Tennis
Ericka N. Goodman-Hughey 5y

Gluten-free dinners, tourist traps and mocktails: Where the US Open tennis stars hang off-duty

Tennis, WTA, ATP

The empire city. The city of dreams. The Big Apple. And depending on who's on the court at Arthur Ashe for the evening matches, it's the city that never sleeps. The top tennis players in the world have descended upon USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows for the US Open.

New York City hopes to serve them well -- serve them their lattes, tacos and mocktails well, that is.

From tourist traps to celebrity haunts, your favorite players, such as Venus and Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic, know how to have a good time. Here's where they hang when they are off the courts.

Player: Novak Djokovic

Location: Scarpetta at The James Hotel Nomad

Serbia's Novak Djokovic is a man of many talents. He's the No. 1 men's seed at the Open, "plays" the piano (see below) and is disciplined when it comes to his diet. According to The New York Post, Djokovic was spotted at Italian eatery Scarpetta ahead of the tournament dining on vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free fare. Djokovic beat Juan Ignacio Londero (6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-1) in Round 2 on Wednesday. 

Player: Serena Williams

Location: La Esquina (Soho)

After attending Nike's "Queen of the Court" event last Tuesday, which gathered several top professional female players so they could hit balls with young players, Serena popped into downtown hotspot La Esquina. The Mexican restaurant is just as well known for its tacos as it is for its A-list patrons such as George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the 23-time Grand Slam champ met up with her friend, model Gigi Hadid (who was accompanied by "Bachelorette" alum Tyler Cameron), at the eatery. Serena defeated fellow American Caty McNally in three sets (5-7, 6-3, 6-1) in Round 2 on Wednesday.

Player: Simona Halep

Location: Midtown East

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of ... These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York." We're assuming you heard Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' 2009 duet, "Empire State of Mind," in your head when you saw this image of Halep. The 2019 Wimbledon women's singles champion meets American Taylor Townsend in Round 2 on Thursday. In this photo, Halep is standing at the corner of 49th Street and Madison Avenue, close to where many of the athletes dwell during the tournament.

Player: Naomi Osaka

Location: St. Patrick's Cathedral

Dedicated in 1879, St. Patrick's Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of New York and the seat of the archbishop. Located on Fifth Avenue, across from Rockefeller Center, the sanctuary is the largest Gothic Catholic cathedral in the United States. It welcomes more than 5 million visitors per year. Count 2018 US Open champ Osaka among the tourists who have visited the famed sanctuary. She meets Poland's Magda Linette in Round 2 on Thursday after defeating Russian Anna Blinkova in Round 1.

Players: Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista Agut and Elina Svitolina

Location: The Knickerbocker Hotel's St. Cloud Rooftop Bar

At the bar overlooking Times Square, the international tennis stars peered down onto the busy metropolis' streets while sipping mocktails ahead their 2018 matches. Ukrainian player Svitolina beat Venus Williams (6-4, 6-4) in a second-round match on Wednesday. 

Players: Nicole Gibbs, Sorana Cirstea, Heather Watson, Danielle Collins, Jordan Thompson and Milos Raonic

Location: Citi Field

When you're not on the court, why not walk the less than half-mile from Billie Jean King Tennis Center to Citi Field? And don't forget to tell Mr. Met hello for us while you're there. Halep knocked Gibbs out in Round 1 of the Open. 

Player: Maria Sharapova

Location: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The 2006 US Open winner -- who lost to Serena Williams 6-1, 6-1 in Round 1 -- sure doesn't give fine art the cold shoulder. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim museum, which overlooks Central Park, houses a world-class collection of art.

Player: Venus Williams

Location: Central Park and The Smith (Midtown)

Venus Williams has been to the US Open quarters or further 12 times. New York has become sort of a second home for her. Every August she is spotted walking her dog near Central Park between matches. Williams, who has seven Grand Slam titles under her belt, has also been seen at popular brunch spot The Smith during her Open breaks. She departed the Open after a Round 2 loss to Svitolina.

Additional reporting by D'Arcy Maine

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