fails to reward you? Every 49ers fan under 35 can relate.
Novak Djokovic was upset in the first round of the U.S. Open by Mariano Navone in a match that lasted more than four and a half hours and included at least one puke break for the 24-time major champion, who said afterward that "I didn't enjoy myself." Checks out.

#real

The shocks have already started at the US Open as 23-time grand slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest exit at a major in 20 years, losing in the first round.
The Serb broke down in tears as he fell in five sets to Mariano Navone, in a match where he physically struggled with the heat and humidity and threw up several times.
The defeat - his first time losing in the opening round of a slam since the Australian Open in 2006 - brings an abrupt end to his quest for a 25th major ****** le.
Elsewhere on the opening day 29th seed Cameron Norrie was the first of the Brits to make a tame exit, losing in four sets to France Lucas Van ****** che, but there were wins for former US Open finalist and third seed Jessica Pegula as well as men's seventh seed Daniil Medvedev.
Follow the top players' progress with our seed tracker here:

#open #first #time #exit

Be warned: Novak Djokovic has made a fool of those who have doubted him before.
Some questioned if the Serb would challenge for the sport's top honours again after he dropped out of the world's top 20 amid a two-year major ***** le drought in 2018.
Djokovic proceeded to win four of the following five Grand Slams, doubling his tally of majors with 12 across the next six years.
But three years have now passed since he landed his men's record 24th major ***** le at the US Open.
And, as the 39-year-old fought back tears mid-match on Sunday night, this latest loss in New York felt different.

#djokovic #novak #slams

There were tears in Novak Djokovic's eyes as he held serve late in the fifth set of his Sunday US Open first match. Hypothetically, four years ago, this would be the point where the Serb would bring out his ***** nal, lock down, and withstand his opponent.
The tears, however, suggested that Djokovic's body had betrayed him.
As the Serb fell 7-6 (5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 to Mariano Navone in his first Grand Slam first-round loss since 2006, he now faces a crossroads in one of the final chapters of his career. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is 39, after all, and will slip outside the Top 10 of the rankings.
Sunday night conditions seemed to give Djokovic a break from the demanding, hot New York sun. But Djokovic felt sick less than one hour into the match, letting a 3-0 lead slip, and dealing with nausea. He threw up in the third set and cramped in the fourth and fifth sets, unable to hit serves at full pace.
Four hours and 36 minutes took everything out of Djokovic's body and mentality. There were some flashy winners early on in the match, but Djokovic wrapped the match up with 70 unforced errors.

#match #djokovic #sunday

NEW YORK (AP) — Stan Wawrinka's Grand Slam career ended Monday when the 2016 U.S. Open champion lost 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-0 to Matteo Berrettini.
Wawrinka won the last of his three major ***** les in Flushing Meadows when he beat Novak Djokovic in the final 10 years ago. At 41, he was given a wild card into the event in what he has said will be his final season before retiring.
"I'm going to miss it for sure. I'm going to miss it big time. I love the game," Wawrinka said before he was honored on the court by U.S. Tennis ***** ociation officials.
The match appeared remarkably similar to the meeting between the same players at Wimbledon, when Berrettini won a four-setter, with each going to a tiebreaker.
But after Wawrinka had his serve broken to start the third set — despite winning a key point when video review was used — Berrettini quickly pulled away.

#wawrinka

Carlos Alcaraz pumped his fist and put his hand to his ear, reveling in the moment Monday at the US Open.
He authored a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian Roman Safiullin in his first singles match since April when he injured his right wrist at the Barcelona Open. It's his first major since since he won the Australian Open this past winter, a triumph made him the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
The Spaniard has won the US Open twice before, including last year when he defeated Italy's Jannik Sinner in the final. Sinner, the world No. 1, isn't taking part in the major this time around because of a right knee injury that he's been nursing.
Notably, Alcaraz won't have to face fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic, either. Djokovic could have stood in Alcaraz's path to the final, but the 39-year-old Serbian suffered an agonizing five-set defeat in the first round on Sunday night to Argentine Mariano Navone.
Alcaraz made his return to competition last week during the mixed doubles portion of the US Open. He followed up his absence by teaming up with a 44-year-old Serena Williams.

#right

Follow The Athletic's U.S. Open coverage
Welcome to the U.S. Open briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament.
On Day 1, what it's like inside the mind of an underdog, a rude awakening for a young champion and smooth sailing for Americans.
Across four hours and 36 minutes Sunday night at the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic mustered just about every emotion and physical reaction there is.
24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, 39, vomited, stumbled, winced, groaned, roared, stared and, movingly, wept his way through a five-set loss to Mariano Navone, his first defeat in the first round of a major since 2006.

