Long Island may be a large island, but its tennis community can be small.
Case in point: When 18-year-old Huntington native Jack Kennedy became the first Long Islander since Noah Rubin in 2014 to play in the men’s singles main draw at the U.S. Open on Sunday, it was no surprise that Kennedy and Rubin were familiar with one another.
“I know Noah very well. We keep in touch quite a bit,” Kennedy said in the bowels of Arthur Ashe Stadium after he fell 4-6, 2-6, 2-6 in the first round of the tournament to Lloyd Harris. “He was with us at the Robbie Wagner academy, and he was great, really helpful. I picked his brain a ton. What his transition was like from juniors to pros, and we’re pretty similar — not the tallest guys out there. I was just picking his brain and just listening to everything that he would tell me.”
Coincidentally, both Kennedy and Rubin saw their U.S. Open runs quickly come to an end in the first round, but Kennedy couldn’t help but view the whole experience as a “dream come true.”
The teenager was treated like a hometown hero Sunday afternoon when he stepped onto Court 12. The crowd cheered raucously as he started to warm up. A “Let’s Go Jack!” chant echoed around the court before the match began.
“I definitely caught some familiar faces when I looked around,” Kennedy said about the crowd, though he didn’t say how many friends and family were on hand. “I saw a lot of people that I haven’t seen in years, and it’s really cool for them to all come together and be here at this match.”
Kennedy’s time at the U.S. Open isn’t entirely over. He’ll take part in the junior singles and doubles tournament next week, and he returns as the reigning doubles champion with partner Keaton Hance. Next spring, he’ll begin his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Kennedy has turned some heads this year, even before the U.S. Open. He reached the final of an ATP Challenger event in April and won his first professional title that same month at the M15 in Boca Raton, Fla.
The teenager also won the USTA Boys 18s national championship, which helped give him an automatic wild-card bid for this U.S. Open singles main draw.
Harris, the veteran who ousted Kennedy, walked away from their match impressed by his teenage opponent.
“I think he plays a very positive game,” Harris said. “He goes after the ball. He’s very aggressive. He’s very good from the baseline. He moves well. … “I mean, he’s got a lot of potential, a lot of upside in the future if he gets developed correctly. He’s got the game.”
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