If you get the chance to attend the US Open, definitely go for it!

Erin has attended the last three years and has a few tips to share from her experience. And if you have any advice for making the most of the US Open as a fan, let us know.

A Transcript of our Conversation with all the Tips and Advice for Attending the US Open

Carolyn: 0:06

Hi, this is Carolyn and I’m here with Aaro and Aaron went to the U S open again. What number is this?Erin: 0:12

Number three three in a row and forever and always. I plan on never not going, unless something happens in September, during the time that I like to go, that for some reason makes me not be able to.Carolyn: 0:26

Oh well, I hope I can go next year.Erin: 0:28

Next year for me. You’re going, we’re going, you’re four.Carolyn: 0:30

That’s it, but we thought we would talk a little bit about it. So, erin, tell us all about it. Tell us about your experience, give us tips, what you liked, what you didn’t like, tell us everything.Erin: 0:39

Okay. So everyone has a different what they want, a different experience out of it, right? So my experience, what I like and what I have figured out over the last couple years might be something vastly different than someone else, but I’ll give what I think is. I mean, I’ve just had the best trips the last three years. So the first year we went, carolyn was like I didn’t mean we didn’t think we could get any better because we saw Serena’s last match, that’s right. And we were. Carolyn was like I didn’t mean we didn’t think we could get any better because we saw Serena’s last match, that’s right and we were.Erin: 1:08

That was like magical. I wish we could go back, because you and I were so like kind of in a fog that day because we were seeing Serena, we knew we were going to see Serena, we were doing an interview, we were packing microphones into the US Open through security Like we had a lot going on, right.Carolyn: 1:27

Yes, yes, that was our very first experience.Erin: 1:29

Yes, and so and we only went for two days. So that year I took so many notes because I’m just crazy that way and I was like everything that I would either do the same or different. And so I decided after that year that we did not see enough tennis, even though we saw a ton in two days. So what I’ve done the last couple of years the last two after that first year was I have stretched out my tennis watching and we go with a group Carolyn’s and my very, very good friends who love to sit all day and watch tennis. If you are going to the US Open with someone that’s not into doing that, don’t invite them.Carolyn: 2:07

Yes, there’s too many people that love tennis. There’s too many people, yeah.Erin: 2:12

So now what we do is we, I like to go up between rounds two and three, so it’s not the very first week, which I know. A lot of people love that because you get everything. I mean you, you get every superstar and every non superstar. There is Cause, I think the draw is like I don’t know even the singles draws is like 164 people or something, and then you’ve got all the doubles and so anyway, so I, I like to go, not the very first week, but like just getting into the second week, and then so we kind of we go Thursday, friday and Saturday between the second and third rounds and remember there’s six rounds to get to the championship. So we’re right, smack dab in the middle. So because of doing that, some have already been knocked out.Erin: 2:57

You know, some people have already been knocked out of the tournament, but there is something going on on every court around the grounds, and I mean from the big stadium which is Arthur Ashe, to the next one which is where we actually buy tickets, which is in Louis Armstrong, down to Grandstand. Then there’s like another big court called 17. And then there’s all the practice courts and I mean there’s just a million things to see In addition to like shopping. You know, while you’re there and there’s a bunch of vendors and the food is out of this world, everything’s crazy expensive, so be prepared to open your wallet and watch your money fly out. But there is just a ton to do and see, and what we usually do is my group we buy in Louis Armstrong, which is the second biggest stadium, and then we just use that as our home base and so we’ll watch. You know, we look at the app the night before and see who’s going to play, and then we kind of plan our day and we go okay, we’re going to start at the 11 am, you know, session on our, you know, in our seats.Erin: 4:03

And then, you know, the next one might be a match that we may or may not want to see, so we might walk around to the practice courts or some of the outer courts. This year we watched one of the morning matches and the next one wasn’t quite as exciting to us, and so we went and watched several doubles matches, and so it was just. It’s just so fun. I mean I called it. I don’t think this was the first year I called it, but it’s definitely like you feel like you are. This is tennis, disneyland.Carolyn: 4:30

Oh for sure, yeah, for adults, for tennis players, exactly With better lines than Disney World?Erin: 4:37

Better lines, yeah.Carolyn: 4:38

It’s not long to get into these places.Erin: 4:41

It’s really not, at least the year I went.Carolyn: 4:42

You know, you wait for just a little bit and then they let you in, yeah, and then you can watch these amazing players really up close. That was the part that kind of blew my mind, I know.Erin: 4:51

Isn’t it crazy? The other thing too is we do buy seats in Lewis Armstrong arena, but anything except for Ash, which is the largest stadium there, the main stadium, anything below Ash and this is supposedly. We had Bill on that talked about like going to pro tournaments. Bill Oakes, remember. He talked about like he’s been to Monte Carlo and he’s been all over the world but he’s been to every slam. He said the US Open is different than any other slam where if you buy tickets in one stadium, whatever your highest is like, you could buy in grandstand and then you could go to anything below that and there’s general seating.Erin: 5:26

