U.S. Open sponsors like Heineken and American Express reflect the global appeal of tennisGETTY IMAGES
The U.S. Open is "evolving, and becoming more brand-friendly, by design," as the past six years have "seen a near-total transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center," according to Brian Braiker of AD AGE. It "doesn't hurt that tennis is having a bit of a renaissance in terms of the caliber of play and the personalities on the court," which has in turn led to it "reaching a global audience at an unprecedented scale." The U.S. Open is "not an event that sees a lot of sponsor turnover." The event's "tier 1" partners have remained since '12. Still, the "old adage holds true: If you build it, the brands will come." The sponsors on the ground at the Tennis Center "reflect the global appeal of the sport." Heineken is the "official beer, not a domestic brew." Meanwhile, Rolex "replaced Citizen as the official timekeeper," and Emirates is the "official airline." There is a "massive American Express tent ... geared primarily to kids on the ground floor." An "Instagrammable wall of tennis balls at the entrance is emblazoned with a tweaked AmEx slogan: 'Don't U.S. Open without it'" (ADAGE.com, 9/6).
