Aryna Sabalenka, the Belarusian tennis player who won the 2024 U.S. Open women’s title earlier in the day, set the mood for Saturday evening.
After clinching her third Grand Slam tournament victory, falling to the ground in jubilation, greeting those in her players’ box with happy tears and accepting her trophy from Billie Jean King, she went on ESPN and told the world how she planned to celebrate. “We’re probably going to drink a lot,” she said with a huge, cheeky grin.
Two hours later, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, some high-profile tennis fans, including the actress Issa Rae, the retired tennis star Maria Sharapova and the model Devon Windsor, did the same — in solidarity, of course. As one partygoer was overheard saying, “If Sabalenka is drinking tonight, so am I.”
The occasion was the U.S. Open after-party, which was hosted by Dobel Tequila, a sponsor of the tournament. Dobel planned the party before the tournament began, but the stars seemed to align, with two of its brand ambassadors, Ms. Sabalenka and the men’s tennis star Taylor Fritz, both making it to the finals. (While both players are paid to endorse the brand, neither attended the party.)
“The odds of that working out are astronomical,” James Blake, a retired tennis star who is now a commentator on ESPN, said of a brand having two ambassadors make the finals.
“Maybe it is the tequila?” speculated Juan Martín del Potro, another retired tennis star, while cracking up.
Some of the cocktails served at the party were named after the two finalists. Mr. Fritz, who was scheduled to play in the men’s final on Sunday afternoon, helped design the Fritzy Spicy Margarita (tequila, lime juice, agave nectar and jalapeño). Ms. Sabalenka helped craft the Marg-Aryna (tequila, lime juice, agave and tropical punch.)
The dress code was tennis cocktail attire, and guests wore items like tennis skirts with high socks and sparkle dresses.
The event was held at Le Bar Penelope, an upscale, not-yet-open lounge off Madison Avenue with murals of animals on the wall and plush banquettes.
The lounge has the same owners as Avra Madison, an upscale Greek restaurant next door that many tennis players frequent during the U.S. Open. Last year, Rafael Nadal was spotted there more than once. On Saturday night, at the same time as the party, Novak Djokovic was holding court at a table in the middle of the dining room. (Once word got around, some partygoers walked over for a peek. They reported back that unlike other revelers, Mr. Djokovic was drinking only water.)
Lander Otegui, the senior vice president of marketing for Proximo Spirits, which owns Dobel Tequila, said the company got the idea of hosting an after-party for the U.S. Open after holding similar events at the end of golf tournaments and Formula 1 races. He believed it was the first party of its kind in New York City, a thought backed by partygoers. “This after-party is good,” said Flaviana Matata, the Tanzanian model. “We need something new.”
Many of the former professional tennis players stuck together at the party. Mr. Blake and Ms. Sharapova sat at a table, deep in conversation over margaritas. When they saw Mr. del Potro, they ran to the door to greet him with high-fives and hugs.
Mr. Blake reflected on how the tournament had more of a buzzy party vibe this year. “Walking from stadium to stadium, the amount of people, the amount of lines, the amount of people shopping, buying merch, buying drinks, having fun,” he said. “Every night there were people stacking up cups who had tons and tons of drinks.”
He said at times it was so boisterous in Arthur Ashe Stadium that he couldn’t hear through his earpiece. “I couldn’t even hear myself think,” he added.
According to Nicole Kankam, a spokeswoman for the United States Tennis Association, the tournament was also awash in celebrities. “Last year we saw record celebrity attendance, which was 60 percent up from the previous year, and we are on track to surpass that,” she said.
Despite having attended the U.S. Open’s after-party, some of the celebrities said they were preoccupied with another big event in New York City right now — fashion week.
“I don’t even know who won today,” said Nicky Hilton Rothschild. “I was at the Monse show, sorry!”
“I like tennis, but today I had a fitting, and then tomorrow there is a show and another fitting,” said the model Joan Smalls, who was at the door at 9:30 p.m., waiting for her ride.
Even Mr. del Potro, who won the men’s single title at the U.S. Open in 2009, admitted he had not made it to this year’s tournament. “I had too much tennis in my life,” he said, while standing at the bar. “Now I want to do different things like spend time with friends and go to these kinds of parties.”
“Since we don’t play anymore we get to go to parties like this,” he added. “I love tequila, and I am available to drink every day, so it’s good.”
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