U.S. Open Leaves Lasting Impression for First-Time Fan

For any tennis fan, attending a major event is probably a bucket list item. And now, that’s one thing that avid tennis player Angela Ho can cross off the list.

Ho, a junior player in Northern California who is active in USTA NorCal tennis, won tickets to this year’s U.S. Open through a contest held by USTA NorCal. After attending her first Open, she left energized by all of the amazing tennis she saw in person.

“The whole trip was great, but my favorite part was watching great women’s and men’s tennis, especially the younger players or the upset matches where the underdog wins,” she said. “It inspires me to never give up on my dreams and shows that hard work pays off.”

Making the journey to the East Coast with her mother and bringing two other friends along for the ride, one from New York and one also visiting that weekend, Ho got to see many of the top players. Among the top competition at this year’s Open, Ho got to see top-seeded Ashleigh Barty get edged out by the United States’ Shelby Rogers in a tight third set on the women’s singles side, as well as Shelby Rogers and Petra Martić vs. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in women’s doubles.

Ho also got first-hand views of many of the top men’s contenders including, Alexander Zverev vs. Jack Sock, Daniil Medvedev, who ultimately won it all, vs. Dan Evans, and Francis Tiafoe vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime. 

And while Ho said she enjoyed watching all of the matches, there were a couple in particular that left a lasting impression.

“I really enjoyed watching Zverev against Sock because I love Zverev's strokes and his game,” she said. “I also love Sock's attitude, as he made everyone laugh and he's hilarious on and off the court. The Tiafoe match was also great because it was so competitive and the crowd was loud and really got into it.”

And much like the crowd from the Tiafoe match, she found her whole experience at her first U.S. Open electrifying.

“The atmosphere was absolutely mind-blowing,” she added. “The crowd was so loud and had so much energy. It was super exhilarating to be a part of it.”

And not only did Ho get to be a part of one of tennis’ biggest events, but she also enjoyed spending time in New York City, a city she had previously visited for only a couple of hours. But his time around, she was happy to be able to explore around more, eat lots of good food, and discover all of the great things that make New York, New York. 

Now that Ho is back in NorCal and is in full swing of playing tennis as a senior this year, she plans on keeping the memories from her trip alive and applying her inspiration from seeing some of the best in the world into her own game.