In the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the stands tower above the court. With a seating capacity of 22,500 – by far the largest court in Grand Slam® tennis – the centrepiece arena is a veritable ‘lion’s den’ during big matches with its ultra-charged atmosphere. Many matches are played in the evening in the sizzling ambiance of a New York summer. This is what sets the US Open apart and champions must feed on the exuberant energy in the stands and overcome their tumultuous surrounds. This contrasts with the much more hushed experience at Wimbledon two months earlier. The last Grand Slam® tournament is seen as the climax of the season by both players and spectators, attracting an impassioned crowd of almost 750,000 every year. Amid this incandescent atmosphere, US Open matches have become legend. Bianca Andreescu’s 2019 win and Roger Federer’s five consecutive titles from 2004 to 2008 are etched in memory. Alongside them, Rod Laver, Chris Evert, Stefan Edberg, Pat Rafter, Justine Henin, Juan Martín del Potro, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens and Dominic Thiem, all Rolex Testimonees and US Open victors, embody technical precision and the quest to become a better version of oneself.