Much to the delight of tennis fans this week the USTA changed the format of the US Open by spreading the first round singles matches over three days. The matches started Sunday, while tens of thousands of fans turned the grounds and pathways into the best-dressed 3-day mosh pit we’ve ever seen. The National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park is certainly the ‘place to be’ for the end of summer.

Although 6^th seeded American Madison Keys disappointed the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday, amassing 89 unforced errors in a first round loss, Californian Jenson Brooksby beat Aleksander Vukic from Australia in 5 sets in one of the most intense matches Monday.  Fan favorite Frances Tiafoe outlasted 149^th ranked Yoshihito Nishioka, from Japan in the afternoon. Carlos Alcaraz surprised onlookers at the practice courts Monday afternoon, revealing his new ‘buzz-cut,’ and the anticipation of Venus Williams playing on center court Monday night was the chatter of the crowd. Venus lost to 11^th seed Karolina Muchova in a 3-set night-match on center court followed by Alcaraz, who beat 7 footer, Reilly Opelka, who hails from Delray Beach.

Play continues every day through September 7^th in Flushing Meadows Park. The day session begins at 11:30 while the night sessions start at 7PM.