New York City doesn’t just host the US Open — it throws it a two-week party, and this year’s warm-up acts proved that the city’s tennis obsession has fully crossed over into the world of nightlife, wellness, and food. Here’s the recap of how the city served up its unofficial opening ceremony.
The Pros Serve at The Parliament
The city’s tennis season unofficially opened a touch earlier than most guest lists suggested, with The Parliament Restaurant at The Benjamin Royal Sonesta (557 Lexington Ave, between 50th and 51st) hosting “The Pros Serve” on August 25th from 6 to 8 PM. The Midtown East gathering brought together Elena Rybakina, Flavio Cobolli, Karen Khachanov, and Matteo Arnaldi for a relaxed evening over Honey Deuces and hors d’oeuvres. The evening’s real conversation starter, though, was dessert: each player had a hand in creating a signature sundae, dished out for guests to sample and rate in real time.
Pickleball with the Pros at the Hyatt Regency Times Square
The Open’s tennis-adjacent little sibling got its moment first. On August 26th, the porte-cochère of the Hyatt Regency Times Square (1605 Broadway) was transformed into a life-sized pop-up pickleball court for an exhibition unlike anything Midtown traffic is used to seeing. From 4:30 to 6:00 PM, WTA stars Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and Americans Danielle Collins and McCartney Kessler traded their rackets for paddles, facing off in a pro exhibition before inviting lucky fans onto the court to play alongside them.
The Barclay Tennis Club Marks a Milestone Year
The InterContinental New York Barclay hosted its own take on pre-Open programming. On Thursday, August 27th, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, the hotel’s Barclay Salon (111 E. 48th St., between Lexington and Park) played host to The Barclay Tennis Club, an afternoon that paired cocktails and light bites. Raffle winners walked away with autographed memorabilia, while the broader guest list got a look at the hotel’s newly reimagined interiors — a fitting showcase, given the InterContinental New York Barclay is currently celebrating its Journey to 100 years of hospitality.
Smash Bash Serves Up Ping-Pong and Culinary Theater at The Pierre
Later that same evening, the tennis takeover continued uptown at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, where Smash Bash turned the storied property into a full-sensory celebration of the sport. Running from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on August 27th, the event drew ATP star Alexander Bublik and WTA star Anastasia Potapova, who arrived to a room already humming with tennis-inspired live culinary stations, premium wines, and signature cocktails. The night’s marquee moment came when Bublik and Potapova stepped up for a featured ping-pong game.
An Evening of Conversation with Venus Williams at The Langham
Rounding out August 27th’s uptown trifecta, The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue hosted its own exclusive evening from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, built around conversation and cocktails with tennis icon Venus Williams. Rather than exhibitions or activations, the evening leaned into intimacy, giving guests the rare chance to hear directly from one of the sport’s most decorated champions as the city buzzed with anticipation for the tournament ahead.
Paired with the hotel’s signature hospitality, it was a fittingly elegant close to a night that had already sent guests from tabletop tennis at the Barclay to ping-pong rallies at The Pierre — proof that even on the same night, New York’s tennis season has room for both spectacle and quiet star power.
Sunset Cocktails and Skyline Views at Vintage Green Rooftop
As the sun dipped over the city on August 28th, tennis fans traded court side seats for rooftop ones at Vintage Green, where an exclusive meet-and-greet brought US Open competitors Daniel Altmaier and Sara Bejlek into an intimate garden setting from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Guests mingled with the players against a backdrop of skyline views and lush, greenery-filled décor, sipping Honey Deuces or an Ace Paloma. Every guest left with a commemorative US Open glass, and names were entered into a raffle for a hotel stay and a Vintage Green gift card.
An Evening of Tennis at The Surrey
On the same evening of August 28th, starting at 6:30 PM, The Surrey — A Corinthia Hotel hosted “An Evening of Tennis,” an intimate affair built around conversation. French pro Benjamin Bonzi joined longtime player-turned-coach Nicolas Mahut for a candid discussion covering their careers, the state of the sport, and the anticipation building for New York’s biggest tennis fortnight, all set against a backdrop of drinks and light bites.
Rally on the Rooftop with Luciano Darderi
High above Times Square, St. Cloud Rooftop Bar atop The Knickerbocker Hotel hosted its own slice of pre-Open glamour with Rally on the Rooftop, a meet-and-greet with rising ATP player Luciano Darderi on August 28th. Guests made their way through the hotel lobby at 6 Times Sq and up to the 17th floor, trading the chaos of the square below for skyline views and a laid-back chance to spend time with one of the tour’s most promising young talents.
Racquet Magazine Serves Up a Launch Party at Pier 17
On August 28th from 8 to 10 PM, the publication’s Racquet House clubhouse at the Seaport (89 South St) turned into the unofficial headquarters of downtown’s tennis set, celebrating both the magazine’s newest issue and the official start of the US Open. DJ collective After Dinner & Friends kept the waterfront venue moving, while Dobel Tequila poured a steady stream of Ace Palomas (with plenty of non-alcoholic options for those pacing themselves through Open season). True to Racquet’s aesthetic sensibility, the dress code was “Pop Art Tennis Glam” — and attendees leaned in, delivering a room full of bold prints and court-inspired colors.
Serena Williams Takes the Pickleball Crown at The Palace Invitational
No US Open kickoff lineup would be complete without its marquee event, and Lotte New York Palace delivered exactly that with The Palace Invitational, now in its ninth year. Held in the hotel’s storied Villard Ballroom, the annual tournament turned pickleball into a genuine spectator sport, drawing a lineup of tennis royalty for an evening of courtside views, Honey Deuces, and Taittinger champagne.
The star power was hard to overstate: tennis legend Serena Williams, American standout Taylor Fritz, Italian pro Matteo Berrettini, and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki all took to the court, with 3rd Hour of TODAY co-anchor Craig Melvin and Emmy-winning sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak on emcee duty. The competition delivered real drama, too — Berrettini edged out Fritz in the tournament’s first matchup, before Williams closed out the night with a win over Wozniacki to claim the trophy. Presented in partnership with Bacardi, Taittinger, and Electrolit, the evening once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most coveted invites of US Open season.
