Long Island is quite a sizable island, yet its tennis circle feels pretty tight-knit.
Take, for instance, Jack Kennedy, an 18-year-old from Huntington. When he made his way onto the men’s singles main draw at the U.S. Open on Sunday, he became the first Long Islander to do so since Noah Rubin in 2014. So, it wasn’t surprising at all to learn that Kennedy and Rubin knew each other.
“I know Noah very well. We keep in touch quite a bit,” Kennedy mentioned after his first-round match against Lloyd Harris, where he lost 4-6, 2-6, 2-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “He was with us at the Robbie Wagner academy, and he was fantastic, really supportive. I asked him a lot about his transition from juniors to the pros, and we’re somewhat alike — not the tallest guys out there. I was just trying to learn from him, listening to everything he shared with me.”
Interestingly, both Kennedy and Rubin faced early exits in the tournament, but Kennedy described his experience as a “dream come true.”
He was welcomed like a local hero when he entered Court 12, with cheers erupting as he warmed up. A chant of “Let’s Go Jack!” filled the air before the match began.
“I definitely recognized a bunch of familiar faces in the crowd,” Kennedy said, although he didn’t specify the number of friends and family present. “I saw many people I haven’t seen in years, and it was really wonderful for them all to come together for this match.”
Kennedy isn’t done at the U.S. Open just yet. He’ll be competing in the junior singles and doubles tournaments next week, and he’s returning as the reigning doubles champion alongside partner Keaton Hance. He’s also set to start his college journey at the University of Virginia next spring.
This year has already been notable for him, even before the U.S. Open. Back in April, he reached the finals of an ATP Challenger event and secured his first professional title at the M15 in Boca Raton, Florida.
Kennedy also claimed victory at the USTA Boys 18s national championship, which earned him an automatic wild card into the U.S. Open singles main draw.
As for Harris, the veteran who won against Kennedy, he left the match acknowledging the talent of the young player.
“I think he plays a very positive game,” Harris remarked. “He goes after the ball aggressively and is very solid from the baseline. He moves well… I mean, he has a ton of potential and promising upside ahead if he’s developed right. He definitely has the game.”
