It’s a sport where a single moment can turn a U.S. Open dream into heartbreak. It happened to Dominik Koepfer Tuesday night, when he turned his ankle under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium and couldn’t return to finish the match.

In a grueling sport where the body can often take a beating, the risk of injury is high.

As the season culminates with the U.S. Open, medical professionals are at the ready, prepared for whatever comes their way.

Enter: Dr. Alexis Colvin, chief medical officer at the U.S. Open and associate professor of Sports Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. In her 15 years at the tournament, she has seen it all.

“It ranges from anywhere from tendinitis or sprains or strains to colds and upset stomachs and really the whole spectrum of anything and everything that could be a health issue,” Colvin said.

But making those medical treatment decisions during a match, and in real time, can be stressful. 

“When you see a treatment on the court, we work very closely with the men’s and women's tours who have their own physios so they are usually the ones going on the court first to do the assessment and then the doctors are typically off court and brought on as needed,” Colvin said.

During her tenure, Colvin said nothing could have prepared her for her biggest challenge — COVID-19, and the decision by tournament officials to give the green light to play on during the pandemic.   

“We were the first sporting event of this magnitude in the nyc-area to be put on successfully, but the planning started at least six months before in terms of how we could make this a safe tournament and so I think that is the most memorable of how we could set the standard to put on this tournament," Colvin said.

While COVID-19 is still very much on the minds of Colvin’s medical team, the rules have been relaxed, and top players like Novak Djokovic are back this year, despite his vaccination status.

As the tournament kicks into high gear, Colvin hopes for one thing.

“I know I have a job well done when no one knows we were even here,” she said.