Traditionally, a show of strength, endurance, and sportsmanship, tennis tournaments such as the US Open have transformed into showcases for the latest fashion trends.

Recently, the tennis world has become flooded with influencers and celebrities alike buying tickets not just for tennis but to debut their style at the largest tennis events of the year, such as the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and Indian Wells.

These tennis tournaments have become an extension of the runway, acting as an opportunity for the fashion world to showcase designs and style in the stands. Even players are placing a larger emphasis on individual style, expressing their fashion sense on and off the court, often starring in luxury fashion campaigns. What started out as a sporting event, tennis has become deeply intertwined with fashion, evolving into a highly sought-after event where sports and style intersect.

I asked our PR & growth experts: How can fashion entrepreneurs align themselves with these major tennis tournaments to gain visibility, and are there opportunities for them to collaborate with players or influencers? For smaller brands, what are some effective PR tips to use during these highly publicized events, such as social media campaigns?

Here are the experts' insights.

• Seek out up-and-coming influencers with a link to sports
• Look at tennis as a platform for storytelling rather than sport
• Center activation on the energy of the tournament
• Time capsule drops around major tennis events
• Identify and collaborate with micro-influencers attending tournaments
• Contribute naturally to the tennis conversation
• Same-day tournament-inspired outfit posts
• Join the tennis fashion conversations organically

Seek out up-and-coming influencers with a link to sports

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"Morgan Riddle is a fantastic example of how influencers can align themselves with sporting events to grow their community and gain visibility. Morgan’s organic videos covering fashion at worldwide tennis tournaments have led to brand sponsorships, her own line of jewelry, features in major magazines, and beyond. The key is that she really, truly cares about the tennis, too–she’s not just there to make a few bucks. Influencers can take note of how she approaches her appearances with care and makes an effort to learn about the sport, not just show off her outfits. Small brands should seek out up-and-coming influencers with a link to sports; they may be more likely to wear gifted products out and about."

Look at tennis as a platform for storytelling rather than sport

Hailey Rodaer, Marketing Director at Engrave Ink

"I implore any fashion entrepreneur who believes that aligning with major tennis tournaments requires vending or branding from the court, to consider instead that the prevalence of what takes place around the court is far greater than anything that happens on tennis courts during play. The tennis tournament format has become an enormous cultural demonstration and, therefore, what is worn in the stands can be as relevant to the conversation and readily divulged on outlets as the competition in the matches. Younger and smaller brands need to consider tying capsule collections that resemble the spirit associated with tournament and amplify the collections over social media on episodic moments while play is live. For example, a 3 hour match allows brand content to be released at the beginning, middle and end of the match that can link to the energy of the match and be consumed by anyone living doing the match. Making content timing relevant allows clarity for smaller labels to be part of the conversation without having to buy expensive standing side line installations.

Collaborations shouldn't just be focused on well-known athletes or big luxury labels. There are influencers in the tennis space that have followings of 50,000 to 200,000. This is still a decent enough following for a new brand to obtain credibility and small enough for a small brand to work with. You are not competing with other brands. You can allow these influencers exclusive pieces to wear during a tournament and create the looks in real time. You will be able to provide a level of authenticity to their own follower base and also expand that brand presence outside that stadium into a universe. Even a run of 100 limited items just tied to that tourney can create the needed urgency and can simply brand you within the current cultural discussion. Look at tennis as a platform for storytelling rather than sport, young designers can have conversations with the same influence as the big fashion houses, for the cost of a C cup."

Center activation on the energy of the tournament

Riley Westbrook, Co-founder at Valor Coffee

"The confluence of sports and fashion has moved from the background of a sporting event like Wimbledon or the US Open to a prominent place on the stage for brands. For fashion start-up owners and entrepreneurs, it is no longer about trying to secure the largest sponsorship deals at these events, but rather to create a series of smaller, discrete authentic partnerships with select players in their tournaments. A brand may offer a player off court looks for their down time, provide a travel outfit for a player to wear to their post-match media commitment, or provide a couple of accessories that are likely to be shown in a player's candid shots. These informal, visible spaces usually have a larger footprint online and provide substantial brand exposure, without the overwhelming costs associated with an official sponsorship.

Smaller brands can engage during these moments by centering activation on the energy of the tournament, rather than competing with a global name on the court. Marketers can divert resources away from sponsoring a big-name player, and towards finding niche partnerships with influencers who track the fan experience. A fashion brand might stage a pop-up photoshoot outside of the stadium, dress a few fans in signature pieces, and manage to get that look shared across Instagram, TikTok, and local press. Whether it is 50 customized scarves, or 25 branded hats, given away at the correct entry gate, a smaller brand can fill the visual of the stands and initiate a ripple effect through their social feeds.

The true opportunity is in precision and timing. There are tournament weeks that see a spike in fashion conversations, but the trend is for brands simply to present similar, basic strategies showcasing luxury courtside outfits. Likewise, a smaller brand can differentiate themselves by showcasing the details that were not front of mind, such as after-dark events or practice days. Putting a player in laid-back apparel on a practice day or influencers with styled outfits in the evening events where players and fans were mixing, can create a buzz since they are not the normal focus. That kind of visibility can morph a moment meant for sport into a natural and unrestricted interpretation of their runway without appearing to compete for center court."

