OPERATION Flushing Meadows, for the sake of completeness actually “Flushing Meadows-Corona Park”, is on every tourist’s list once you visit the Big Apple. It is just as huge as Central Park in Manhattan – and at the same time the largest park in the New York borough of Queens. There is a lot to discover, especially the “Unisphere” is worth a visit. The structure – a 42-meter-high, 350-ton stainless steel globe with a diameter of 37 meters – was built for the 1964 world exhibition and still attracts many visitors today. Originally, Flushing Meadows was established for the 1939/40 world exhibition – but to this day tennis fans get their money’s worth here, as the site is also home to one of four Grand Slam tournaments. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – since 2006 named after the former American tennis player – has been home to the US Open Tennis Championships since 1978 and is operated by the United States Tennis Association. The site includes four stadium courts: Arthur Ashe Stadium (near 24,000 capacity), Louis Armstrong Stadium (14,000; built from 2016 until 2018), Grandstand (over 8,000; opened in 2016) and Court 17 (2,800). Plus, there are 13 additional field courts, five practice courts and a 12-court indoor facility inside its 42acre footprint in Flushing Meadows. By the way, Citi Field, home of the New York Mets baseball franchise, is also just a stone’s throw away from the famous tennis courts. So is LaGuardia Airport, which consequently means you hear the hum of airplane engines at regular intervals. More than just tennis The USTA does not only operate Arthur Ashe Stadium, but everything within the Tennis Center’s footprint. As a whole, it is one of the world’s largest public tennis facilities and is active throughout the year hosting players, programs and events on the grounds and at its Indoor Training Center. “Outside of the US Open, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open year-round to the public as a full-service recreational tennis facility, offering teaching and programs for players of all ages, in addition to court rentals and other public tennis programming,” says Danny Zausner, Chief Operating Officer. “The NTC has also become a premier yearround home for major events outside of the tennis world, having played host to the Westminster Kennel Club Arthur Ashe Stadium: A venue like no other Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis stadium in the world. The venue in New York City hosts the US Open every year. But the operators of the facility also take care of several other stadiums. A look behind the scenes. Key facts: Arthur Ashe Stadium City: Flushing, New York City Country: USA Main tenants: US Open Opening: 1997 Costs: 229 million euros Operator: USTA Architects: Rossetti Architects Capacity: 23,859 www.stadiaworld.com SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 | 29
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