By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday August 19, 2020
The Western and Southern Open and US Open are happening folks, and as we write players are lounging around in the incredibly spacious confines at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, all safe in the bubble (well, as safe as they can possibly be, it seems). So today’s edition of the social flex is dedicated to what’s on the horizon. This weekend the tennis will commence in New York, and looming on the horizon is – Grand Slam tennis! Hard to believe it, but it’s true.
So let’s take a spin around tennis social media and celebrate, shall we?
1.For a while we weren’t sure if Naomi Osaka was going to join the party. Glad to see she has.
2. Stefanos Tsitsipas and the team are in New York City.
3. Is Dominic Thiem a top fave on the men’s side? You better believe it!
🦅
A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on
4.Johanna Konta puts in some work out by the unisphere.
5. Sascha Zverev and his good friend Marcelo Melo are having some fun.
6. Seeing a lot of posts like this—players are feeling safe in the new normal and it bodes well for the quality of tennis we will see over the next few weeks.
7. Casper Ruud tunes in to Novak Djokovic’s practice with a nice meal.
8.Sascha Bajin, now coaching Dayana Yastremska, checks into the bubble.
9. News flash: Diego Schwartzman is still fast and can still hit the snot out of the ball. Here he warms up his game in New York.
10. We think that’s court 17. We’re sure it’s World No.20 Anett Kontaveit.
11. Fernando Verdasco’s baby boy is a charmer—and so are the other two dudes in the picture.
12. Mackenzie McDonald practices in the shadows of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
13. Don’t know what’s more impressive here, Novak Djokovic’s accuracy or Alexander Zverev’s hands.
14. Three-time champion Kim Clijsters is back and she’ll play in both the doubles and singles draws.
15. Last but not least – Karolina Pliskova takes it all in. There are some advantages to having no fans. Players get their own personal suites to chillax in…