Featured entertainment to thousands of kids at Fan Week | Photo courtesy of USTA
FLUSHING, NY — Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day (AAKD), one of US Open Fan Week’s anchor events, returns to the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Saturday, August 24, USTA has announced.
Fan-favorite YouTube sensations Dude Perfect will return for the third year to perform free inside Arthur Ashe Stadium beginning at 2 pm ET. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, which celebrates the life and legacy of tennis icon and humanitarian Arthur Ashe, is the world’s largest grassroots tennis event and is held annually on the Saturday before the start of the US Open main draw.
The Dudes, Tyler “The Beard” Toney, “The Twins” Cory and Coby Cotton, Garrett “The Purple Hoser” Hilbert, and Cody “The Tall Guy” Jones, will be joined by some of the biggest names in tennis, including US Open champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, Hall of Fame legend Andre Agassi and more. The troupe will test their tennis skills against tennis greats and audience members in various fun and off-kilter tennis challenges and concoct some multi-sport fun as well.
Before the Dude Perfect show, Fountain Plaza Stage will be the featured entertainment. Performers will include breakout pop vocalist Alex Sampson, L-Pop girl group Bella Dose, R&B boy band WanMor, American Idol favorite Wé Ani, and YouTube stars MusicClubKids. Rising young actor Leo Abelo Perry will co-host the festivities.
Twelve US Open courts will be devoted to tennis activities for kids, with drills, contests, and competitions taking place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All AAKD attendees will be welcome to watch player practices across the grounds and throughout the day as the world’s top tennis players prepare to compete in America’s Grand Slam. The US Open also will offer a specially priced $10 meal for kids and their families.
Wilson, the US Open’s longest-standing partner, will provide kids’ racquets for AAKD attendees to pick up. Fans can access the free junior racquets through the US Open’s Fan Access pass. Wilson and the US Open will have two pick-up stations on-site that day. This will be Wilson’s third year doing this.
Fans who have signed up for the Fan Access Pass can collect a free original comic book featuring the world’s biggest tennis stars alongside the Avengers. The comic book—set at the US Open with a storyline driven by this year’s theme, “Celebrating the Power of Tennis,” will feature many of today’s biggest tennis stars. In addition, Marvel™ Super Hero characters will be on-site at AAKD to meet young fans.
The comic books will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to fans who scan their Fan Access Pass at the ‘Power of Tennis’ booth near Arthur Ashe Stadium, with a limit of one comic per fan. USTA collaborated with Marvel to make this happen.
This event brings together the biggest names in tennis and entertainment each year to honor Arthur Ashe’s legacy. AAKD has been a showcase for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Shawn Mendes, Flo Rida, Ava Max, Ne-Yo, Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Alessia Cara, CNCO, Kim Petras, MAX, and most recently AleXa and Crash Adams.
Tennis’ top stars, including Rafael Nadal, Serena and Venus Williams, Roger Federer, Coco Gauff, and Frances Tiafoe, to name a few, have been joined by celebrities such as Dude Perfect, Ansel Elgort, Will Ferrell, Sofia Carson, Nick Cannon, and Michelle Obama.
Besides entertaining thousands of kids and showcasing the hottest talent each summer, AAKD helps promote the sport of tennis to young people and continues Ashe’s legacy of instilling the values of humanitarianism, leadership, and academic excellence. AAKD also celebrates the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide group of over 250 nonprofit youth development organizations providing free or low-cost tennis programs, academic support, and life-skills training to over 150,000 kids annually. Founded more than 50 years ago by Ashe, along with Charlie Passarell and Sheridan Snyder, the NJTL is now a cornerstone of the USTA Foundation, celebrating its 30th anniversary of serving up dreams to youth in under-resourced communities.
AAKD is the capstone of US Open Fan Week, which begins Monday, Aug. 19, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 25. During Fan Week, the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are free and open to the public. Fan Week includes the US Open Qualifying Tournament and numerous other events and activities.
The Main Draw will begin on Monday, Aug. 26, and conclude with the women’s singles final on Saturday, Sept. 7, and the men’s singles final on Sunday, Sept. 8.
–With Ricky Rillera/PDM