BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 24 ULY 26-AUGUST 1, 2019 BTR
Tennis Legends hit
the court during
NY Empire games
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The scorching hot New
York Empire have been tearing
up the court at the Cary
Leeds Center for Tennis and
Learning in the World Team
Tennis squad’s inaugural
Bronx season.
This Crotona Park-based
squad was given a personal
christening by tennis legend
Billie Jean King on the
team’s media day on Thursday,
June 25.
“To have this facility in
the Bronx is absolutely major,”
King said in regards
to the state of the art Cary
Leeds Center.
Once things got underway
for the Empire against
the San Diego Aviators on
a packed Sunday, July 14
opening night, the number
one American tennis player,
John Isner took to the Bronx
court for the fi rst time in his
career.
Although the Empire
fell in the season opener, Isner
along with teammates
Venus Williams playing agaisnt the New York Empire in the Bronx. Bruce Adler
(Left) Number one ranked American John Isner playing with the New
York Empire. The Bronxer
all marveled over their new
home in the borough.
“I’ve actually never seen it
before but this is so, so nice,”
Isner said about not only the
venue but the crowd’s energy
after his match.
That sentiment was reiterated
on Friday, July 19 when
the Venus Williams and the
Washington Kastles visited
the borough for a match as
well.
“It was awesome,” Williams
said following her fi rst
Bronx match, despite her
team’s ultimate falter to New
York.
The future hall of famer
said that the WTT matches
she plays help her transition
from Wimbledon grass to a
hard court surface.
Williams and Isner aren’t
the only two tennis prodigies
that are playing in the Bronx
this summer, though.
In addition to 2017 US Open
Champion Sloane Stephens,
Ulises Blanch, a 21-year old
Puerto Rican born rookie
has been serving at 140 miles
per hour for the Empire this
season in the process of dismantling
opponents left and
right.
“There’s a lot of talk about
who could be the next great
American tennis player and
Ulises Blanch is definitely
in the conversation,” Empire
head coach Luke Walton
said about his Nike sponsored
ace.
While the Empire looks to
strike back from its 4-4 season,
the team will be on the
west coast until Monday, July
29 when they face the Springfi
eld Lasers.
(Above) Sloane Stephens and Ulises Blanch strategizing during a doubles
match. Bruce Adler
There is a lot of
talk about who
could be the next
great American
tennis player and
Ulises Blanch is
defi nitely in the
conversation.
Luke Walton