By Liz Leamy
Eliot Spizzirri, the rising U.S. and world tennis star who grew up in Greenwich and who catapulted from a 300-place ranking in the ATP standings to 114th by this past June in remarkable fashion seems as primed as ever to make a mark in the men’s singles main draw at the 2025 U.S. Open at the famed U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York starting next week.
Spizzirri, 23, who grew up playing tennis at the Round Hill Club in Greenwich and is currently ranked 128th in the ATP standings, is slated to commence his pursuit in this much-anticipated event early next week with its illustrious roster featuring such globally renowned stars as Carlos Alcaraz of Spain (who has a 2ndplace ATP ranking), Taylor Fritz of the U.S. (who has a fourthplace ATP ranking), Novak Djokovic (who has a seventhplace ATP ranking), among numerous others.
In its standard fashion, this year’s U.S. Open men’s main draw lineup will feature the top 100 ranked ATP players, along with Spizzirri and several other additional wild card contenders.
Several weeks ago, Spizzirri learned he had received a wild card due to the fact that Matteo Berrettini of Italy (who has a 52 ATP standing) had withdrawn from the event.
Due to Berrettini ’s withdrawal, Brandon Holt of the U.S. (who is currently ranked 111th in the ATP standings), who had originally received a U.S. Open wild card, took his place, a shift that resulted in Spizzirri with a wild card entry in the main draw.
For Spizzirri, it’s incredible to have an opportunity to play in this storied event, especially with it being one that he’s always loved watching and being part of, as well as the fact that it is in such close proximity to his home in Greenwich.
“Being out there playing and getting into a flow state is where I totally feel alive,” said Spizzirri. “Feeling in the zone is a everything and when it happens, it’s a place like no other.”
Certainly, Spizzirri’s accomplishments since joining the ATP Challenger tour last fall upon graduating from the University of Texas in May 2024 speaks volumes about his ability and tennis skill level.
Since embarking on the ATP Challenger tour, Spizzirri has advanced to final, semi-final and quarter final levels at numerous events, having emerged as the victor of the 2025 Better Buzz San Diego Open ATP Challenger 100 Tournament this past March, among other notable things.
“Competition, for me, is the most exciting part of playing and the whole experience is just a lot of fun,” said Spizzirri. “The game teaches you a lot and there’s always something to learn.”
Last Monday afternoon, Spizzirri, in his signature fashion, drew scores of fans and spectators who watched him play at the official U.S. Open practice held at the Louis Armstong Stadium on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center grounds where he captured and maintaining their attention with his powerful, beautifully placed serves, stealth, mercurial backhand and forehand shots and dynamic style.
Spizzirri, who is the 2023 and 2024 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Player of the Year and 2019 U.S. Open Junior Doubles champion with Tyler Zink of the U.S., looked to be as strong, solid and electric as ever throughout his practice in which he was guided by Patrick Hirscht, his longtime coach who is Director of the Solaris Racquet Club (in tandem with John DiFilippo) in Stamford and with whom he first began training at the Round Hill Club at age six.
At the conclusion of his practice, Spizzirri went to the sidelines where he graciously chatted with and signed autographs for fans, which was heartwarming to see.
From there, Spizzirri did a live interview with the U.S. Open media representatives that was broadcast on the massive stadium screens at the Louis Armstrong Stadium to mark another memorable moment in his exciting career.
Last year, Spizzirri clinched a spot in the men’s main draw at the 2024 U.S. Open upon having won three consecutive Qualifying Round matches leading him up to that point, representing another benchmark moment in his tennis journey.
All the while, Spizzirri holds the U.S. Open and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in special regard as he has had many significant and inspirational experiences there through the years.
As a youngster, Spizzirri regularly attended the U.S. Open with his family, having spent long stretches of time there watching the sport’s premier players practice and compete.
In addition, he spent a substantial amount of time while growing up training at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with those experiences having it signify an environment where his spirit has been and continues to be ignited and nurtured on many levels.
Ever since he first began competing at the U.S. Open in the junior division in the late 2010s, Spizzirri has also experienced many memorable moments in terms of interacting with other players and colleagues both on and off the courts there, many of whom have gone on to become good friends.
In terms of being part of this year’s U.S. Open men’s singles main draw for the second year running, Spizzirri appears as amped as ever for multitude of reasons, that is for certain.
“I hope that all my friends and family will come out,” said Spizzirri, whose twin brother, Nick, a top-ranked NCAA squash player at the University of Pennsylvania, Alex, his younger sister who attends the University of Virginia, and parents, Amory Armstrong Kenny and Peter Spizzirri, will all be on hand at the event to cheer him on in tandem with a group of some of his close friends. “I have a lot of supporters who I know are dear to my heart and home and it’s always fun playing here.”
More than anything, Spizzirri seems to be inspiring a growing multitude of people in town and beyond with his tennis journey, an endeavor that shows so much of who he is and what he represents, with this faction cheering him on for, perhaps most of all, having the heart and courage to pursue something he enjoys and believes in, which is the ultimate victory.
