The Jensen Zone: Nothing Like a Late Summer Grand Slam

Hey tennis stars … the summer of 2015 is flying by, and I am still trying to figure out who is leading the points race in the U.S. Open Series! Ahhh, the U.S. Open: The big, bad boy on the Grand Slam block. The Aussie is the “Happy Slam.” The French Open is the “Fashion Slam” and Wimbledon is the “Traditional Slam.” Now, as the summer begins to fade away and back to school ads seem to be everywhere, the massive 22,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium will greet players and fans with a brand new look for 2015. Towering like a massive military top secret project, the retractable roof structure will be ready to give poor Aaron Krickstein a break from the 1991 Jimmy Connors defeat in the 2016 U.S. Open. This will be the last U.S. Open rain delay to replay the Krickstein-Connors thriller!

The U.S. Open is the bad boy on the block because the conditions will test even the mentally tough pros. Traffic from the city can be hectic and the noise from nearby planes and trains tell you this is NOT a quiet country club. Then, while you are in a heated match, the smell of burgers and hot dogs from the food court will make you woozy!!!

But give me New York City! Give me the crowds and the passion of a rrrrrrroar on a winner to break serve. Let me high five the fans in the front rows and throw wristbands and hit balls into the top rows to get the American crowd fired up! I wish you all could experience exactly what the U.S. Open is! The Open was my kind of animal. It is a beast of intimidation and feasts on the weakest of players. From the outside courts, the presence of that massive star of Arthur Ashe Stadium is always present.

From the first ball to the last ball hit of the tournament, the U.S. Open is intensity personified! Now I have played on all of the courts since 1983, but my all-time favorite is the Grandstand. This will be the very last year for the court before it is torn down for a brand new show court. At some point this year, I will sneak down and kiss the net and say goodbye. My brother Murphy and I had some amazing moments on the Grandstand court that I will always treasure. The crowd is literally above you, looking over from Armstrong Stadium. One time while tossing the ball up to serve, there was a guy with some shirt that said “Boston STINKS” on the front. I guess he was a New York Yankees fan, but even after all of these years, I still remember looking up to hit the ball and seeing this guy and saying to myself, “This is NOT Wimbledon!”

It is the players’ final shot to capture a real Grand Slam run in 2015 and they know it. It is a long ride until the Aussie Open in 2016, so picking up a momentous run is on every player’s agenda. Watch for Roger Federer … his game is priceless and if the draw can break open for him, maybe he can win Grand Slam number 18. Don't forget history and Serena Williams going for Steffi Graf's record 22 Grand Slam titles and the calendar Grand Slam.

Tons of storylines and excitement will unfold at the 2015 U.S. Open … let's take it all in!!!