Jarry’s love affair with the US Open: from meeting it on a scooter in 2005 to playing it as a favourite | ATP Tour

US Open

Jarry returns to form at the US Open: “It’s the Grand Slam where I feel most at ease”

He debuts on Tuesday against Christopher O’Connell

August 26, 2024

If there is one place where Nicolas Jarry can look forward to scoring his first ATP Tour win since May, it is the US Open. Not only has he played at this event six times in the past, half of them in the main draw, but it is here at Flushing Meadows that he has also created some of his fondest childhood memories.

Some images are already blurred in his mind, but they include a scooter, a racket made to measure and many games with Federico Coria, who also fulfilled his dream of living the US Open as a fan and as a participant.

“I came here quite a few times when I was little. The first time was in 2005. I went everywhere with a racket and a ball, played, watched all the matches without caring who was playing because I didn’t have an idol. And if I had the chance to go to a stadium, I would go with my mother or with some Chilean who was playing or with my grandfather. I spent the whole day here,” Jarry recalls in a chat with ATPTour.com.

Professional tennis was not yet a project for Jarry. At that time he preferred football, rugby or cycling. But being at the US Open for the first time stimulated him to such an extent that he could not stay still and travelled around the complex on his scooter.

“They were the kind that folded, yes. I went everywhere. I went to the training fields, I went to buy something, I went into the shops to compare, I watched a little tennis, I came to the players’ room because I could go in. I did everything,” adds the Chilean.

His biggest accomplice was Fede Coria. “The players’ room had a lot of PlayStation games back then, table football, ping-pong. There is even a video of me playing with Fede Coria when we were both very young, we were playing PlayStation.”

His experience from those years as a fan of the tournament has helped him when playing it. When he steps out onto the court, he finds a comfort that he misses in the other majors. “For me, this tournament is quite familiar. I feel comfortable, at home. It is the Grand Slam in which I feel most at ease,” he adds.

That feeling goes beyond any result. But it has certainly helped him win. It was clear when he qualified in 2022, as well as last season when he reached the third round. On Tuesday, when he faces Australian Christopher O’Connell, it could also help him break a six-game losing streak on the ATP Tour.

“I don’t come to this tournament with any high expectations. After recovering from the injury, I have improved every day. I am playing good tennis, and I would love to be able to transfer that to the court. I am not coming in with any matches won, so it is a little more difficult to deal with important points because I am not coming in with much experience, but I hope I can win a couple of matches.”