The crowd at Arthur Ashe Arena in Flushing, Queens.
As we welcome the fourth and final Slam of the year!
New York City is a global hub of commerce, entertainment, culture and of course, tennis… with the introduction of lawn tennis to Long Island in 1874 adding to the sport’s presence and the city’s vibrancy. The United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the USTA) held its U.S. National Singles Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1881. These championships moved across the Eastern U.S. until 1915 when they settled in Forest Hills. The West Side Tennis Club built their Forest Hills Stadium in 1923, which became the championship’s venue until the Billie Jean King Tennis Center opened in 1978.
The US Open is the last of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the year and begins on the last Monday of August, spanning two weeks and including the US Labor Day weekend.
The grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, the original club of the U.S. championships.
THE WEST SIDE TENNIS CLUB
The West Side Tennis Club originated in Manhattan’s Central Park in 1892 with 13 tennis players renting land for three clay courts and a clubhouse. Over the years, it moved locations several times, eventually settling in Forest Hills in 1912. The club played a pivotal role in advocating for the U.S. Open to be held in New York, arguing that tennis had become a national heritage and should expand. In 2013, the club faced the threat of losing Forest Hills Stadium to developers but managed to preserve and improve it for tennis and music events.
While our US Open Play & Watch event is sold out, and so too our epic hospitality packages, we do have two tennis only tickets for Thursday 31st August. First come first serve. Simply drop some basic details below for our concierge team to get in touch.
*2nd round men’s / women’s day session tickets to Louis Armstrong Stadium from 11am. (seats in section 11, row V).
The High Line on New York’s West Side.
MUST SEE IN NYC
The question isn’t what is there to do in New York. It’s “what isn’t there to do” in New York. A player favourite for the BJK Center’s proximity to Manhattan, most players are lured to the lux hotels in Midtown where managers give rates for endorsements. Unlike Wimbledon, there are no nearby tennis museum to visit, but museums abound in New York — art ones, such as the Whitney, the Met, MoMA and the Guggenheim, especially.
For a day outside, the hugely popular High Line takes visitors from the gallery-packed meatpacking district to Hudson Yards — former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s dream site for the 2012 Olympics (started before London won the honour). Rather than the 9/11 Museum, check out the miraculously preserved Trinity Churchyard a few blocks north of the Battery. It has its own tribute to the day that changed American history. But above all else, don’t miss the Explorers Club, a glimpse into one of New York’s Gilded Age social clubs.
Tennis players wearing Reigning Champ sportswear.
SHOP
Fifth Avenue still has its mainstays — Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Rockefeller Center — but the cool kids usually head down to SoHo, the Lower East Side or DUMBO, Brooklyn for their fashion finds. Rowing Blazers, a cheeky take on American Prep on Rivington Street founded by a former U.S National crew member, features everything from wool Rowing Blazers with grosgrain trim to Arthur Ashe Polos to croquet-striped rugby shirts.
For some high end retail therapy and a one-stop-shop for all designer needs, head to Intermix on Madison Ave. You’ll find the denim of dreams at Agolde, everyday sneakers with a pop from Golden Goose, the dream garden party garms from Love Shack Fancy and a boho chic brunch fit at Isabelle Marrant.
Aimé Leon Dore is a New York-based fashion brand founded by Teddy Santis in 2014. The brand draws inspiration from Santis’s Greek heritage and New York City upbringing, which results in a unique blend of classic and modern design elements. Their Soho store serves great coffee and is worth a visit, even if simply for its classy interiors.
For the second consecutive year, we are proud to announce, the renowned Canadian streetwear brand, Reigning Champ as the official sponsor of our New York event. They will once again provide our members with top-notch tennis apparel. Check out their online store for trendy tennis and streetwear.
A menu at Russ + Daughters deli on the Lower East Side.
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
Looking for another place where the great men of New York drank? Walk no farther than the Radio Wave Building downtown and Patent Pending where Nikola Tesla lived, invented and drank — apparently. For eats, there are tried-and-true spots, such as the French bistro Balthazar, American farm-to-table Blue Ribbon, or the meaty Keens Steakhouse. New spots to try out include American-Mediterranean downtown fave Jack’s Wife Frida, Jewish deli and dine-in Russ & Daughters and the Persian Nasrin’s Kitchen. Old-school or cutting-edge, antique speakeasy or minimalist chic, wrap up with a night-cap at Bemelman’s in the Carlyle Hotel.
A room at the Ace Hotel in downtown New York.
SLEEP
Next to DC, New York is quite possibly the most transient city in the great United States, with its consistent flow of financial wiz-bangs, make-it-or-break-it creative types and, of course, giraffe-necked tourists, usually found around Times Square. Hotels usually fall into two categories: large-scale corporate chains or small, unique boutique. Remember, AirBnB is usually illegal here, and if not, often more expensive than hotels. For quick, no-muss, no-fuss to the Open, stay in Midtown, but on the East Side, closest to the 7 train or the Queens Midtown tunnel for a fast taxi. A steal for the location.
The Beaux-Arts Benjamin offers spacious rooms and suites and the coveted New York City terrace.
For, a quieter stay is the Refinery Hotel, the reinterpretation of the Colony Hotel, with a rooftop bar, 24-hour concierge and more than 100 years of history. The best downtown boutiques include The Mercer, the Bowery, the James and the Broome.
First choice for All Court Tennis Club members is Ace Hotel in Manhattan, Known for its unique design, it various room options, a farm-to-table restaurant, lively lobby and rooftop bar with skyline views.