The historic West Side Tennis Club provided the backdrop on a sunny spring day as the new Mylan World TeamTennis squad, the New York Empire, introduced coach Patrick McEnroe and No. 1 draft pick Christina McHale to an assembly of fans and dignitaries including Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and West Side Tennis Club President Angela Martin on Wednesday.
Following a kids clinic on the clay courts adjacent to the clubhouse, led by USTA Eastern pros and assisted by McEnroe and McHale, the duo entertained a gathering with some thoughts on the upcoming inaugural WTT season.
“I remember coming here as a young boy to watch the U.S. Open,” said McEnroe of the Forest Hills, Queens, location. “This is one of the iconic places in tennis.”
McHale concurred. “I just had a chance to look back at the court that we’ll be playing on, and I kind of got goosebumps, it’s really special and there’s so much history and tradition here.”
See a selection of photos from the event here.
The introductory event coincided with the launch of ticket sales for the matches, which will take place between July 31-August 12. Andy Roddick will compete as a marquee player for the Empire on Tuesday, August 9, vs. five-time defending champion Washington.