There are a few subtle cues that point to summer’s impending conclusion—the chilled breeze regaining its strength and the charmingly colorful transition of flora being the most notable among them. But in New York, it's the orchestrated crescendo of rackets batting balls, sneakers squeaking after a sharp cut, and the collective gasp—followed by a genial roar—emanating from the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium that signals to the city’s residents the arrival of a new season: one defined by healthy competition.
Generating a yearly wave of tennis fever, the major exhibition in Queens has long been the preeminent event in NYC, capturing devoted interest across the five boroughs for the international sporting spectacle. And with the early rounds underway, On decided to get everyone properly prepared for what’s to come over the two-week-long tournament.
Staking out Pier 42 in Lower Manhattan last week, the famed Swiss sportswear brand served up a public prelude for New York’s tennis faithful before the imminent festivities. Crowding into the riverside park, those determined enough to outlast the winding line were rewarded with an evening of tennis-themed immersion befitting of an experiential brand like On.
Occupying all four courts, players worked on their form and fundamentals with some of On’s dedicated instructors, rotating in one after another as balls were routinely vollied into play. All the happenings outside the lines were set up to help participants' performance once they stepped back between them. From a reaction test station to a traveling NYC Pro Shop pop-up and a full-on racket restringing tent, the brand offered all the amenities for everyone to effectively retool and return to play—and play they did
Highlighting the event, attendees were treated to a surprise appearance from a special member of the On family. Stealthily approaching the courts for his big reveal, tennis It-boy Ben Shelton pulled up to join in on the “casual” session, immediately becoming the center of attention for the remainder of the outing. Racket in hand, the 22-year-old tour pro joined in on the action, getting in a few warm-up swings with members of the Black Girls Tennis Club before dominating doubles play with the young Emerie, one of the collective’s wunderkinds and a future star in the making.
When asked what events like this one mean to the game of tennis as a whole, Shelton notes, “I think as a professional, the influence you can have on the next generation is huge, and that’s what I think about while I’m out here. There’s been great synergy working with On, and they understand that tennis is all about bringing people together. So it’s really exciting to see something like this come to life.”
Setting the tone for the coming weeks, On and company did pre-tourney prep like only they could, creating even more buzz around what is sure to be yet another eventful tennis exhibition on and off the court. So lock in your predictions now (over-under on total Honey Deuce sales?) because “open” season is once again upon us.
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