Marijuana smoke wafting into Louis Armstrong Stadium? The constant chatter of fans who at times seem more interested in each other than the tennis?
All good with Tommy Paul.
The 20th-seeded American battled past Alexander Bublik on Friday in New York, and afterwards said that he loved everything about playing in New York City.
“I think it probably helps me,” he said when asked about his experience in Armstrong. “I very much enjoy the loud noise on Armstrong and throughout the US Open. I think it’s a lot of fun, and it’s different.
“I think that’s what separates the US Open from other slams and makes it more fun for people to attend. That’s probably why we have, I mean, a different group of people coming to the US Open than you’d see at Wimbledon. It’s fun.”
Paul, who will face Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16, thinks the crowd will be a little bit more engaged for that contest.
“I think the crowd is going to be excited for the matchup. Obviously the crowd at every tournament loves Carlos, but you know, I am American, so hopefully they can get behind me a little bit,” he said.
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who won on Grandstand on Day 6, gave her own assessment.
“I don’t remember what it’s like on the other courts, but Armstrong and Ashe are very, very, very loud at all times,” she said.
“I think it depends on the day, how tired you are and how able you are to disconnect and just focus on playing. It was a little bit difficult for me in the match with Sloane (Stephens, on Armstrong in round two) during the first couple of games. But because there is this constant noise, you eventually get used to it and don’t even hear it anymore.
“I think players deal with it in different ways. Some are more prone to being distracted by it, and some are more fine. For me, it depends on the day.”
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