ATP Tour

My US Open: Ethan Quinn

Ethan Quinn arrives at the 2025 US Open at a career-high No. 81 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The fast-rising Quinn will hope to make a big impact this year at Flushing Meadows, where he will compete in the main draw for just the second time.

From his memorable first hit with his coach at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to why he will always associate the US Open with tacos, ATPTour.com sat down with the 21-year-old to find out what it is about his home major that makes him tick.

Read more US Open insights and memories from ATP Tour stars in our ‘My US Open’ series.

You've played the US Open three times already. What is your first memory of the US Open?
I was there for qualies after I'd won an [ITF World Tennis Tour event]. I just remember walking in the locker room and seeing Novak [Djokovic] there preparing. They’re not obviously there for qualies, but they are there early, just preparing. They're not playing Winston-Salem or any events that week. Just walking in and seeing those guys there is unbelievable. The past week I was playing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and then I was here in New York. It was a surreal moment walking in and just seeing that many big names.

Walking and seeing the wall, walking through the halls, looking at all the vintage US Open posters. It’s just an amazing moment and [it was great] getting to play on Court 17, which I believe is actually the biggest court that I've played on all the times I've played there. I played Ernesto Escobedo on Court 17. It was just an unbelievable match, walking off the court and having full-body cramps.

That’s one of the only matches I had really walked off the court in my career where my legs were completely cramping, even when I was stretching, just full cramping. I have amazing memories there and I am looking to build up some more.

How about when you were younger? Are there any particular matches or anything else that stand out as your first memories of the event?
The first memory I have of the tournament is when DelPo [Juan Martin del Potro] won it [in 2009]. I was three or four years old, so I think it’s probably the first memory I actually have of the Open and just watching and it wasn't Roger, Rafa, or Novak. Looking back now, looking at the wall, you see Roger for five years. You see Novak for however many years. It's nice seeing something different.

What was it like when you got to the venue for the first time?
I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is huge’. Playing at night, night practices, everything. I remember actually hitting with Brad Stine at night, my first ever hit there. I just got there and ate Los Tacos No. 1, which is one of my favourite restaurants in New York to go to, but it was on site. Then he and I hit as if it was just another day at the club in Fresno, California.

Throughout my entire career, Brad and I hit thousands of times on Court 1 at Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club. And then for my first ever US Open hit, it was he and I, just on Court 12 or something like that. It was an unbelievable moment. I think we took a picture afterwards, but it's going from a 12-year-old kid in Fresno to being at the US Open with your coach that started with you, and you're young. It is an amazing memory and moment for all of us that we cherished.

What do you get at Los Tacos No. 1?
The Adobada, for sure. There’s pineapple, cilantro and onion on it. And then they do a fried quesadilla as well, it's unbelievable. So many calories, but it's so good.

What's the best US Open match you've watched?
That's a hard question. Maybe when Ben and Foe played, that was a pretty electric match. Carlos and Jannik, it was in the quarters. That five-set match there. I'd say those are some of my favourites. Nights at the US Open are something I'd love to be able to play and be a part of this year.

Do you have a favourite court at the tournament?
I think Court 5, especially when it's the middle of the afternoon, like 2 p.m., and all the courts are going, and especially if it's an American playing. It's an amazing atmosphere. Last year, I played qualies on there. I saw Spizzirri and Fonseca in the third round of qualies playing there and it was an unbelievable atmosphere for a qualifying match. The US Open does such a good job of getting people out there for the qualies. Some of the other tournaments and Slams, they don't do quite as good a job as that. So it's nice getting that many American fans out there.

What about the city itself? You mentioned your favourite taco spot, but what do you like about New York?
I love the restaurant scene. There's so many good places to eat. There's a tonne of shops and stuff to go to. I like going over to the Diamond District too, and just looking at all the watches. It's something that's just interesting, seeing how many different pieces there are and maybe getting one of them at some point in my life. Just wandering around New York, there's always something to do, something to look at.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ethan S. Quinn (@ethanqu1nn)

Do you prefer to be on site most of the day? Do you like just exploring a little bit?
I don't like being on site really long at all at any tournament. We try and do a good job of getting in, getting out, and getting what we need to do done. It gets really repetitive when you're there all day long. And so, when you're able to get away from it, go to a coffee shop, go to some store, it breaks it up, makes it not feel quite as much like a job, but really just something that you're enjoying.

When you might think of Wimbledon, you might think of strawberries and cream. What do you think of the US Open food?
The Honey Deuces and Los Tacos No. 1.

When did you first go?
First qualies year. It was an eight-minute, 10-minute walk from the Intercontinental. We walk through Grand Central Station. I had never been through there, and then Los Tacos was right there. We went probably four nights because I was there for so long. I had doubles that year too. Qualies to main draw, doubles second round, is just a long, long time in New York. Fourteen days. That’s a good problem to have, but you have to really figure out what you're going to do each day.

What's your big US Open dream?
I haven't really thought about it. Just living in the moment, competing each day, getting as many matches as I can there. I think that's the thing that I'm looking forward to most. It's not every day that you get to be a 21-year-old playing at the US Open. I know a lot of my family and friends are going to be coming this year, which sometimes is a little bit of pressure when you're playing in front of people that you love and care about so much. But just going out there and being proud of the product that I put on court and just competing my a** off.

It’s something that I always dreamed of, just playing in the US Open. I never really thought more of winning the US Open or making quarter-finals of the US Open. I try and stay away from picking outcome goals and I think it's more of, if I'm able to make sure I check off the box with each performance goal, then the outcome is going to come, and I'm going to just enjoy my time there.