There they were, the two left-handers - two players who defined a generation of tennis and won 15 Grand Slam titles while they were at it - hitting away in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
You cannot be serious!
Yes, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors - Johnny Mac and Jimbo - trading shots, just like in the old days.
"Definitely brings back a few good memories," McEnroe said.
Not just for them.
The usual crowd of about 200 fans that gathers near the exit of the practice courts, looking for players and autographs, started buzzing when it became clear there was something more than routine going on out there.
Indeed, this was a rare treat. McEnroe said it was only the second time they had hit in the last several years. They were only hitting - no big competition going on here - but it was still a treat to hear McEnroe grunt when he uncoiled for that big serve, then see Connors scoot inside the line to return it with his patented two-handed backhand.
"Might be better than anything going on out there," said tennis fan Tony Park, pointing toward where today's professionals were playing.
Park and his brother David travel from Los Angeles every year for the Open. They're in that 40-something range and grew up watching McEnroe and Connors in all their bombastic and, yes, sometimes cringe-inducing glory.
McEnroe won four U.S. Open titles from 1979-84.
Connors won five from 1974-83, though his most electric year might have been his run to the semifinals in 1991 at age 39 - a fist-pumping, comeback-filled two weeks of tennis in which he famously yelled at the camera that he was simply giving the New York fans what they wanted.
It was the Golden Era of American tennis, one that seems to fade a little more into memory with each passing year. A serious issue for both these players, who certainly like to be remembered for what they achieved, but would also like to see American tennis remain healthy.
Andy Roddick is currently the only American in the top 20. America hasn't had a good rivalry since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi went at it in the late '90s and early 2000s.
McEnroe's brother, Patrick, is the head of the U.S. Tennis Association's elite player development. And John McEnroe himself says he's planning on opening an academy to develop young talent.
McEnroe said young players can learn from all of America's stars, present and past.
"Jimmy taught me a lot about effort and intensity," McEnroe said. "You'd think a guy like that could inspire a kid. We don't have to sit there and only talk about footwork and technique. There's a lot to be learned from someone like that."
While neither Connors nor McEnroe thinks it's impossible to see a resurgence of the game in the United States - with three or four players in the top 10, instead of one - they both think a lot of work needs to be done.
"It seems like we're always talking about one guy these days," said Connors, who used to coach Roddick. "Why not 10 or 12 or 15? There need to be a number of young Americans coming up at any one given time, and we need someone out there who captures imaginations to get the message out."
He says that person is not him, but if the leaders of American tennis "don't know who it is, they might not be as sharp as I think they are."
McEnroe buys into the idea that sports are cyclical and there's a chance America's magic time in tennis could be rekindled someday.
"Who knows what will happen?" he said. "It wasn't like we were sitting there 10 years ago saying some kid from a fairly well-off family in Switzerland would be the greatest player ever, or some kid from Mallorca would be there to challenge him. I think what kids need is some inspiration, and they're not getting any inspiration."
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