Tennis Trends: On Court at the U.S. Open
Tennis Trends: On Court at the U.S. Open
This year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament has been out of the ordinary in more ways than one. The first Grand Slam being held since the COVID pandemic hit, the tournament, now in its second week, is being held without fans in attendance. And there have been some surprises on the court — most notably, the exit of top-ranked Novak Djokovic on the men’s side. Djokovic was defaulted from the tournament after hitting a ball recklessly between points that struck a line judge.
As always, brands have brought their A Game to the court in Queens, with new products and campaigns. Here are some standouts:
Nike unveiled a spot featuring Venus and Serena Williams as part of the brand’s “You Can’t Stop Sports” campaign, called “You Can’t Stop Sisters.”
View the Nike clip here:
New Balance launched a new We Got Now video at the start of the tournament featuring U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff, who lost in a first-round upset last week. The spot highlights Gauff as a rising star on the court and also includes Gauff’s own voice calling for fans to “use your voice” and “create the change you want, now.”
View the New Balance video here:
Adidas endorser Alexander Zverev, a rising star on the men’s side, is sporting the $130 Ubersonic 2 shoe at the Open. The Adidas shoe is built for acceleration and agility with a reactive, lightweight EVA midsole, breathable net mesh upper, and lightweight sprintframe construction.
Before Novak Djokovic exited the tournament due to his default, he was impressing on the court with his ASICS Court FF Novak shoes. The $170 signature shoes are flexible and supportive and feature the brand’s FLYTEFOAM and GEL technologies.
Among the shoes being sported by top Nike players in New York is the $140 Nike Air Zoom GP Turbo, a performance silhouette with exceptional court feel. The shoe has an Air Zoom strobel unit, which is the same proprietary tech the brand uses for dynamic movement in basketball. The shoe’s raked molded heel is reminiscent of the 1984 Nike Mac Attack tennis shoe.
Second seeded American Sofia Kenin, bounced in the round of 16, wore Fila’s Heritage apparel line along with Fila’s $110 Axilus 2 Energized shoe, a performance style that has a molded, breathable sockliner and a molded forefoot cage for support and stability.
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