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Thanks to the rapidly approaching U.S. Open, New York is about to become one giant tennis town again—but you don’t have to trek all the way to Flushing Meadows to get in on the action.
Time Out can exclusively reveal that Seaport Racquet Club is returning to Lower Manhattan from August 24 through September 13, bringing a full-sized public tennis court, athlete appearances, watch parties and three weeks of tennis-themed events to the waterfront just as the tournament gets underway.
The centerpiece this year is a full-sized court in Seaport Square, complete with stadium-style seating and a courtside cooling experience from Blueair. Even better: New Yorkers will actually be able to play on it for free, with public court time offered alongside daily programming and appearances throughout the run.
And there are some pretty big names dropping by. Naomi Osaka will appear at Volley with OLLY, an on-court tennis and wellness event, while Canadian tennis star Vicky Mboko will join a community event hosted by Mejuri and Wilson. Tennis Channel will also screen its forthcoming Coco Gauff documentary at the Seaport, with featured guests slated to appear after the screening.
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Over at Pier 17, The Clubhouse will return with pop-ups, food and drink tastings, movie screenings, special events and Racquet Magazine’s launch party for Issue No. 29. Basically, you could spend three weeks pretending the South Street Seaport is your own personal tennis village.
The festivities spill over to Sadie’s Garden Bar as main-draw play gets underway, where World of Hyatt will take over the outdoor spot on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, from 10:30am to 6:30pm, with tournament watch parties on an 18-foot outdoor LED screen and DJ Kyle Cooke taking over on Sunday. (World of Hyatt credit card members will also get access to a VIP lounge.)
And because no New York tennis celebration would be complete without the tournament’s unofficially official cocktail, Honey Deuces will be flowing at Sadie’s throughout the tournament.
More programming is still to be announced, so consider this your excuse to keep checking the Seaport Racquet Club calendar as the tournament approaches. Between free court time, waterfront tennis and the possibility of casually spotting Osaka between matches, downtown may give Queens a little competition this summer.