Rain Delays Are an Inevitable Foe at Citi Open

This is a scene piece I’m really proud of that was published but when the newspaper went out of business, the article lost its internet home. As a result, I will reprint it here:

An hour after tennis matches were scheduled to start on Thursday at the Citi Open, a group of security officers crowded in a tented area because of a storm.

The Sloane Stephens upset and the first-ever professional matchup between the Zverev brothers were the day’s big headlines. However, for those at the Rock Creek Tennis Center on Thursday night, the fourth rain delay of the tournament was the main headline.

While one security officer talked about the “sweet overtime paycheck” he’s going to get, another, Iesha Mack, said she has a newborn son at home. It’s been difficult managing care for him. Another security officer, Ray Brooks, estimates that he’s been working three consecutive 12-hour days, which is exhausting.

These mixed reactions summarized the moods of spectators, athletes, and those working the tournament.

On Monday, Jasejeet Waraich, who serves as a ball boy, was caught in the longest rain delay of this week’s tournament. The delay lasted approximately six hours, pushing the tournament from its expected end time of 11 p.m. to 2:30 in the morning. Nine out of 22 matches were…