The pros are fine-tuning their games, and the fans are gearing up for the U.S. Open, which opens on Sunday, August 23, with its annual Fan Week. (Main Draw matches begin on the 30th.) With more than one million fans expected to visit the Billie Jean King Tennis Center and Arthur Ashe stadium over the next three weeks (and millions more watching at home), brands are gearing up to put themselves at the center of the action. Here’s what several of them are doing.
The Ritz-Carlton New York
The luxury hotel’s NoMad location is celebrating the tournament through a partnership with Hudson River Tennis Club (HRTC). The hotel is offering guests access to the private tennis clubs in the city for private tennis lessons, exclusive HRTC club access and even tennis-inspired looks by Malbon.
Vital Proteins
For its second year as the “Official Collagen Partner” of the U.S. Open, Vital Proteins is encouraging fans to put some “skin in the game,” via a sweepstakes and player partnership. The sweepstakes keys on the action of any of the main draw singles matches. Beginning in the quarter final round, if any of the singles matches reaches a final-set tiebreak, Vital Proteins will open up a giveaway for pre-registered fans that will include product giveaways and two grand prize opportunities. The first is two tickets (and a private helicopter ride) to the 2027 U.S. Open Finals, and the second is a $15,000 “investment” to support the winner’s wellness routines and experiences.
Further, as the “Presenting Sponsor of the Mixed Doubles Championship,” Vital Proteins has cemented a deal with tennis star Jessica Pegula to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament through social content and VIP experiences. Through these activations, Pegula will demonstrate how the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides support her daily routine and supports healthy joints, bones, skin, hair and nails.
Finally, the brand will have a distinct presence at the tournament, staging the “Collagen Court” with an interactive collagen stick pack challenge that tests reflexes and hand-eye coordination, surprise seat upgrades for the Mixed Doubles Championship and a “VIP Match Day Experience” for wellness-focused creators and influencers.
Dove
Unilever’s Dove returns as the “Official Underarm Sponsor” of the U.S. Open for the second straight year with a new “Don’t Sweat It. Make A Racket” marketing platform. The effort spotlights the looks, traditions and athletes of the tournament through several activations, including a dedicated “Re[set] Club” where fans can cool down and touch up their looks, social media content in which comedian Carl Aquillino interviews fans at the tournament and a collaboration with photographer and cultural creatives Tyrell Hampton and Johnny Criollo, to highlight the styles of the U.S. Open. The brand will also take its celebrations national with a program to pick up the tabs at 10 women-owned bars across the U.S. as fans watch the top matches.
Oura
Earlier this year, smart ring maker Oura inked a five-year partnership with the U.S. Tennis Association to become the “Official Wearable Fitness Device Partner” of the U.S. Open, USTA and USTA coaching. The brand is bringing that new partnership to life with a campaign featuring USTA-ranked players Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff, though neither play tennis in their respective social video intros. In one, Fritz, dressed in business attire, opens a briefcase full of tennis balls. In another Gauff, opens up a high school locker to retrieve a tennis racket as tennis balls pour out.
In addition, Oura will have a distinct presence at the tournament, offering every Main Draw player the opportunity to receive a fitness ring and information about tracking their training and recovery with it. The brand will also have on-court logo visibility and prominent signage through the venue, as well as virtual LED messaging on court, as well as a fan engagement experience that will include giveaways and sleep and recovery information. Oura will also be a founding partner of the “Player Performance Center,” when it opens next year.
IHG
Eight-year U.S. Open sponsor IHG Hotels & Resorts is familiar with the ways in which matches can extend late into the evening and the commuting challenges those delays pose. To combat the surging rideshare prices and wait times, extensive subway delays and other issues, IHG is debuting the “Racquet Cruiser” a complementary premium motorcoach at some evening sessions.
The Racquet Cruiser will include stress-easing features such as Prince St. Pizza slices, device charging, Wi-Fi, post match replays and surprise gifts. The cruiser will run during the tournament’s first round, which is when the latest matches typically occur, dropping people off at two IHG properties in central Manhattan (near Penn Station and Grand Central Station). Fans can secure seats by scanning a QR code at the IHG Racquet Bar.
Speaking of, the brand is bringing back its IHG Watermelon Slice cocktail, featuring champagne, watermelon juice, elderflower liquor and lime (garnished with a watermelon slice), served in a collectible cup.
Pure Leaf
With the tournament coinciding with the hottest days of the summer, a glass of iced tea can be very refreshing. Pure Leaf has partnered with Top 10 tennis pro Amanda Anismova for a promotional effort that encourages fans to take an iced tea break when things get hectic.
In a new spot, Anisimova conducts what appears to be a routine press conference, but is really a surprise break in her schedule, replacing the questions and obligations with a time to pause, reconnect with family and friends, and reset.
Grey Goose
Longtime sponsor Grey Goose is returning to the tournament for its 20th year bringing back its iconic Honey Deuce cocktail and Last Serve Bar in Grand Central Terminal. The pop-up, offering fans a chance to nab a mini cocktail before heading to or from the tournament, will be open on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 from 5-8 p.m. and 10 p.m.-1 a.m.
In 2025, the bar served more than 5,000 mini cocktails (including a few created by American tennis star Frances Tiafoe).
