NEW YORK—Coming into this year’s U.S. Open, the 10th I am fortunate enough to be credentialed for, I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to the late-summer Slam. But as sports has a way of doing without any advance warning, this know-it-all was proven wrong.

You may have heard that there is now a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium. While that is the most important change to have taken place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from a tournament perspective, it is far from the most noticeable difference to anyone who has regularly attended the event, or perhaps even the most significant change overall. Every side court has followed in the evolution of Courts 4, 5 and 6 and been given a sleek, modern renovation, with the new Grandstand the centerpiece of this transformation. Shops and restaurants are dispersed around the facility, making its former hinterlands veritable destinations. For years, a trip to Flushing Meadows felt like a portal into decades past. Now, it’s a step into the future of the sports-viewing experience—quite fitting for the venue of the 1964 “Tommorowland” World’s Fair.

As I ambled through the Open’s gleaming pathways, I was left speechless at the scope of the undertaking, though not always in admiration. Ashe Stadium really shows its age in contrast to the surrounding structures; it needed its stylish new hat to keep up. But overall, the overhaul works, and it was not until this year that you could really grasp the method of the USTA’s seeming madness.

By the time I sat down at the old Grandstand for a much-needed dose of nostalgia (no matches will be held there this year, but players will practice on the beloved court), Ryan Harrison had already came and left Flushing Meadows with a spot in the U.S. Open main draw. And after winning the final round of the qualifying tournament, he took a car down the Grand Central Parkway to the Open’s former home, the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, to try and win the final match of the Mylan World TeamTennis season for the San Diego Aviators.

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“It was crazy,” a happy but spent Harrison said after he clinched the title for San Diego, its first in WTT history. “First of all, I have to get up early because I’m playing first on the Open in the last round of qualies. Huge match for me, was lucky to get in the main draw. I literally finished my match at 12, 12:15, went, ate, showered, took a car over here, getting ready for World Team Tennis.”

While Flushing Meadows has eradicated its history, Forest Hills continues to embrace its own. Eight years ago, a 16-player WTA tournament was held inside the dilapidated stadium with little fanfare and an air of desperation. This year, in addition to an impressive lineup of summer concerts (The Beatles and Bob Dylan, among other legendary acts, once played Forest Hills), tennis has returned with WTT’s New York Empire. The passageways outside the stadium have been retrofitted with tasteful signage, trendy concession stands and a sense of utility.

Sure, the multicolored World TeamTennis court clashed with West Side’s iconic blue-and-white color palette, but tennis should always be played in Forest Hills, where the Open was held until 1978, and given the opportunity, Harrison and the Aviators did it justice. They won women’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles matches over the Orange County Breakers, all by 5-2 scores, before Harrison ended the finale in men’s singles extended play.

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As Forest Hills embraces its past with WTT Finals, Flushing Meadows put the U.S. Open’s future on display

As Forest Hills embraces its past with WTT Finals, Flushing Meadows put the U.S. Open’s future on display

“The biggest thing is that I’m serving really well, and that’s allowing me to free up and play aggressive on my return game,” said Harrison, who teamed with Mylan WTT Finals MVP Raven Klaasen to win doubles. “I’m getting a lot of free points, a lot of short balls after my serve that I’m able to put good hits on and build a lot of confidence for me. Last game here in World TeamTennis I’m up 30-love, I get a forehand, let it rip right up the line.”

When the day was done, Harrison had prevailed at the U.S. Open’s current and former home, and in between, learned that his brother, Christian, had also qualified for the main draw of the year’s final major. Years ago, he was America’s hottest tennis prospect. Struggles have pushed Harrison off the radar since then, but on this day, he was indeed the king of Queens.

For more of Ed McGrogan’s Tri-State Tennis Tour, click here.