The popularity of the US Open seems to grow every year.
The 2024 Games are set to break attendance records multiple times, with a celebrity-heavy attendance to rival Hollywood-centric summits like the Oscars or Cannes. Last Friday night, as Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz competed in the men’s semifinals, I heard someone say, looking up at the big screen, “It’s like the Met Gala.” Most of us had our mouths agape as the celebrities rolled in. On Sunday, as ESPN cameras panned across the crowd watching the men’s final, including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Lindsay Lohan, a friend texted me the exact same thing.
During the tournament, the Ralph Lauren suite was a star-studded gathering, decked out in all things Americana. Usher, Andrew Garfield, Katie Ledecky, Cole Sprouse, Emma Roberts and others watched the action at Ashe Stadium, sipping Honeyducees while enjoying their vantage points on the corners of the court in their box seats.
Some background on Ralph Lauren’s involvement with the U.S. Open: The clothing company has been a longtime partner of the event, outfitting the umpires, ball boys, and girls, and providing soft goods on the court. (This year’s uniforms were navy blue with rainbow color blocks.) During the U.S. Open, Ralph Lauren also operates retail stores on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. These stores have been so popular that they broke previous year’s sales records before the tournament ended. (It’s worth noting that at the peak of the U.S. Open, the brand’s tireless operations also led to a major fashion show in Bridgehampton, New York, attended by Dr. Jill Biden.)
Fast forward to Friday, and social media star Noah Beck (who is also an actor; his first film, The QB Bad Boy and Me, is due for release in late 2024) watched the men’s semifinal match between Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper (which Sinner ultimately won in three sets).
“Sinner doesn’t give up the ball,” Beck could be heard saying in awe as the red-headed Italian clinched victory.That same night, Sprouse and Gossip Girl 2.0’s Thomas Doherty were there to cheer on Tiafoe and Fritz.
In Saturday’s women’s final, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, Roberts, Ray, Natalia Bryant and Outer Banks’ Jonathan Davis watched as Ashe Stadium, whose roof had been closed because of rain, transformed into a veritable thunderstorm dome.