So what I do is I buy in the second largest arena, which is Louis Armstrong, and then we can’t go into Ash, which is kind of a bummer Sometimes. Sometimes it’s not, but there’s general seating in every other arena. Every doubles court, every practice court I mean, most of the US Open is general seating, unless you’re buying seats in Ash Armstrong Grandstand and maybe you buy in 17. I don’t even think you do. I think those are just the three that you buy in and then everything else is just kind of like all a cart on your own. You just figure out who you want to see and you know what’s where they’re playing and it’s actually there’s a lot, but it’s actually super easy once you kind of get the lay of the land.Carolyn: 6:09

Yeah, and I remember when I went I was really amazed at the doubles because we could sit, you know, two rows back in the because there were no assigned seats for it, and see the most incredible doubles I’ve ever seen in my life. And that was just part of the ticket for getting in, you know, for us having the tickets to Armstrong. And then the other thing you did that I thought was really good is you got us tickets. Well, aaron did, because Aaron normally sets everything up.Erin: 6:37

Yeah, I’m like. I don’t typically like to plan these kind of things because I get nervous that I’m going to do something wrong. But I’ve become like the US Open, like tour guide for the tour guide for it.Carolyn: 6:48

It’s perfect. Everybody needs an errand to show you around. But you even got us seats in Armstrong, so we weren’t in the sun because we were talking about that. There’s one side that’s completely in the sun, depending I mean obviously, depending on the time of day. But we would get there early and they would just be baking in the sun and we would be in the shade and it felt great.Erin: 7:07

Yeah, so if anyone wants to email me or or write a review for the show or, you know, do anything, I am happy to share that section or that side of the arena. But it does. It makes a difference in your experience if you’re not baking in the sun. You know sweating.Carolyn: 7:22

So yeah, that’s right. Okay. So what was the best part this year? What was your most memorable moment this year and every year that you’ve beenS Open?Erin: 7:31

I can’t even pinpoint one, Carolyn, honestly, Like I was walking out at one point to the bus. So I’ve been lucky enough, you and I, the year that we went and we talked to Mike McNulty, who was the USTA president that year. Current USTA president, who was the one that was like on the court giving out the checks. And then we saw Serena.Carolyn: 7:52

I thought it cannot get better than this, you know, but I was walking out, so oh that year that we interviewed him, the year that you and I went and we interviewed Mike McNulty, who at the time was the current USTA president, and so we have done that now for the past three years. It cannot get better than this, you know, but I was walkingena, I thought it cannot get better than committees, you know.Erin: 8:11

But I was walking out in the time and doing the volunteer work. This year I was able to get a bus ride to and from my hotel to the US Open and I remember walking out to the bus and the bus is pretty cool because you don’t have to do the subway and all that, although I’ll talk about that. The subway is so easy to get to the open, like it’s really really easy. And again, if someone wants to email me and I can give details. But walking out to the bus this year I literally was thinking to myself I thought the first year could not get better, but every year just seems to not get better than the last. But it’s just so fun and so amazing and you just get to see so much and I just like every year is just amazing. So unfortunately I don’t have my most memorable moment. I mean for sure. I don’t think anything could ever top you and I sitting in the president’s box watching Serena’s final match. But again, I feel like I was kind of in a fog, so I wish.Erin: 8:59

I could experience that all over again, because I think it would feel different, not being like so nervous and so not knowing what was going on. Yes, but yeah, I mean I just kind of feel like a veteran now going to the US Open and kind of knowing the grounds and where the stadiums are.Carolyn: 9:15

What’s the best thing you ate? Ate and drank.Erin: 9:18

Honey deuces lots of them. I saw that picture on Instagram, I knew you were going to say that, oh my gosh, and I feel like you guys were having a good time.Erin: 9:27

I found a honey deuce hat. I had seen it on a couple people around the grounds and I was like where did you get that hat? Where did you get that hat? And every person said, and there weren’t many of them, I’m saying maybe I saw 10 to 15 people with that honeydews hat on out of the hundreds of thousands that were there and each person was like towards the back by the practice courts or whatever. But I’m pretty by the practice courts or whatever, but pretty sure they’re out. And I was just so bummed I was like I really really wanted that hat. It’s adorable. So we were my friends laugh so hard because we were back by. They have all these really cute vendors. Like USTA has a spot where you can go and get like a $15 and I’m sure they change it every year, but I think the last two or three years has been like $15 towards food or beverage If you’re, if you show your, you don’t even have to show your USTA number or tell that. They can look you up in the system.Carolyn: 10:15