#first #follow

Venus Williams lost her 15th singles match in a row as she was beaten by fellow American Sofia Kenin in a 2am finish at the US Open.
The 46-year-old very nearly took the first-round match into a deciding set, but 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin saved seven set points to win 6-2 7-6 (8-6).
The match did not begin until 00:13 local time in New York as it followed Mariano Navone's five-set victory over Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was the latest starting match in US Open history, and there was barely 1,000 spectators left by the end.
"It's not ideal," Williams - who was given a wildcard to play her home Grand Slam tournament - said about the midnight start.

#open #kenin #american #york

American Sofia Kenin beat 46-year-old compatriot Venus Williams 6-2 7-6(6) in a US Open first-round match that began at 12.13am on Monday, the latest start in women's tournament ⁠history.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian ‌Open champion, will next face top-ranked American Jessica Pegula.
The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium got underway after Novak Djokovic's five-set defeat by Mariano Navone, with a sizable contingent of fans staying on well past midnight for one more look at Williams, who was playing as a wild card in her 96th career Grand Slam main draw appearance.
Williams said afterwards: "It's not ideal. I would have preferred something else definitely. It wasn't great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.
"I just don't know any other sport where you have to start that late. I definitely think there's room for improvement there. It's not easy to do in the first round. It's not easy to do it at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. in the morning to try to find your rhythm and play your best, but I tried my best."

#williams #round

Novak Djokovic is out of the US Open after a first-round defeat, saying he "despised" every moment of the five-set and near five-hour ordeal.
The 39-year-old looked physically spent, was repeatedly sick and regularly doubled over in pain, but still took Argentina's Mariano Navone the distance.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion later admitted the underlying health issue he first revealed two weeks ago was "serious", although he remains intent on getting the problem fixed.
However, he could not prevent a 7-6 (5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 defeat and first exit in the opening round of a major since Paul Goldstein beat him at the Australian Open in 2006.
"I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," said Djokovic.

#defeat

NEW YORK — As the clock struck midnight in Queens, Sofia Kenin and Venus Williams had yet to play a single point on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the previous five-set match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone went four hours and 36 minutes, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion being sent packing in the first round of a major for the first time in 20 years.
The ladies took the court a mere 10 minutes after the calendar turned to Aug. 31, and when the crowd had finished rubbing their eyes, yawning, and trying to stay awake, Kenin dispatched the 46-year-old two-time US Open champion 6-2, 7-6.
Because of the late start, the match was supposed to be moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium, but both players said they wanted to stay at the original venue at Ashe.
Williams was making her 26th main-draw appearance at the US Open and still had a doubles tournament to play in with her sister, Serena, after receiving a wild card to compete, just as in her singles entry. She was also making her 96th Grand Slam appearance, the most in the Open Era.

#open #stadium #match

NEW YORK (AP) — Venus Williams bowed out of her 26th U.S. Open singles appearance early Monday morning, falling in straight sets to fellow American wild card Sofia Kenin after not getting on the court until midnight.
The 46-year-old lost 6-2, 7-6 (6) in what could be the final singles match at a Grand Slam, if not her illustrious career. It was Williams' 14th consecutive singles defeat dating to her last victory in Washington in July 2025.
Williams has now lost six in a row at the U.S. Open since winning in the first round in 2019.
She and her 27-year-old opponent waited extraordinarily long to take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, delayed by Novak Djokovic's 4-hour, 36-minute defeat to Mariano Navone that threatened to move them next door to Louis Armstrong Stadium. The men's action ended just in time to play on Ashe — but not before making some history.
At 12:13 a.m., it was the latest start to a match at the U.S. Open, six minutes later than the previous record of Aryna Sabalenka against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 32 in 2024.

#open #ashe

Ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years on Sunday, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open.
The 48th-ranked Argentine's 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory ended Djokovic's latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam ***** le, the monumental achievement looking ever less likely for the 39-year-old.
It also ended his run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories, a streak stretching all the way back to Djokovic's 2006 loss to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
"I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," said Djokovic, who vomited several times and battled late-match cramps.
"It's something that I've been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year. Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain.

#grand #slam #year

Ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years on Sunday, falling in five brutal sets to Mariano Navone in the first round of the US Open.
The 48th-ranked Argentine's 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory ended Djokovic's latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam ***** le.
It also ended his run of 78 Grand Slam first-round victories, a streak stretching all the way back to Djokovic's 2006 loss to Paul Goldstein at the 2006 Australian Open.
Djokovic vomited on court and struggled with late-match cramps but appeared to have finally taken control when he broke Navone for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set with a vintage backhand winner down the line.
But Navone won the next five games, raising his arms in celebration after fighting off two break points for a 5-2 lead and breaking Djokovic again to force the fifth set.

