With the support of USTA Eastern, the first edition of the Hispanic Heritage Month Free Family Tennis Festival was held on Saturday, October 4, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, home of the US Open. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offered activities for the whole family.
Attendees enjoyed live music, delicious empanadas courtesy of il Buco and Salteñas NYC, drinks, traditional Colombian dances and the Fraternidad Folklorica Cultural Caporales Universitarios de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia—a New York branch—. Of course, there was tennis for everyone, with a very Latin touch, all completely free.
Tito Pérez, coach and organizer of the event, reported that more than 350 people attended. Consular representatives from Chile and Mexico were also present.
“It has been a nice day of celebration, of music, of food, of a lot of tennis and diversity. Not only did we have a Latin presence, people from different parts of the world also arrived. That is New York: diversity. The USTA is also diverse, so I am very happy. And above all, it has been a family day, which is the spirit that we want to transmit,” said Pérez, with his characteristic smile.
Pérez, who came to the US in 2007 from Bolivia, made a special call: “I invite everyone to play tennis. Tennis is family on and off the court. At USTA Eastern we have many options to play and volunteer. Join this great change for our community, because tennis is the healthiest sport in the world.”
According to recent reports, nearly 4.54 million Hispanics play tennis recreationally in the US, which represents an increase of 15.4 percent.
Peruvian Liz López and her son Sebastián traveled from Livingston, New Jersey, to attend.
“For me, this event is very important because my son is 14 years old and has been playing since he was 8. Although he was born in the United States, he has Hispanic ancestry and it is important for him to see that there are Hispanics who are very prepared in tennis, a wonderful sport,” López commented.
“Today I accompanied him because I thought it was very good, and if we have to stay ten hours here, we will do it. And if they repeat it next year, we will also be there,” added the young mother.
Amber Marino, former president of USTA Eastern, noted: “I love this event. It combines tennis and culture, fun and family. I hope it is the first of many, and that people enjoy this unique space where the US Open is played. The Hispanic community is very important to USTA Eastern; my grandmother was from the Dominican Republic.”
Spanish legend in Flushing
Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, champion of the 1994 US Open and Roland Garros in 1989, 1994 and 1998, and Olympic medalist, was the special guest. He participated in a clinic with the little ones and then played doubles with juniors on court 7, in front of a large audience.
Warm and approachable, Sánchez-Vicario posed for selfies with fans, remembered old times and expressed: “I’m happy because people enjoy tennis. This venue brings back beautiful memories; here I won the US Open and mixed doubles, and I always felt the support of Hispanics. It couldn’t be a better day to mix dance and tennis, a day to be together and celebrate Hispanicity.”
Under the supervision of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the goal is for this festival to grow and become an annual event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
