Mid-August in New York means the US Open is just around the corner, and to help drum up excitement for the American Slam, Lotte New York Palace hosted its seventh annual invitational tournament on Thursday, coaxing major names from the world of tennis to the 135-year-old hotel’s midtown courtyard for a little friendly pickleball.
The event saw Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Caroline Wozniacki, and Elena Rybakina take on a dazzling three-minute game each, paired up with players from the Miami Pickleball Club.
With fake fall in full effect, a light breeze blew as the tournament’s attendees sipped champagne and nibbled on Wagyu beef and caviar hors d’oeuvres. Shortly before the action began, tennis legend Andre Agassi stepped out to say a few words, admitting that he was quite excited to see Alcaraz—who recently returned from the Paris Olympics, where he won silver in the men’s singles event—take on New York’s hottest rec sport after his surface slam. (With his championship win at Wimbledon earlier this summer, Alcaraz became the youngest man ever to win Grand Slam titles on hard, grass, and clay courts.)
Asked about pairing up with his childhood hero, Rafael Nadal, for the men’s doubles in Paris—and what many have seen as a passing of the torch between the Spaniards, given Nadal’s spate of recent injuries and early exit from the French Open in May—Alcaraz encouraged fans not to give up on Rafa just yet, implying that we haven’t seen the end of the Spanish duo (together known as Nadalcaraz) just yet.
When the crowd finally settled in the stands, Rybakina and Wozniacki kicked things off, their fierce contest—which was tied 2 to 2 two minutes in—eventually concluding with a 5 to 3 win for Rybakina, helped by her forceful serve.
Up next came Alcaraz and Fritz. While Fritz, who is based between Los Angeles and Miami, plays pickleball fairly regularly at home, Alcaraz claimed to be coming into the invitational with relatively little experience. (Mind you, he also played in this tournament last year.) No matter: From the start of the match-up, the men exchanged a flurry of dizzying volleys, with Fritz taking the lead, 5 to 4, two and a half minutes in. After a brief time-out, however, Alcaraz shockingly tied things up, 5 to 5, in the final two seconds, demanding a tiebreaker. In the end, it was Alcaraz who emerged victorious. A short trophy ceremony for him and Rybakina followed.
When asked how he feels going into the US Open later this month, Fritz, who is currently ranked 12th in the world, explained that it’s the biggest moment of the year for him: The home Slam is the “most important thing for American guys.” Well, if the level of play is anything like what we saw at the Palace, we’re in for a thrilling Open, indeed.