Thanks for playing, Fort Greene.

Words by Megan Mandrachio. Photography by Jackie Lee.

Brooklyn’s Fort Greene tennis courts reverberate with the energy of matches in full swing. Rackets collide with tennis balls in a rhythmic symphony of thuds and pops. The hot asphalt underfoot is a floor for shuffling sneakers. Though this New York tennis club is accustomed to this pace of back and forth — a meeting ground for tennis seven days a week — the rallies on the courts today have a different feel.

Today, On has taken over Fort Greene, transforming each of the six courts into a professional arena officiated by referees and accompanied by ball persons, allowing the everyday player to feel like they’re competing for a Grand Slam title on the U.S. Open main stage. Here, the boundaries between amateurs and novices dissolve, replaced by a shared passion for the game. Today is a love letter to tennis, one that writes thanks for playing. 

Each year, the U.S. Open draws hundreds of thousands of eager spectators to Flushing Meadow, Queens — a park within the city that holds the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the iconic main court within the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Over its 150-year narrative, American tennis has shape-shifted repeatedly: from its inauguration on dirt courts to the cemented grounds of exclusive tennis clubs, and from a shadowy realm of unequal pay to 2023’s 50-year anniversary of prize parity between men and women.

Accessibility to tennis courts in the metropolitan area of New York is notoriously challenging. Permits, waitlists, and an air of exclusivity have often discouraged the casual player and engagement with a sport deeply rooted in the city’s culture. Anyone can apply for a permit for one-time use ($15) or for the full season ($100) with the season starting on the first Saturday of April, and ending on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Access isn’t guaranteed, especially with evening and weekend slots in high demand, but for many New Yorkers, it’s worth the battle.

I meet Hilary, Kimber and their partners, seasoned players at Fort Greene, and my friend Kai for an hour-long match. As a tennis novice, I observe their game as I play mine, a resource for meeting the ball with my strings and keeping it in bounds. I switch between offense and defense as I move around the court. 

I follow his guidance. As the ball rebounds toward me, I shut the metaphorical door, earning a point – and a cheer from the spectator on the sideline. His name is Raymond Chin, A Borough Director of Tennis for the City Parks Foundation and an avid coach. Raymond’s relationship with tennis had modest beginnings. He admits to his initial apprehension about picking up a racket, yet somehow found himself at the courts, convinced by a friend’s coach to give it a shot.

With a borrowed racket and two tennis balls, he was sent away, instructed to return in two days. “How do you know I'll be back?” he recalls asking. “If you don't come back in two days,” the coach replied, “I'll blame it on bad judgment. But I'll see you in two days." Raymond returned, embracing the role of a beginner with enthusiasm. He ran laps and participated in drills while others played doubles. Eager to join the matches, he asked his coach how long it would take to get on the court with them. The coach set a challenge: hitting 10 balls in a row across the net, twice. 

Raymond accepted this challenge by tirelessly refining his aim and serving until he could meet his new goal. When the time came to step onto the court with more experienced players, it wasn't a smooth transition. He faced mockery and attempts to bully him off the court for being a novice. But these challenges fueled his determination. His journey to become a stronger player continued as he practiced with abandoned balls on the court's outskirts, hoping to raise his game enough to be accepted into a match on the limited courts. It was a pivotal time in his life – Raymond credits tennis for keeping him out of trouble in NYC during his youth. “Tennis saved my life.” 

Today, Raymond finds himself learning along with his students, believing in adapting his teaching style and resisting a one-size-fits-all approach. This philosophy has impacted many of his students who go through his program and stay to teach, proving his mentorship to be a rippling effect of shared knowledge, skill, and love for tennis. 

Matthew Glaser, one of those students, found that tennis became a lifeline “I've known him [Raymond] since I was nine. I was going to be a lawyer — I went to NYU — and I was shadowing some tennis clinics. At some point, Raymond gave me this opportunity to be a Borough Director, and I told myself I'd give it a shot and fully commit myself to tennis and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I could always push through law school. Well, I'm turning thirty on Monday, and I was twenty-two when I started teaching full time. Tennis and Ray changed everything.”

As the day unfolds at Fort Greene, others share similar sentiments. Each journey varied in their origins — some traced back to a tender age of three, while others embarked on their tennis journey as adults during the pandemic seeking solace within the sport. The event is a vibrant reflection of this diversity, drawing people of all ages and experience levels from New York communities with their rackets. 

Amid the exchange of forehands, people have begun to line up at the fences with a growing anticipation and spectators have taken their vantage points around the enclosed courts. “He’s in there” I overhear as I walk by a zipped tent. Word has traveled that Roger Federer has arrived. And he’s got company. Arriving onto the courts alongside one of the sport’s greatest athletes are Iga Świątek, women’s world number 1, and Ben Shelton the rising next-gen star. The atmosphere shifts as community members prepare to face celebrity tennis players on their home courts. 

As Ben strikes the first serve, the court becomes a stage for the collective celebration of tennis. With every swing, the crowd morphs from strangers into companions, wincing at a missed shot, cheering at the end of a rally, and catching their breath along with the players. Ordinary and extraordinary players are only divided by a net, but united by the game. Iga and Ben work together, shifting their positions on the court in a language they both understand.

Of the players jumping on and off the court, one stands out — Ethan, a seventeen-year-old from Woodhaven, Queens. He enters into an exhilarating rally with his heroes, executing a daring drop shot against Shelton which lands just beyond his reach, Ben’s acceptance of defeat is marked by a smile that stretches from ear to ear. Ethan is breathless but elated, as he comes off the court. His father stands on the other side of the fence, “he’s going to be a star!”.

As the matches draw to a close, seasoned players, newcomers, young talents and veterans mingle to share their stories and highlights of the day.

Roger Federer comes to the mic with a last remark: “Well played, everyone.”