Tennis legends Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernandez were among the big sports names attending the 2015 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Davenport and Fernandez appeared at the games courtesy of a Time Warner Cable question and answer series. As part of the series, fans also got to meet Jim Courier, a former No. 1 world ranked player; James Blake, a former No. 4 world ranked singles player; and Michael Chang, who was the youngest French Open/Grand Slam Champion ever in 1989.
Davenport—a six-time Grand Slam tournament champion who was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014 —said that the U.S. Open was always her favorite tournament and that she loves coming back to watch on the sidelines.
“I’ve always loved the sport since I first picked up a racket at 5,” Davenport said. “Even when I wasn’t playing, I was watching tennis all the time so I love coming back. I love being a part of it.”
This year Davenport worked as a coach for Madison Keys, a 20-year-old newcomer who was successful in her run in the 2015 U.S. Open until being bested by Serena Williams on Friday, Sept. 6.
As part of her question and answer session, Mary Joe Fernandez reflected on her experiences as a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
“When you’re playing for yourself, there’s pressure,” Fernandez said, “but when you’re playing for your country and teammates it’s another level of excitement and pressure.”
Fernandez, who has coached the Olympic women’s tennis team and served as an ESPN analyst since her retirement, said that her two children enjoyed using her gold medals to impress their friends at school.
“We have them in our family room behind the TV,” Fernandez said. “I bring [the medals] in to show-and-tell with the children, so they get a big kick out of that.”
The Q&A sessions are planned to continue through Wednesday, Sept. 9.
