Missy Franklin Wows Crowd at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day Event to Start U.S. Open Tennis Championships

PHOENIX, Arizona, August 26. MISSY Franklin capped off a busy trip to New York City yesterday in front of a packed crowd at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center cheering her in a celebrity doubles match and a sing-along to the smash song “Call Me Maybe” at Arthur Ashe Kids' Day before the start of the U.S. Open tennis championships.

Franklin got to meet Carly Rae Jepsen, the artist behind “Call Me Maybe,” for the first time since being one of the stars of USA Swimming's viral video using “Call Me Maybe” as the soundtrack. The two squared off in a celebrity doubles match on Saturday, with Franklin teaming up with 2011 U.S. Open champ Novak Djokovic and Jepsen partnered with pro tennis player Mardy Fish. “Glee” star Matthew Morrison served as celebrity judge.

The game didn't last too long, as Morrison stopped the match to convince Jepsen to sing “Call Me Maybe” with a flash mob for the song. Franklin was on the court during the flash mob performance, as you can see in the following video. Franklin is dressed in an orange top with a black skirt:

Franklin and Jepsen met for the first time on the red carpet before the show, and Franklin wore one of her Olympic gold medals throughout the day, reportedly even during the tennis match.

Since 1992, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day has served as the official opening event for the U.S. Open tennis championship, with a celebrity tennis match, concerts and demonstrations by many of the competitors that will be featured in that year's tournament. Franklin isn't the first Olympic swimming champion to have a prominent role in Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. In 2002 and 2005, Summer Sanders served as co-host of the event.

The event at the U.S. Open site ended a busy weekend in New York for Franklin that featured an interview on the “Today” show and a stint as a guest interviewer for “Access Hollywood” and “Extra.”

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use