DUBAI: The USTA and Emirates announced a transformative partnership renewal that will extend Emirates’ long-standing support of the US Open Tennis Championships. Now in its 13th consecutive year, Emirates is back as the Official Airline Partner of the US Open and is set to make an impact on local communities within the United States.
The extended multi-year partnership will see Emirates and the USTA Foundation launch the Emirates “Force for Good” court refurbishment initiative across US cities. The program will launch during the 2024 US Open at Brooklyn’s De Hostos Playground courts, with the refurbishment of three courts to be unveiled on September 7. Over the new multi-year term, the program will uplift and support tens of thousands of under-resourced youth with life-changing access to tennis and education. De Hostos Playground is a home of the Kings County Tennis League, which serves more than hundreds of youth across Brooklyn as one of the USTA Foundation’s 250-plus National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapters nationwide.
Emirates’ “Force For Good” court refurbishment initiative will donate annually to the USTA Foundation, partnering to resurface courts at underserved parks, schools and community centers across cities served by Emirates in America. Emirates’ funding will support the tennis and education programming on those rejuvenated courts and will uplift local youth and their families served by the USTA Foundation in those cities.
On Emirates’ new “Force for Good” community initiative Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said: “Emirates is delighted to be back as the Official Airline of the US Open where we share the passion for tennis and sports with our global fans. This is our 13th year of partnering with the USTA and we are especially proud to be celebrating our renewed commitment to the prestigious event by introducing a new community initiative that will touch the lives of youth in communities throughout the US.
Emirates operates to 12 cities in the country and it’s rewarding to be giving back to the communities we serve. The refurbishment of tennis courts and support of training programs is a meaningful way to inspire young tennis lovers and future stars and we are glad to be playing a role in nurturing talent amongst the youth. We look forward to the unveiling of the first three refurbished courts in Brooklyn in New York where our US operations began 20 years ago.”
In addition to “Force for Good”, the airline’s partnership with the USTA includes prominent brand visibility at the US Open, with the fan favorite post-match Emirates Ball Flight, on-site activations like handing out caps on Emirates Day, sponsorship of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day and more. Customers onboard flights can tune in to Live TV to watch US Open matches.
The airline will also be unveiling its revamped hospitality suite at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Besides sporting a refreshed new look, the massive 1,358-square-foot luxury suite is amongst the largest at the two-week event, offering premium dining and exclusive beverages, entertaining tennis enthusiasts and guests and delivering on its #FlyBetter promise.
Emirates’ ongoing partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the high-profile annual sporting event goes back to 2012. The US Open was the first Grand Slam® tournament partnership for Emirates, and since then the airline’s portfolio of tennis sponsorships has grown to include all four Grand Slam® tournaments in addition to 60 other tournaments throughout the year in partnership with the ATP, including the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in the U.S.
“Emirates has been a bedrock partner of the US Open for the last 12 years, and we’re thrilled to have our partnership continue in ways that will have a profound impact on the sport and in communities across the country,” said Kirsten Corio, Chief Commercial Officer, USTA. “We’re incredibly proud to have been the first Grand Slam event Emirates partnered with back in 2012, and having seen our partnership grow to elevate the US Open experience in so many new and exciting ways over the years has been especially gratifying. Now being able to positively change the lives of youth across America, in partnership with the USTA Foundation and NJTL network, is an inspiring next step in our upward trajectory.”
As part of its new partnership, Emirates and Wimbledon will also be championing “Force for Good” by joining forces to support social impact initiatives across the UK. Under the partnership, a multimillion-pound fund is being created to support and promote initiatives that positively impact society and support local communities.