#slam #round

Novak Djokovic crashed out in the first round of the US Open after a five-set, near five-hour ordeal during which he was repeatedly sick on court.
The 39-year-old looked physically spent throughout the match and was regularly doubled over in pain, but still took Argentina's Mariano Navone the distance.
Djokovic swallowed pills and used an inhaler after vomiting at least three times, but despite being in obvious discomfort, he refused to throw in the towel.
However, the 24-time grand slam champion could not prevent a 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 defeat and first exit in the opening round of a major since Paul Goldstein beat him at the Australian Open in 2006.
The last time the Serbian great had been seen on a tennis court, in Cincinnati two weeks ago, he was collapsing to his knees and being sick into a towel.

#djokovic #five

Novak Djokovic broke down in tears during a US Open first-round defeat by Argentina's Mariano Navone which provided further evidence age is fast catching up with the 39-year-old great.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was overcome by emotion in the deciding set of a dramatic match where he struggled physically throughout and had to vomit into a towel bin.
Djokovic, seeded fourth in New York, showed the fight for which he has always been renowned before succumbing to a 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 loss.
It was the first time the Serb had been beaten in the opening round at Flushing Meadows and the first time he had lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament since 2006.
Djokovic managed to raise a smile as he congratulated 25-year-old Navone on what will rank as one of the biggest victories of the world number 49's career.

#grand #opening

NEW YORK — He moped around the court for most of the 4 hours, 36 minutes he spent at Arthur Ashe Stadium, applied ice bags to his head every few minutes as he grimaced in agony and in certain moments looked like he was barely interested in making his stay at the US Open a long one.
Here was arguably the greatest men's tennis player of all time, drained and dizzy just a handful of games into his first-round match Monday against Mariano Navone. As the night went on, here was the most physically fit athlete in the history of the sport visibly struggling to endure long points without looking like a staggering boxer who needs the ropes to keep him from falling down.
And finally, here was one of the great competitors in all of sports giving in, his body screaming at him that enough is enough.
Will Novak Djokovic finally listen?
For so long, Djokovic has done things that 39-year old tennis players were not meant to do. On Monday night, that battle finally turned in the direction of time and mortality.

#long

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic, despite being 39 years old, had as good a chance as anyone to make a deep run at the US Open and finally capture that still elusive 25th Grand Slam ****** le.
On center stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he has captured four US Open championships, including his last Grand Slam triumph in 2023, the greatest men's Grand Slam winner in history looked lethargic, moping around, taking pills, throwing up, walking as slowly as he could to the sideline, and was sometimes downright disinterested, against Mariano Navone, and was stunned in the first round, 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, snapping a 78 first-round Grand Slam match winning streak and bringing a stunning, quick end to his tournament with the questions again if he has much left in the tank.
Djokovic's opening-round exit was the first at a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2006, a tournament he would go on to win 10 times. It's also his first loss in the two rounds at the US Open, having won his previous 37 such matches.
The four-hour, 36-minute first-round match finally ended when the fourth-seeded Djokovic's weak return across the net was returned and could do nothing to stop it.
For the first 30 minutes, Djokovic certainly looked the part of a player who would make quick work of the No. 49-ranked player in the world, sprinting out to a 3-0 and 4-1 lead in the first set, before falling apart under a hail of sloppy play, piling up the unforced errors seemingly on every return.

#djokovic #make

It takes a truly exceptional affordability crisis to put Bill Ackman and Zohran Mamdani on the same side of the barricade. Yet this month the billionaire hedge fund manager and New York's democratic socialist mayor found common cause over an unlikely grievance: the cost of getting into the US Open.
Ackman took objection to the cost of a grounds pass listed for $363. Mamdani responded to the broader uproar by securing 1,000 tickets for New York residents at $100 apiece, prompting more than 336,000 people to apply for them. Somewhere between the two sits the uneasy economics of the modern US Open, where a $65 ticket with no guaranteed seat on any court can fetch more than five times that amount on the tournament's resale marketplace.
For generations the US Open has traded on its reputation as the people's slam. Take the 7 train to Queens, buy a grounds pass and spend the day milling about within a few feet of the world's best tennis players. But as the final major of the season begins in earnest on Sunday, that democratic ideal has been confronted with a basic problem: more and more of the people are being priced out.
"The US Open is owned by the USTA which is a non-profit," Ackman wrote on social media. "The idea that a day one ground pass is $363 is absurd. The USTA's mission is to promote the sport of tennis. How is a $363 ground pass consistent with this mission?"
Related: Novak Djokovic feels 'as best as I can be' before tilt at 25th grand slam ***** le in New York

#open #pass #mamdani #democratic