Long Island is expansive, but in tennis circles, it can feel like everyone is connected.
That was clear Sunday, when 18-year-old Huntington native Jack Kennedy became the first Long Island player since Noah Rubin in 2014 to compete in the men’s singles main draw at the U.S. Open. Given the region’s tight-knit tennis scene, it was hardly surprising that Kennedy and Rubin already knew each other well.
“I know Noah very well. We keep in touch quite a bit,” Kennedy said inside Arthur Ashe Stadium after his first-round loss to Lloyd Harris, 4-6, 2-6, 2-6. “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.”
Like Rubin before him, Kennedy’s U.S. Open singles appearance ended in the opening round. Still, the moment carried the weight of something much bigger for the teenager, who described the experience as a “dream come true.”
Kennedy received a hometown welcome when he walked onto Court 12 on Sunday afternoon. Fans roared during warmups, and before the first point was played, chants of “Let’s Go Jack!” rang out around the court.
“I definitely caught some familiar faces when I looked around,” Kennedy said of the crowd, though he did not specify how many friends and relatives attended. “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.”
His stay at the U.S. Open is not finished. Kennedy is set to compete next week in the junior singles and doubles events, returning to the doubles draw as the defending champion alongside Keaton Hance. In the spring, he is scheduled to begin his college career at the University of Virginia.
Kennedy had already built momentum before arriving in Flushing Meadows. In April, he reached the final of an ATP Challenger tournament and captured his first professional title at the M15 event in Boca Raton, Florida.
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.”
