In these times of economic reactivation, a temporary job position for three weeks or a little more, for many, is a blessing from heaven… but in this case, it comes from tennis.
“This is my workplace at the end of the summer. I have been coming here for ten years and what I earn is used for my children’s school supplies”, she says. Honduran Sophya Solis.
She is among the more than 7,000 New Yorkers who were employed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to get going and ready the scaffolding of the US Openthe last Grand Slam of the year that starts this Monday 29.
Spinal column…
Indeed, positions in trades as diverse as: cooks, waiters, cashiers, plumbers, electricians, maintenance, cleaning, ushers and customer service, as well as ball boys, field assistants and security personnel, jobs considered essential started this week and in some cases long before.
“The United States Tennis Association considers them the backbone of the tournament,” said a spokesperson for the USTA event services division.
“I am delighted by the atmosphere that is lived. The hours fly by in the midst of so many people, ”he commented on Haitian Jean Diprewho works cleaning in the food court of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centerwhere the US Open is played.
According to the USTA operations directorate, more than 45% of the workers hired for the season come from Queens County and likewise, up to 50% of the workers return year after year.
return to normal
The 2022 Open reopens to 100% spectator capacity, marking the first return to a normal tournament for the global tennis community.
Julius Rodriguez is a 76-year-old retired Puerto Rican who works at Louis Armstrong Stadium. His role is to help fans locate their seats.
“More than a job, these weeks fill me with energy and of course, I earn my little extra money,” said Rodríguez, for whom he is in his sixth year in the tournament.
Julia Gómez is a primary school teacher who takes advantage of her vacations to also round out her budget.
“I live in Corona, so I come and walk home. I like to be in contact with the people who come to this party,” said the Colombian who works as a salesperson in one of the complex’s stores.
A unique experiencea
Hourly pay varies based on responsibility and experience in the job assigned. It goes between $14 for cleaning people, $14.50 for cashiers, $16 for cooks, $18 for those who do maintenance and 20 or more for specific technical jobs.
Many of the jobs are taken by teenagers who are amateurs or involved with the world of tennis. For them, more important than starting to earn money is having the opportunity to meet and be close to their favorite players.
“The tournament hasn’t started yet and I’ve already seen Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas. I couldn’t believe it,” he enthused. Michael Jurado, Peruvian of ancestry and was hired as a ball boy.
Along these lines, but in another nuance, is the case of the Uruguayan Santa Pulido. She unashamedly maintains that she works in the Open only because she, otherwise, would not be able to have access to a tournament of this level due to the costs.
“I come to work and in my spare time I give myself the pleasure of watching one game or another. The monsters of this sport have passed by my side and that is priceless”, confesses Pulido.
Many people who say they cannot cover the value of the tickets take advantage of the “Fans Week” which is free and in which the qualifying phase of the tournament is played. This is where most temp jobs really start.
During this week it was possible to appreciate how essential these workers are, doing everything, they are the ones who really set up and move the show.
In fact, the return of the “Fan Week” is a sign of the full reactivation of the US Open since 2019. According to figures handled by the organization, the pandemic meant that during 2020 the tournament was played without an audience, in 2021 the total attendance It was 631,134 people, which represented 85% of the record attendance reached in 2019, which was 737,919.
Economic impact
According to a study conducted by the USTA, this year’s edition of the Open will generate more than a billion dollars in economic impact for the city of New York. In addition to the more than seven thousand contracted workers, sponsorships, advertising expenses, hotel reservations, transportation and restaurants, all associated with the event, are added to the economic reactivation.
Through a statement the USTA Chief Financial Officer Lewis Sherrcommented that the city is still recovering from the harsh economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and how the tournament brings new hope to reactivate commerce in the city.
“We take our energy from New York and the ability to imbue the event once again with the energy of the city and our fans. This is huge and exciting for us. We believe that in many ways we are helping usher in a return to normalcy or indeed a return to much more optimistic times in New York,” Sherr said.
The USTA announced that the US Open this year will award more than $60 million in total compensation to first-time players. This amount exceeds the 2021 figure of 57.5 million dollars.
This Saturday for families
New York families will have this Saturday, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, the opportunity to enjoy ‘Kid’s Day’ at the Flushing Tennis Open. There will be interactive activities and surprises for adults and children that include workshops to master the racket, artistic presentations, storytellers, artists to paint temporary tattoos, among others. The ‘Kid’s Day’ marks the official start of the tournament that will last until September 12.
Additionally, the USTA announced that sports and entertainment group Dude Perfect and singer-songwriter Em Beihold will headline performances during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation.
Dude Perfect, the global sports and entertainment phenomenon with 58 million subscribers and nearly 16 billion views on YouTube, will anchor the day’s entertainment with a free show inside Louis Armstrong Stadium from 2-3 p.m.
