Reporters are not allowed to enter the men’s and women’s locker rooms. The rule was apparently put in place because players were complaining that it was a tad bit uncomfortable having reporters in their changing space, according to Marc Berman’s New York Post blog last year. I remember learning of the rule last year when I read Berman’s post, but I also remembered that he reported that the USTA was considering granting access for the men’s locker room again for 2008.
Today, I got an e-mail from a USTA spokesman saying access was still denied. And apparently it’s tougher than ever. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated said on the USA Network yesterday that security around the men’s locker room is so strict this year that they won’t even allow people with video cameras in there, let alone reporters (remember those Novak Djokovic impersonation videos that got taped from inside the men’s locker room last year? They won’t happen again). Then Jim Courier, four-time Grand Slam winner and now an analyst for USA, said he couldn’t get in, either.
"You can’t get in?" a stunned Al Trautwig asked.
"Nope," said Courier.
"Weird," said Trautwig.
