Rafael Nadal at the NIKE Primetime knockout event. August 25, 2010 © GEM Tennis

NIKE Primetime Knockout Event Photos & Recap

by Parsa Samii, GEM Tennis (parsa@gemtennis.com)

Pier 54, NYC — US Open — Enjoy this gallery of photos of my time spent with the children of the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) at the NIKE Primetime Knockout event. It was truly an honor to spend a couple of hours with these great kids from the boroughs of New York City. I was able to experience the joy of meeting one’s idol multiple times and it was an experience I’ll never forget. The exuberance of each and every child at the event was amazing. Many props go out to NIKE, the organizers of the event and the players who took the time out of their training schedules to interact with their fans.

Almost every moment was extremely cool, but one instance does stand out. After taking a group photo with the kids from NYJTL, organizers were trying to disperse the kids asking for autographs and Federer told the organizers that it was ok. He stood there and signed an autograph for each and every kid. That was awesome and unnecessary. Way to go Roger!

Special thanks to the kids of NYJTL, their chaperones, and their Director of Tennis Ron Nano …

New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) is the largest tennis and education-themed community organization in the United States and offers comprehensive school and community based programs throughout New York City’s five boroughs serving more than 100,000 youth from ages 6-18.

For more information on the New York Junior Tennis League go here: http://www.nyjtl.org/

Enjoy the photos!