The crowd parts to form a narrow path, but it’s not enough to squeeze through, so the security guard steps up his game. He moves people aside — making sure no one gets too close to the athletes — as the University of Alabama’s Erin Routliffe and Maya Jansen follow closely behind, taking in the whole scene wide-eyed.
The end of the path comes into sight. The sounds from Court 4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, N.Y. increase and the two emerge from the crowd, unable to hide the giddy smiles that slide onto their faces.