Shots, Nuggets, and Nerves: Watching the U.S. Open Final With the Knicks

5 min readOn Sunday afternoon, during the men’s finals of the U.S. Open, I was with New York Knicks stars José Alvarado and Josh Hart in the Grey Goose suite, an exclusive space inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. America’s latest, greatest tennis hope, Ben Shelton, was already down two sets to the top-seeded German contender, Alexander Zverev. You could feel the collective stress in the suite.So, the bartender gathered the crowd together—a group that included the Knicks players, Jeff Goldblum, and Zayn Malik of One Direction—to take a “goose bump shot,” which is vodka made with water from the Alps and glacier filtration, paired with a bump of Petrossian caviar. “To Ben Shelton’s comeback,” everyone said."I am not a big drinker, so that didn't go down smoothly," said Alvarado after taking one and making a sour face. When asked if he wanted another, he quickly responded, "Nah, I'm good."The U.S. Open has become a tournament as much about tennis as about the celebrity around it. Every session, the USTA flashes the faces of famous fans on the Jumbotron, something the twenty-three-year-old Shelton joked made it hard to concentrate. "You're playing in front of all your favorite athletes and movie stars, so to be able to keep your head down and focus for over three hours is not an easy task," he said after winning his semifinal match against fellow American Francis Tiafoe. "I keep on looking up at the screen like, 'Oh shoot, Jalen Brunson's here!'"Patrick Smith//Getty ImagesBen Shelton’s incredible U.S. Open run came to a close on Sunday. Still, he kicked off a thrilling new era in American tennis.In other words, one of the tournament's favorite pastimes, both among players and spectators, is watching who is watching tennis.But of all the people at the U.S. Open you can watch watch tennis—actors, politicians, singers, and retired tennis players—the ones I find most fascinating are the other athletes. These top athletes are disciplined and know what it takes to perform at such a high level; it’s fun to see how they admire their peers who can do the same. As a professional athlete, Hart said, "you obviously have a different level of appreciation and respect for what they do."Game obviously recognizes game. So I figured, why not watch the final with the Knicks to see if Shelton can cap off the magical sports summer that the Knicks started in June? “It’s been an amazing summer,” said Hart, agreeing that if Shelton became the first American male to hoist the U.S. Open trophy in twenty-three years, it would be a full-circle moment.At 2 p.m., Hart strolled into the Grey Goose suite to cheer on Shelton as he strove to be the first American to win the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003. Hart, who is a brand ambassador for Grey Goose, had been at the tournament all week to support American players, including Tiafoe, so he knew how stressful the day ahead might be. "Watching tennis is nerve-wracking," he said to me while we were sitting on a royal blue velvet couch waiting for play to begin. "The other day I was at the Tiafoe quarterfinal when he came back from two sets down, and I'm watching every serve and all that. I was so tense, and Shannon, my wife, actually looked at me and said, 'Now you know how we feel.'""Definitely I sympathize and empathize with Knicks fans now," he added, laughing.Fortunately, he could share the stress with teammates, since so many were also there. The first thing he did when he got to his seat was high-five and hug Alvarado, who was also in the suite. They both waved next door to Landry Shamet, who was in the Emirates suite, a space where uniformed flight attendants serve wine and chocolates to spectators. About 50 feet away, in the Ralph Lauren box, Karl-Anthony Towns watched alongside Rami Malek and Chris Pine. Jalen Brunson was in the J.P. Morgan suite, across the stadium.For the first two sets, the Knicks players were glued to their chairs, unable to take their eyes off the court. Hart snapped a photo with his phone, which he immediately posted on Instagram. Shamet had a point-and-shoot, which he pulled out when the crowd went wild for Shelton's serve.With Shelton behind, the vibe was tense. Hart's hands were balled into fists for much of the match. "I feel more nervous for these guys than I do when I play," he said. "Going out there and hooping, like that's second nature. That's just what I do. But these guys are amazing talents. I just really want them to win."Shea Kastriner//Getty ImagesThe Knicks were a fixture at the U.S. Open this summer, concluding their unofficial NBA Finals victory tour.The Grey Goose suite is particularly cushy, with vintage tennis rackets hanging on the wall and a buffet of lobster rolls and truffle mac and cheese. Throughout the tournament, guests have included Adrien Brody, Andy Cohen, Este Haim, and Lizzo.It is the only space in Arthur Ashe Stadium where the tournament's signature cocktail, the Grey Goose Honey Deuce, is made fresh rather than batched. Servers brought them to the Knicks players, who were sitting in the front row of the suite, throughout the match. They also each had a platter of Coqodaq's famous caviar chicken nuggets (they cost regular people $100 for six nuggets) delivered to them on a silver tray, which they devoured quickly.Over in the Ralph Lauren suite, Towns and his new wife, Jordyn Woods, were also downing Honey Deuces, with Woods joking after the match that she'd had too many to walk down the stairs and had to wait for the elevator.There was also a fun moment when all five Knicks in attendance appeared on the screen, and some fans literally bowed down to them. Hart said he is very aware that people are watching him at all times in the stadium. "Sometimes, you know, you look over and you see people taking pictures," he said.Grey GooseAfter watching his fair share of tight matches this U.S. Open, Josh Hart can relate to the pain of the Knicks faithful. "Definitely I sympathize and empathize with Knicks fans now," he said.He believes that famous fans add to the atmosphere in the same way they do at Knicks games. "I love seeing those guys courtside. I love interacting with them. I untie Jimmy Fallon's shoe all the time," he said. "It adds to the energy."And when the score reached 5-2 for Zverev in the fourth set, Hart and Alvarado slipped out of the suite, thanking the servers on their way out. The crowd, including the Knicks stars, was genuinely bummed to see Shelton lose. Zverev is disliked in New York City (Allegations of domestic violence have done damage. Tickets for his semifinal match dropped as low as $19 on resale platforms.). And a Shelton win—again, he could’ve been the first American man to win the U.S. Open in twenty-three years—would have capped off what’s been an all-time sports summer in the city.Still, I was surprised the Knicks left early considering the Knicks, of all people, should know late-game rallies are possible. (They did, after all, have the largest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game 4 against the Spurs this year.)Perhaps they wanted to miss the crowds, or maybe they felt the party was over and it was time to focus on their own sport. As Hart put it, "It's been an amazing summer, it's been so fun. Now I'm kind of ready to get back to work."Alyson Krueger is a freelance lifestyle journalist who lives in the West Village. She writes the bestselling substack The Great Conversation.