MeiGray Helping Tennis Fans Take Home a Piece of the Match

A tennis collector at the 2012 U.S. Open paid $2,000 for a tennis ball? Well, it was not just any tennis ball. It was THE tennis ball. It was match point of the 2012 Men’s Singles Finals. It was the last ball struck on the last point won by Andy Murray in his dramatic five-set triumph over Novak Djokovic.

Seconds after the match ended, with Murray still on the court celebrating his victory, the USTA-MeiGray Group Match-Used Authentication Program had begun to identify, secure, authenticate and register one very valuable and historic tennis ball … a ball which now rests in a private tennis fan’s impressive collection.

The USTA-MeiGray Group Match-Used Authentication Program debuted last summer, and it was a rousing success. With its booth near Court 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, MeiGray introduced to tennis fans and collectors the availability of match-used balls and other items that came directly off the courts in real-time, through an on-site authentication process, and into the hands of tennis fans and collectors—often within hours of a match.

“Sports collectors love to own a piece of an event they witnessed. It’s part of American culture,” said Barry Meisel, MeiGray president and director of the program which works with the U.S. Open to aid USTA Serves. “With the help of the USTA, the U.S. Open, the officials and so many others behind the scenes, we now are on the ground securing these unique items for fans to add to their collections.”

Whether it’s the pure silver pre-match flip coin available for $75 from one of the matches in Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong or Grandstand, or a match-used ball for $29.99 from a men’s or women’s first-round match, or a towel used by one of the participants, MeiGray is on the grounds, taking possession of the unique item directly from an on-court official.

The authentication process done on the grounds by MeiGray includes marking each item with counterfeit-proof invisible ink, adding a unique serial number and hologram which is stored in a database, and preparing a letter of authenticity backed by the USTA and MeiGray.

“When we attend great American sporting events, we save our programs, we save our ticket stubs, we cherish the memories of those matches,” Meisel said. “Now you can take home a real piece of that match, too.”