U.S. Open players give free tennis lessons to kids during Harlem sports clinic
As New York City tries to make U.S. Open tickets more affordable for New Yorkers, kids in Harlem are learning tennis for free from the professionals.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and Harlem Junior Tennis hosted a sports clinic Wednesday at Howard Bennett Playground. Kids were taught the fundamentals of the sport and skills they can practice anywhere, from running drills to their backswing.
Participants got one-on-one training from professional players like Asia Muhammad and Clervie Ngounoue, who are both competing in this year's U.S. Open.
Professionals and coaches say tennis can be an expensive sport, particularly the cost of equipment and renting court space. Even watching the sport can cost you hundreds. Resale tickets for the men's and women's first-round matches on Aug. 30 are priced as high as $700.
Tennis advocates like Katrina Adams say clinics help make the sport more accessible. Adams is a former player and the president of Harlem Junior Tennis.
She was once ranked No. 67 in the world in singles and No. 8 in the world in doubles. She later went to work behind the scenes in the tennis world, including as the first African American CEO of the United States Tennis Association.
"To be able to put a racket in our kids' hands and introduce the sport is important," she said. "The discipline that they're learning and how to be self-motivated teaches them how to be resilient and deal with adversity. All the things that we all need to be successful in life."
Adams said volunteers and financial support for organizations like Harlem Junior Tennis are still needed to continue this work.
During its fan week, the U.S. Open offers free but limited access to player practices and qualifying matches where players compete for entry to play against top-seeded players for the official games from Aug. 23 through Aug. 29.
In an effort to level the playing field more, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani secured 1,000 first-come, first-served tickets for New Yorkers capped at $100 that went on sale on Wednesday. The U.S. Open ends Sept. 13. The full schedule can be found online.
Have a story idea or tip in Harlem? Email Noëlle by CLICKING HERE.
