That day, those two tennis icons, along with fellow greats Jim Courier and Tracy Austin, will compete in exhibition matches at the Turning Stone’s Event Center in what is billed simply as “Legendary Nights.”
“There will be a lot of talking to each other and interaction with the crowd during the match,” said Austin during a recent phone interview; she’ll be competing with McEnroe against Courier and Kournikova in a mixed-doubles contest. “I think the personalities of the athletes come through more in these events, especially for McEnroe, who is and always has been such a showman.”
Austin noted that this will be the first time she’s competed against Courier and Kournikova in mixed-doubles during these Legendary Nights exhibitions, which are promoted by InsideOut, a New York City sports and entertainment company owned by Courier, and staged with different tennis icons around the world. Prior to Syracuse they were in the Cayman Islands.
This will be the first time Austin has visited Central New York but it’s not the first time she’s partnered with McEnroe. “John and I have been providing commentary together for the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage for a while now,” she said. “We also played in our first Wimbledon the same year in 1977 and we both won our first U.S. Open in 1979, so our careers have kind of mirrored each other since the beginning.”
Austin was a precocious 14-year-old when she made her Wimbledon debut, losing to Chris Evert in the third round, but exacted revenge on Evert two years later to capture that championship in 1979, becoming the youngest player ever to win that tournament. She was ranked the top women’s tennis player in the world on and off throughout 1980, before recurring sciatica and other back ailments cut short her blossoming career the following year.
“I was 16 and so young then,” said Austin about her first U.S. Open win, “and when that moment came there was so much going through my mind, realizing that the tournament was over and I was the winner and that all the hard work I put in was all worth it. When you’re competing, the focus is all between the ears, not on the 10,000 people watching or the prize money and that is the key: staying in the moment as tennis is truly an individual sport. In golf, you’re playing against the course as well as the competition, and in team sports like basketball, you tend to sit out more while your teammates compete. But in tennis, it’s me against you.”
In 1992, at age 30, she became the youngest person inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Since retiring, the Rolling Hills, Calif., resident has worked as an analyst for the BBC, as well as the USA and NBC networks. Now married and a mother of three, she still plays recreational tennis about three times a week and performs in a handful of these exhibitions per year. And while she mentioned that these events are more play than work, they allow her to keep that competitive spirit flickering that made her, McEnroe, Courier and Kournikova all world champions at one point. Fans can expect that attitude to show up at the Turning Stone—when McEnroe isn’t preoccupied arguing with the line judge, of course.
Syracuse University football and basketball, along with Syracuse Chiefs baseball have provided Central New York with major sports on the national level, and just last year, the Turning Stone brought a Professional Golf Association tour event to the area for the first time with the Turning Stone Resort Championship at Atunyote. Now the resort is introducing professional-level tennis.
“As far as I know, there’s never been anything like this in the Central New York area,” said Brian Galle, Turning Stone tennis pro and the man who put the wheels in motion to roll this event into town. “This could be a once-in-a-lifetime event because I don’t know how many more times the likes of Anna Kournikova or John McEnroe will be in Central New York, but they’re going to be here at least once.”
The event loosely coincides with the grand opening of the Turning Stone’s new tennis facility located within the recently constructed addition to their Sportsplex. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies for those air-conditioned indoor courts will take place at 3 p.m. with all four stars in attendance the day of the Legendary Nights event and should be ready for public use this week or next, according to Galle; mid-June is the target for the four outdoor courts. The courts feature a medium-pace surface covered in U.S. Open Blue Deco Turf, and they were designed with the possibility of making pro tennis a staple in Verona.
“All of the courts meet the regulations of the USTA {United States Tennis Association},” noted Galle. “We built the complex the way we have to keep open the possibility of hosting professional tournaments in the future. Many groups have already approached us about it, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.”
While those courts meet regulations, Legendary Nights takes place in the arena-style Event Center, which isn’t quite a tennis court. So how did they manage to convert the facility into a tennis wonderland? “That was the million-dollar question and the biggest challenge,” admitted Galle. “The tennis court will be center stage and will be laid out the day before by InsideOut, and the surface will be just like the ones in our tennis dome. And whereas the Event Center typically has 5,000 seats available, there will be about 3,700 seats for this because of the way the court is set up.”
Galle added that he and a few others will take to the courts the day of the event to serve up some racket and make sure everything is up to speed for the pros, who will probably have an appreciation for the craftsmanship involved with the court, but seem more intent on putting on a memorable show for the fans.
“I hope it’s a wonderful match,” said Austin when asked if she wanted to predict who would win at the Turning Stone and in how many sets, “and I hope everybody enjoys it and everyone plays well.”
Tickets for the Legendary Nights matches cost $35 to $100. Turning Stone is located off Thruway Exit 33, Verona. Call 361-SHOW for more information and to reserve seats.
Prior to the main event, the May 2 schedule includes a meet-and-greet from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Sportsplex for anyone that’s purchased a $100 seat in advance, where all four will take pictures with fans and chat it up and sign autographs. One-hour group clinics run from 5 to 7 p.m., where you can take to the court with the stars themselves, with McEnroe and Austin first, followed by Courier and Kournikova. The clinics will also be held in the Sportsplex and cost $300 (ticket to the match included). From 6 to 7 p.m., two women’s doubles team from Syracuse University will take part in a scrimmage in the Event Center, followed immediately by the start of Legendary Night with the Courier vs. McEnroe men’s singles match first and after a brief rest, the mixed-doubles event.
—Tom Kahley
Racket busters: Tracy Austin, John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova, along with Jim Courier (not pictured) will appear at the Turning Stone Saturday as part of a Legendary Night.
