How Long Do Players Spend on Court After Matches Signing Giant Tennis Balls?
Roger Federer signs autographs at this year's U.S. Open.
Getty Images for USTA
An autograph from a tennis star is
one of the most coveted souvenirs at the U.S. Open. But securing one
isn't easy. It requires agility, good court positioning and a bit of
luck. It also requires a player willing to sign enough autographs to get
to yours, which raises an essential question: Which player represents
an autograph seeker's best bet?
To find
out, the Count broke out the stopwatch to tally how long top players
have been signing balls, shirts, programs and the occasional body part
after winning their matches at this year's U.S. Open. The answer: When
in doubt, stake out
Roger Federer.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion
may have lost some of his quickness on the court, but he displays
vintage endurance at the edges of the stands. After beating
Marcel Granollers
in a third-round match on Sunday, Federer lingered for more than
8½ minutes, signing at least 127 autographs.
Of
the nearly 60 matches the Count observed through Sunday, it was the
longest any player spent scribbling signatures after a match.
Giant tennis balls covered with player autographs are a
common sight at the U.S. Open. WSJ's Geoff Foster talked to tennis fans
about collecting signatures - and deciphering them. Photo: Jennifer
Weiss for The Wall Street Journal
Through the first three rounds,
Federer has stayed on the court for 15 minutes, 33 seconds signing
autographs, averaging one autograph every 3.6 seconds.
Novak
Djokovic clocked in behind Federer at 12:27. But just as when the
two met in the Wimbledon final this year, Djokovic outscored Federer
where it counted. With a faster hand, Djokovic out-signed his rival, 292
autographs to 258. That said, Federer signed for over nine minutes
after a practice session on Monday.
John Isner,
a player with one of the game's fastest serves, was the speediest at signing his name (1.8 seconds).
On the women's side,
Serena Williams
clocked in at 5:16 (one autograph every 2.8 seconds),
Victoria Azarenka
at 3:59 (2.0 seconds),
Caroline Wozniacki
at 3:38 (2.1 seconds) and
Maria Sharapova
at 3:07 (2.2 seconds).
The most difficult signature to get:
Venus Williams,
who signed for a total of 41 seconds following two singles victories.
One
thing that is clear is that the more experienced the player, the faster
they become at signing their name on giant tennis balls. After losing a
first-round match last week to No. 2 seed
Simona Halep,
NCAA champion
Danielle Rose Collins
stayed on
Arthur Ashe
Stadium for 1:50. But her rate of one autograph every 4.6 seconds
was the slowest recorded.
For his
part, Federer offered a tip to fans. "I try to sign as many hats and
shirts that have my branding on," he said, "because I feel like these
people really, really care about meeting me."
—Brian Costa, Andrew Beaton, Geoff Foster, Sara Germano and Tom Perrotta contributed to this article.
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