While the players who grace the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are the stars of the show, every great production has an equally fantastic crew both behind the scenes and manning the front of the house. The US Open is no exception, with folks from Queens and around the world staffing the event to make the three weeks of spectacular run smoothly.
As the 2024 tournament comes to an end, we spotlight just some of the amazing ambassadors who spend their days greeting all of the US Open's guests who pass through the turnstiles to help ensure that all fans have a great day.
Lisa Hinshaw, Mary Shelmire, and Becky Jones
When Lisa Hinshaw of Texas finally accomplished her lifelong dream of being on “Wheel of Fortune” in 2022 and received her check the next year, she wanted to spend her winnings on something fun—and decided on a trip to the 2023 US Open. However, rather than just spending a couple of days on-site, she applied for a job as an ambassador, and got it. After telling her tennis friends about the opportunity, a couple of them, including Becky Jones, joined her. This year, the group has grown to five, and they’ve had so much fun, they’re hoping to bring at least five more friends from their tennis group with them next year.
One of their favorite parts of the job is meeting everyone that passes through the gates and hearing about their stories.
“I love meeting all the people,” Jones said, as Hinshaw chimed in: “Different countries, different reasons to be here, celebrating things,” also adding, “And then we get a glance at a player every once in a while. That's exciting.”
Antonio Roberto Morgan
While the US Open is an international event, with dignitaries from around the world in attendance, few diplomats help people find their seats instead of sitting back and enjoying the action. Antonio Roberto Morgan, however, a former Panamanian ambassador to Brazil, now serves as a US Open ambassador.
This is Morgan’s second year working at the tournament, after he and wife both served as ambassadors last year, and he has made an impact on several visitors, particularly those from Brazil. After more than 30 years working in Brazil, Morgan speaks Portuguese, and is able to help out Brazilian fans in their native language—many even tell their friends to look out for Morgan while they’re on the grounds. And he is more than willing to help people with directions, chat and improve the fan experience.
“[It's] been a good experience working here as [an] ambassador, mingling with different people, [giving] them instructions, [trying] to make it easy for them," he said.
Cesar Del Rosario
This year, the US Open partnered with Rising Ground, a New York-based nonprofit that provides a range of human services, from adoption and foster care to support for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to include some of the folks in their employment support program.
Cesar Del Rosario is one of those employees, and he worked in the lost and found and served as an elevator operator. This was Del Rosario’s first official job, and he “had a great time… getting people from floor to floor safely,” and cited “so many nice coworkers and nice people I met” as his favorite part of the experience.
Ann Skeete-Foster
For years, Ann Skeete-Foster and her husband would come to the US Open on their wedding anniversary in late August. They loved watching the tournament together, and after attending a number of times, a simple gesture of kindness—handing his wife a milkshake—spurred her to apply for a job at the tournament.
Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly shortly before the US Open started this year, and Skeete-Foster was unsure if she wanted to return for her sixth tournament. Eventually, she decided her late husband would want her to come, and thinks of him often as she greets people around the grounds, even though it is difficult to be here without him, as memories of sharing lobster rolls and walking around the park after a long day flood back.
Skeete-Foster described her late husband as a bright light, and she certainly brightens the days of all who cross her path—it’s part of why she loves being an ambassador.
“When people ask questions and I'm able to answer, they're so happy and so thankful. That makes me feel good that I can help someone.”
