The U.S. Open captivates tennis fans around the world. Though the iconic New York City event runs for just two weeks, it takes months of preparation. Fordham senior Bianca Ortega and her team played an integral role in making the tournament run smoothly.
The Houston native—a global business major at the Gabelli School of Business—is interning with the United States Tennis Association’s event services department. She shared how Fordham prepped her for this only-in-New-York internship and what it’s like working behind the scenes at an event that draws nearly 1 million spectators to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens.
“I don’t think I could’ve found a better internship for this summer,” she said.
Photos by Hector Martinez and Nicole Pereira/USTA
A Passion for Sports and Entertainment
I've always wanted to work in sports and entertainment. So, I went on Teamwork, which is a platform that has sports-specific roles. I am in the marketing concentration [at the Gabelli School], but I also really love events, so I thought this would be a really great opportunity to work at one of the biggest sports associations in the United States.
An Education That Prepares
Fordham definitely prepared me for this internship. I’m in the Marketing Scholars program, and they put on a lot of events that have helped me figure out what I want to do. That really helped me realize not only all the specific careers that are out there but also how Fordham alumni got to those positions and how to network with people. I’ve been on the executive board of the Campus Activities Board at Lincoln Center since my freshman year, and I was also an orientation coordinator last summer. I’ve learned so much about how to run an event from these positions.
Working Behind The Scenes
I take the 7 train out to Flushing Meadows from Manhattan every day. It takes about an hour. When I get [to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center], I go through emails, we have meetings, I get to walk around the site and really be involved in different processes and be very hands-on, which is really great. We’re working on projects related to site preparation. It’s been a lot of project management and preparation, making sure that all the supplies that we might need are here.
The US Open
Before I started, I tried to prepare myself for how big the site is and how big the U.S. Open is. I attended it with my mom in 2021 when I first got to Fordham, so I saw it from that perspective, but it’s been kind of a surprise to adjust to how big it is on the back end. It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world, with almost a million people coming in per year, so there’s a lot we have to do.
A Family Affair
My little brother plays tennis seriously, in tournaments and everything. So I’ve played with my family casually and helped him run drills. I wouldn’t say I’m very good at it, but it’s a very fun sport, so whenever I have time or the opportunity, I definitely like to hit the ball a little bit—as much as I can without missing.