The US Open is back, but is still oh-so #2021

The US Open served up a full experience this year, allowing 100 percent audience capacity and tennis, food and fun galore. Given that the 2020 event took place sans fans, attendees were more than happy to take full advantage of the opportunities presented this year.  Once inside, the energy at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was akin to the exhilaration you feel walking around Disney World, but actually making it to that point proved to be quite the challenge: The first day saw 53,783 people, with many of the day-session attendees waiting up to two hours to enter the campus, thanks largely to the vax mandates rolled out just days earlier.  We all thoroughly enjoyed a few days of lively tennis with fresh new faces (a few complaints about 8-minute bathroom breaks notwithstanding) but we’d be remiss — and, missing a large part of the point — if we didn’t discuss the fancy (overpriced) food, loads of branded apparel to buy with your American Express or Chase cards and, of course, the ubiquitous branded “lounges." After spending the better part of 18 months in virtual captivity, it all felt splendid!  Left: Novak Djokovic returns the ball against...