Brands generated $809 million in media impact value around the 2025 US Open, up 51% year over year, according to Launchmetrics data reported by FashionUnited — and fashion retailers are now structuring their 2026 activations to capture even more of that exposure.

Ralph Lauren, the tournament's official outfitter since 2005, opened a six-week takeover at Nordstrom's New York flagship on August 4 that runs until September 20 — a full week after the tournament ends. The activation spans apparel and home goods, personalization, vintage pieces, hospitality, and events. The brand renewed its USTA partnership through 2032 last year and also operates a revamped hospitality suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium plus an on-site "Create Your Own" customization program.

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

What was once largely a sponsorship play is increasingly a retail showcase, and Nora Kleinewillinghoefer, partner and luxury and fashion lead in Kearney's consumer practice, attributes part of that shift to tennis moving 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.

The US Open carries a specific 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."

The audience and the dollars are 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 are working to capture that economic gravity both inside and outside the grounds. The US Open's grounds now feature interactive activations from Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Wilson, Dove, Oura, American Express, and Chase, while the USTA has expanded tournament experiences across New York City.

But cafes, capsules, customization stations, and photo ops still have to convert into sales. "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."

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 is a flash in the pan that doesn't follow through in terms of creating brand connectivity with your consumer segment," she said.

More retailers entering tennis marketing does not mean the Open has hit saturation, according to Kleinewillinghoefer — 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."