A Night at the U.S. Open: Tennis, Female Empowerment, and Style Inspo

Last week, Marie Claire had the pleasure of hosting an intimate event in the Cadillac Suite at the women's semifinals of the U.S. Open. The tournament is among the biggest moments in tennis all year, with New Yorkers and tourists alike flocking to the stadium. But fans aren't attending the U.S. Open just to watch tennis. They're coming for the full experience: Instagrammable food (we're looking at you, Honey Deuce), shopping, and a celebrity sighting or two. (Michelle Obama was in the crowd that night.)

Inside the Cadillac Suite, editor in chief Nikki Ogunnaike led a panel alongside two powerful voices in sports: founder and CEO of Sportsish Lily Shimbashi and sports host and commentator Ari Chambers. The conversation focused on the intersection of fashion and sports and the importance of athletes building a brand image. Shimbashi reflected on the state of fashion in sports saying "we see that people are not afraid to express themselves through fashion where maybe before they thought it was cringey." Chambers added that, "for so long it was about protecting women's sports...to make it digestible, but right now i'm excited to see how everyone's been so disruptive in the [fashion] space."

Guests enjoyed two women's matches: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff vs. Elena Rybakina. Guests also enjoyed the fashion spotted both on and off the court. (We loved Gauff's all-yellow New Balance ensemble.) Many attendees in the Cadillac Suite sported chic looks, including stylist and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who wore a top from the Polo Ralph Lauren x U.S. Open collab. (The brand is the tournament's official outfitter.)

The U.S. Open stadium featured activations from a range of brands (Cadillac included!), pop-up shops, and famous food items. Dozens of Honey Deuces and boxes of Coqodaq chicken nuggets (served with caviar, of course) were consumed in the Cadillac Suite during the matches.