There was an open performer spot at the 2003 U.S. Open, but entertainment producer Michael Fear couldn't bring himself to fill it with Taylor Swift's name.
Looking back at the pop superstar's history at Grand Slams, having competed as a preteen in the early 2000s and returning this month with boyfriend Travis Kelce, Fiul made the revelation during a recent episode of Tennis Greats. Andy Roddick's “Served” podcast As for turning down Swift's performance, he called it “the worst decision I've ever made.”
“So in 2002, a guy named Marv Heller was the president of the USTA, and he said, 'My friend Scott Swift is a lawyer and his 12-year-old daughter sings and plays guitar, would you like her to join us to sing the national anthem before the games tonight?' And we said, 'Sure,'” said Fiul, who has been involved in U.S. Open celebrations for more than 20 years.
“…And then the worst decision I ever made was made. A year later, her father asked us to get her to do Arthur Ashe Kids Day, but we said we didn't think she'd catch on in New York because she was just starting to get popular and she was really country.”
“You know this is going to be public, right?” Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, responded, and Fiul continued his blunder.
“It's the worst decision I've ever made,” he said.
Since the performance Since that concert at Arthur Ashe Stadium more than 20 years ago, Swift's career and fame have skyrocketed to new heights.
The 34-year-old superstar, a 14-time Grammy Award winner and billionaire, released his 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, earlier this year and is set to wrap up his hit Eras Tour in December.
Swift is currently on a hiatus from performing and has been making the most of her time off with Kelsey, 34.
The couple, whose romance has been the talk of the town since it was made public last year, attended the U.S. Open men's final on September 8th between American Taylor Fritz and Italian Jannik Sinner.
Swift and Kelsey mingled in the box seats with friends, including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, as Sinner defeated Fritz in straight sets to win his first U.S. Open title.
Prior to the U.S. Open, Swift attended the Chiefs' season opener in Kansas City on Sept. 5, when the defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Ravens, 27-20.
Swift missed Kansas City's road game at Atlanta last weekend and it remains to be seen whether he will travel to Los Angeles for Sunday's game between the Chiefs and Chargers.
