Tennis stars playing at the U.S. Open aren’t the only people getting ready to shine at the event. Gina Marie Incandela, a 7-year-old with autism, will return for the third year in a row to sing the National Anthem before a match.
Born in Long Island, Gina now lives in Florida. When she was just two, and not yet speaking, her parents took her to see a doctor to undergo some evaluations.
Mom Michelle said that autism was a diagnosis they were not expecting. As soon as she heard it, she began doing research and the whole family sprang into action, she said, and began looking for services and meeting with therapists.
Even when Gina could only say vowel sounds, she seemed drawn to music and would frequently hum melodies. Michelle said that she had good pitch, could hold notes perfectly, was in tune and would even use vibrato.
“We knew, at that point, she was definitely going to be somehow musically inclined,” Michelle said.
By the age of four, Gina was speaking, and had also begun music therapy. Her ability to speak and sing soon went hand-in-hand, both improving dramatically, her mom said.
Now, Gina is “classified as high functioning” and takes part in all the activities that a child her age usually does, her mother said. The symptoms that were evident when she was first diagnosed are now being managed. Michelle also said that few people who did not already now Incandela and her story would even realize she has autism.
Gina’s first performance was when she was six. Last year, she performed more than 50 times. Michelle said that these performances help her daughter in many ways, including boosting confidence and helping with concentration, focus and social skills.
“I don’t know if I could even put into words how it feels to watch Gina at one of these performances,” Michelle said. “It’s such a surreal experience. I’m so proud of her because of what she had to overcome to get where she is.”
Although Gina has performed at several major events, she said that her favorite so far as been the U.S. Open. When Gina performs at the U.S. Open Sunday, September 6, it will mark her third visit.
For the past three years, open calls have been held to select children to sing as part of the U.S. Open festivities. Gina was one of about 14 children selected out of the several hundred who auditioned.
When Gina was first selected, United States Tennis Association Senior Director of Corporate Communications Rita Garza said they were unaware of her story and just thought that she “had a tremendous presence and really belted out the song.”
“She was special and that’s what we look for in the children,” Garza said. “It wasn’t until later that we found out about her story from her mother.”
Gina, a tennis fan, said that she is happy to be returning to the U.S. Open and that she likes it there very much. She said that she doesn’t get nervous about performing and that her favorite part is making people happy.
The day before she sings at the U.S. Open, Gina, who wants to be a professional singer, will perform at Citi Field. One place where she still hopes to sing one day is at the White House for the president.
“We’re looking for her to do great things in her life,” Garza said. “We are touched and honored to be part of something she loves and to be part of that healing…”
