sports
86 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 30, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Photo: Darren Carroll/UTSA
John McEnroe, former mayor David Dinkins, Katrina Adams, USTA President and Chairman, Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President, and Gordon Smith, USTA Executive Director and CEO, cut the ribbon at
the grand opening of Louis Armstrong Stadium at the 2018 U.S. Open.
Brand-new Louis Armstrong Stadium
dedicated in ceremony just in time for US Open
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Center. Th e 14,069-seat stadium served
Th e Louis Armstrong Stadium is the
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
as the theater and the main attraction
second arena at the center to feature a
during the U.S. Open’s Queens Day.
retractable roof. Th e stadium also features
A new tennis stadium in Flushing
In 2013, the U.S. Tennis Association
two entranceways with a grand
Meadows Corona Park has been offi -
(USTA), which operates the center,
staircase, an escalator and elevator, visiting
cially dedicated just in time for the U.S.
decided to reshape the look, feel and
areas on the lower concourse, storefronts
Open.
functionality of the grounds that host the
featuring U.S. Open Collection,
On Aug. 22, nearly 1,800 tennis fans
U.S. Open every summer. Construction
Polo Ralph Lauren, Adidas and Wilson,
came to witness the dedication of the
on the new Louis Armstrong Stadium
and a variety of food, drink and merchandise
new Louis Armstrong Stadium at the
began in 2016 aft er the conclusion of
concession stands.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis
that year’s U.S. Open.
Th e ceremony kicked off with Queens’
own John McEnroe addressing the
crowd and refl ecting on his own past
championship wins at the U.S. Open.
Th e ceremony continued a performance
of an eight-piece marching band led by
jazz legend Wynton Marsalis.
To fi nish off the event, tennis pros
James Blake and Michael Chang took
on McEnroe and his brother Patrick in a
Legends doubles match, with Blake and
Chang taking home the victory.
photos by Dominick Totino Photography
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