That’s a really good pointer.Erin: 10:16

So we always go back to get our little $15 gift card and then there’s a whole bunch of vendors in the back just to take like really cute photos and they just have all these like vignettes of great, like Instagrammable moments. And you know, in one section and there was one vendor back there and vendor meaning like it was US Open, like official wear, right, and I kind of it was tiny and it was tucked way in the back and I saw that honeydews hat and I literally almost knocked someone out of the way running for it and I grabbed all four. I made all my friends buy them. I was like I don’t know if you’re wearing this or not, but you need to buy this hat.Carolyn: 10:52

We need to use that for the episode to promote this episode.Erin: 10:55

Yeah, you got to put that out there because it’s a hat that Erin really looked for and found. Our friend, Rachel bought one and she literally was like I’ll probably never wear it, but I’m going to put it in my closet. And just remember our US Open experience. I experience, I love that.Carolyn: 11:08

I love that, and I think all rec players, if you get the chance go. I mean, I didn’t grow up watching tennis yeah, I didn’t either. And so to be able to experience this now, after we’ve actually played, and realize how hard tennis is, and you can watch these people do this, it’s just the most amazing experience.Erin: 11:27

My friend Kana yesterday said, watching the pros up close proves that it’s like a completely different sport than what we play. Yes, yes, the quickness, the I mean first of all not just serves which are like over a hundred miles an hour, but like I mean just everything they do is just a thousand times better than what we’ll ever do. But it’s just so fun to watch it. It’s like I have friends that actually don’t play at all and will travel the world and go to slams, you know, and like my husband’s cousin goes to the US Open every year. She’s in New York. She has not played since she was a kid, but this is like her girl’s trip every year.Erin: 12:06

And they went to the semifinals this year and she said this is her by far every year. She just looks forward to it and she doesn’t even play daily like we do.Carolyn: 12:15

Yeah, because you got tennis, you have food, you have drinks, you have just the experience of being surrounded by all these people that love tennis, exactly, yeah.Erin: 12:24

And then the year we were there, we came out from a really nice dinner because we had treated our friend Rachel to her birthday dinner, that’s right. And then we walked into a CVS to get snacks for our hotel room because we all needed, like chocolate or whatever. And that was the year we ran into Jack Sock.Carolyn: 12:39

Yes, yeah, because I noticed him and I go, oh, jack Sock is here, yeah, and you were like let’s go get a picture. And I go I don’t want to bother him. And then when we were taking the picture I don’t know if you remember this I told him I was like we’re tennis players too.Erin: 12:53

Yeah, we play mom tennis.Carolyn: 12:57

He’s like oh great, oh, that’s great, ladies.Erin: 12:59

Unimpressed, but still was nice enough to take a photo with us. Yes, but this last year we were walking around the city and I literally passed like two pro tennis players and I was like, oh, there’s so-and-so, you know, like they’re just walking around the streets too.Carolyn: 13:13

Did you?Erin: 13:13

stop for a picture. I didn’t because one was on her phone and the other one was like trying to catch his bus to probably go play. I didn’t want to bother him so, but it’s cool to just see people walking around you know New York city that are going to play at the open. That’s going to play at the Open. That’s going to be us one day, Erin, I did play at the US Open, Remember? Last year I got to hit. That’s right.Carolyn: 13:34

I got to hit on Armstrong for Red Bull for All for a.Erin: 13:38

USTA initiative that they’re starting, which I want to play Red Bull myself, but yeah. So I didn’t get asked this year but they didn’t do it. They did a lot for junior tennis. I saw a lot of net generation kids every single day. There were kids out there hitting on all the courts to promote all the kid tennis Did they do cardio tennis. They did Okay yeah.Carolyn: 13:59

Because we had Michelle on to discuss cardio tennis when I was still home, before I left for the Open, they were hitting on. I think they were hitting on Arthur Ashe because that was her big goal was to get them on Ashe.Erin: 14:13

And I saw it on TV and there was like a reporter just reporting on the open itself not specifically cardio tennis, but I took a video of it and I posted it on our Instagram and Michelle reached out and was like I need that video.Carolyn: 14:25

That’s awesome, yeah, so yeah, there’s tons of stuff happening.Erin: 14:30

If you go the very first week, fan week is free. I think I’ve said that before when we did an episode about this. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and you want to see qualifying, that’s got to be amazing as well. You just won’t see as big a names. But if you want to go on a budget to the US Open, there’s a way to do it. If you want to go super expensive and buy all the honey deuces, there’s a way to do that too.Erin: 14:53

You can make the experience your own, for sure?Carolyn: 14:56

Well, it sounds incredible. If anyone listening would like more specific information from Erin, or if you have any tips for going to the US Open as a fan, please let us know. You can contact us on our website, which is SecondServePodcastcom. Thanks so much for listening and hope to see you on the court soon.