Fashion retailers are capitalizing on the US Open’s impact

For fashion retailers, tennis season has become a much longer game than a few weeks for the US Open. In fact, this year, brands stretched their US Open presence well beyond Flushing Meadows.

Ralph Lauren, the tournament’s official outfitter since 2005, for instance, kicked off a six-week takeover at Nordstrom’s New York flagship on August 4 that runs until September 20, a week after the tournament ends. The activation features apparel and home goods, personalization, vintage pieces, hospitality, and events. The brand, which renewed its USTA partnership through 2032 last year, also has a revamped hospitality suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium and its “Create Your Own” customization program on-site.

Meanwhile, Lacoste partnered with The Plaza for Le Cafe Lacoste, a tennis-themed cafe, afternoon tea, and retail pop-up, while Cadillac teamed up with Sporty & Rich on an eight-piece racquet club-inspired capsule.

In other words, what was once largely a sponsorship opportunity is increasingly looking like a retail showcase.

Part of that shift, according to Nora Kleinewillinghoefer, partner and luxury and fashion lead in Kearney’s consumer practice, is about tennis itself moving further into the cultural mainstream.

“It has always had popularity, but it had a posh popularity about it,” she told Retail Brew. “And so it was very much focused on a certain demographic and a certain consumer segment.”

Kleinewillinghoefer said brands are also increasingly treating athletes “like runway celebrities,” creating a more natural bridge between what consumers see on the court and what they might actually wear.

Net worth: The US Open, specifically, has another advantage: New York.

“The US is such a mecca of marketing community, and creating hype around these types of events,” she said. “It’s also from a location basis where it’s taking place. It’s near a major metropolitan area. It has a really cool energy that’s associated with it.”

And the potential audience—and $$—is substantial.

Michael McNamara, CEO of GhostCom Analytics, which forecasts spending surges around major events, estimates roughly 1.18 million people will attend the main draw and Fan Week this year, up 2.9% from 2025. His firm expects those attendees to spend about $369.7 million in and around the event, including an estimated $74.4 million on apparel and merchandise.

“It’s like having a sold-out MetLife football game day after day after day after day,” McNamara told Retail Brew. “And it just piles up, and so in aggregate, that’s how this event just becomes so huge.”

Brands appear increasingly eager to capture that economic gravity both inside and outside the grounds. In 2025, brands featured around the US Open generated $809 million in media impact value, up 51% year over year, per Launchmetrics data reported by FashionUnited.

But all the cafes, capsules, customization stations, and photo ops still have to lead somewhere.

“I think the experience matters. People love experiential marketing. They love being part of a brand. They love being part of a moment in time and something that has relevance and memory,” Kleinewillinghoefer said. “But I’ve always held the belief that clothes are important to a moment.”

Brand slam: She added that the product has to live up to the spectacle. “You can’t have these marketing moments without the quality and precision of the product behind it, because what that is a flash in the pan that doesn’t follow through in terms of creating brand connectivity with your consumer segment,” she said.

This could become particularly important as more retailers look to tennis. The US Open’s own grounds now feature interactive activations from companies including Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Wilson, Dove, Oura, American Express, and Chase, while the USTA has expanded tournament experiences across New York City.

Kleinewillinghoefer doesn’t believe that necessarily means the Open has hit its saturation point in terms of brand activation, but that, in fact, it raises the bar.

“Just because there’s more brand marketing doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job of it or will be memorable,” she said. “If you’re going to make the commitment to something like the US Open and the activation around it, you go all the way and you make sure that your brand stands out and you’re making the right investment and you’re committed.”