FLUSHING, New York—Fabrice Santoro was ready for his 2009 US Open match. “The Magician” was warmed up, mentally prepared and looking to dominate. He faced the ballboy to get his tennis balls prior to his first serve, something he had done hundreds of times, but this time he stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of looking at a fresh-faced kid, a gray-haired man smiled back at him.
Santoro pointed to the man’s gray hair peeking out from his hat, gave him a look, and shook his head, puzzled by the anomaly. “The Magician” spent the rest of the match going out of his way to make sure the grey-haired ballboy didn’t work too hard, often running after loose balls himself.
No, this is not the plot of a movie. It is the story of 63-year-old Jerry Loughran, the oldest ballperson at this year’s US Open. When Loughran tells his story, his face lights up, acting more like the kids usually filling the ballperson position than the mature retired lawyer he actually is.
