Big Men in the Big Apple

February 3, 2020 | By Brian Coleman
Isner
Photo Credit: Sidney Beal III/NY Tennis Magazine

 

No place on earth possesses a bigger stage than New York, so it’s only fitting that some of tennis’ biggest (literally) stars will be on Long Island competing in the New York Open.

The third year of the New York Open will begin on Sunday, February 9 at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and run through Sunday, February 16. This year’s event features a loaded group of players, including John Isner, Milos Raonic, Kevin Anderson and Reilly Opelka, four of the sport’s tallest players.

The latter two are the tournament’s champions from 2018 and 2019, respectively, and have already found success on the black courts of Nassau Coliseum. For Isner and Raonic, two former Grand Slam finalists, are hoping a deep run on Long Island can serve as a precursor for success in the remainder of 2020.

These collection of big men headline a loaded New York Open field this year, the best draw of the tournament’s three-year existence.

“The New York Open has attracted our best field this year,” said Peter Lebedevs, New York Open Tournament Director. “Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic will be making their first appearance at the tournament and the fans will be excited to see them play on the black courts. John Isner and Reilly Opelka, along with Kevin Anderson, are all returning and that is a testament to the fan support for these players and the New York Open.”

Isner unfortunately had to withdraw from his third-round match against Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open, and thus will be eager to get back out onto the court feeling healthy. He has certainly familiar with the Coliseum, having competed here in the last two years, and will look to surpass his semifinal result a year ago.

For Raonic, the Canadian will be making his New York Open debut next week. Raonic reached the Wimbledon final back in 2016, and is coming off of an excellent performance Down Under to start off his season. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, and will look to continue that in-form play in New York.

The third installment of the ATP World Tour’s New York Open begins on Sunday, February 9, and will feature a talented group of players who have already accomplished a lot on tour. The show will be led by its biggest stars, and in this case, both literally and figuratively.

 


Brian Coleman

 Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com

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