An army of low-wage workers makes the US Open of tennis pros possible. His contribution comes into focus due to an incident in 17th place.
Smoke over court: smell of marijuana from break room above seat 17 Photo: USA Today
NEW YORK CITY taz | You can’t get past them at the US Open. Amongst the masses of spectators streaming through the many entrance gates in front of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center onto the US Open facility from 10 a.m., the people with the uniform yellow T-shirts stand out. It’s the ones who keep the tennis tournament in the New York borough of Queens clean.
In the chain of those who somehow have something to do with the event, they are the very last link. In none of the other four major Grand Slam tournaments, neither in Melbourne at the Australian Open nor at the French Open or in Wimbledon, is the contrast as stark as here. It’s the hopeless who found a job for two weeks: homeless, drug addicts, the lowest class of the USA. Almost all have a dark skin color, in between you hear a lot of Spanish. Her hourly wage is $4.
Behind Court 17 on the southeast corner of the complex is a white tent set up specifically for the workers. Not only the cleaning staff take their breaks here, but also all the others who keep the business running: dishwashers, cooks, security guards. Approaching the tent, a strong smell of marijuana hits you. Many workers smoke their joints behind the fence in the adjacent park.
At the beginning of the tournament, there was an uproar when players complained about the “pot smell”. Germany’s best tennis player Alexander Zverev said that at times during his match it smelled like the living room of the smoking rapper Snoop Dog. Everyone is used to it now. And the wind is probably better too.
relaxation during the break
The US Open is a tough place. One chef reports that he works two shifts a day. One from morning to 3 p.m. Then the break follows. It continues until late in the evening. He says you have to get by somehow. The joints would be part of the fixed ritual for him. “It’s also a nice relaxation.” The use of marijuana has been legal in New York since 2021. Not on site, of course. But who cares? The United States Open is a decal of American society: the bottom and the top are close together.
In Manhattan, across the river, it’s actually the same. When it comes to tennis in Queens, there are the poor and the fine, elite crowd. The night session in the gigantic tennis temple, the Arthur Ashe Arena, takes place in smooth leather shoes and high heels. It is an audience that could also stroll in front of the Great Festival Hall during the Salzburg Festival. If you want it a little less posh, treat yourself to the Ground Pass. You can use it to visit the smaller courts on the facility and watch the matches there.
On weekends, the day pass cost $230. You can get a pint of a terrible beer for $15. This is how the tournament proceeds. Sometimes you can see tennis professionals with their huge racket bags on their backs running across the grounds to the courts or back to the Players Garden. And of course there is also the large group of journalists who report on the major sporting event.
The different groups hardly notice each other. You keep to yourself. 500 workers are said to work in shifts here on the plant. The last ones remain two hours after the end of the last rally of the day. Novak Đoković converted his match point shortly before half past two in the morning on Saturday night. “Tennis never sleeps” is a popular saying in the industry. But this does not only apply to the professionals.
The tournament continues for a week. Many more joints will be rolled behind Court 17 until the final weekend. You can also see it positively: At least for 14 days people have a job and earn a little something. Very few people know what comes next. New York is brutal. Also in tennis.
2023-09-03 17:04:00
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