Time capsule drops around major tennis events

Paarath Sharma, Sr. SEO & Digital Marketing Specialist at Fitpass

"Fashion entrepreneurs don’t need a courtside seat to make an impact — they just need to be part of the conversation. By timing capsule drops, influencer collaborations, or limited collections around major tennis events, brands can ride the media wave without paying for official sponsorship.

Smaller brands can collaborate with micro-influencers who attend tournaments. These creators often generate authentic content that resonates better than polished celebrity campaigns, and they’re far more accessible for partnerships.

The smartest play for smaller brands is social listening. When hashtags like #USOpen or #Wimbledon trend, insert your product creatively into the conversation. Real-time TikTok and Instagram Reels can earn attention at a fraction of the cost of traditional campaigns."

Identify and collaborate with micro-influencers attending tournaments

Joel Lim, Finance & SEO Expert at Becoin.Net

"The US Open, Wimbledon, and French Open are becoming cultural and fashion shows.

Sometimes even fashion visibility can match athletic performance.

This sets a stage for any brand, big or small, to entwine itself with the narrative.

One strong method of synergizing is player–endorser–influencer collaboration.

Consider these athletes, who essentially endorse luxury brands themselves, while smaller brands often barely get top billing for such endorsements.

Instead, they could compete by identifying micro-influencers attending tournaments — brand collaborations that feel real and also provide easier visibility.

For smaller brands, some PR possibilities during tournaments are:

The campaigns will be based in real-time, tied to match highlights and fashion moments.

Doing a posting on TikTok and Instagram with event hashtags (such as #USOpenStyle) could result in organic reach.

Pop-up activations near the tournament venues will tie into the energy of the event without being an official sponsor of the event.

Gifting campaigns for influencers and attendees, limited-edition accessories and apparel that basically put themselves out in social feeds on their own.

Storytelling around press releases with the "sports meets style" theme to position the brand into media narratives about tennis culture.

The underlying idea here is to frame these tournaments not just as sporting events but as fashion runways with a global audience.

Well-positioned brands can fight for attention even in the shadow of an official sponsorship."

Contribute naturally to the tennis conversation

Alex Fetanat, Founder & CEO at GemFind

"After 25 years building digital marketing campaigns for jewelry stores, I've learned that the biggest wins come from creating authentic connections during high-attention moments. When we helped jewelers pivot to virtual trunk shows during the pandemic, those who succeeded weren't the ones with flashy production—they were the ones who made viewers feel personally invited to something special.

The strategy that consistently works is what I call "borrowed spotlight positioning." During major tennis tournaments, fashion brands should create exclusive virtual events that mirror the tournament schedule. We've seen jewelry stores increase holiday sales by 40% using Facebook Live events that felt like intimate gatherings, complete with wine recommendations and cozy home settings.

The key is treating social media like your store's front window during these tournaments. When the US Open hashtags are trending, your content should feel like it belongs in that conversation naturally. I've watched small jewelry brands dominate local markets by posting daily "match day style picks" that showcase their pieces without feeling like obvious ads.

Most brands fail because they try to interrupt the tennis conversation instead of contributing to it. The jewelry stores that succeeded with our campaigns were those who understood their customers were already engaged and excited—they just needed to offer something that felt exclusive and timely within that existing energy."

Same-day tournament-inspired outfit posts

Athena Kavis, Web Developer & Founder at Quix Sites

"The biggest opportunity lies in real-time content creation during these tournaments. When I was scaling my e-commerce brands, we saw 300% higher engagement rates when we created same-day visual content around trending events rather than planning months ahead. Fashion brands should have design teams ready to create tournament-inspired graphics, outfit posts, and behind-the-scenes content that can be pushed live within hours of viral moments happening on court.

For smaller brands, I recommend the website integration strategy that worked incredibly well for my spa business in Vegas. Create dedicated landing pages for each major tournament with location-specific SEO targeting the host cities. When the US Open hits New York, your "Tennis Fashion NYC" page should be optimized and ready with locally-relevant content that captures that search traffic spike.

The real goldmine is leveraging user-generated content campaigns during tournament weeks. My clients who run UGC contests asking customers to recreate tournament looks or share their "courtside style" consistently see 40-60% more website traffic during those specific weeks compared to regular months. The key is making participation feel exclusive and time-sensitive around those four major tournament windows."

Join the tennis fashion conversations organically

Dwight Zahringer, Founder at Perfect Afternoon

"After 20+ years in digital marketing and developing SEO strategies for clients, I've seen fashion entrepreneurs make a critical mistake at tennis tournaments - they focus on the event itself instead of building authentic social proof that works year-round.

The most successful approach I've implemented is what I call "insider access amplification." I helped a small accessories brand partner with a junior tennis player who wasn't famous but had genuine tournament credentials. Instead of trying to dress celebrities, they documented her actual training routine and tournament prep on social media throughout the season. This created authentic content that tennis fans engaged with because it felt real, not manufactured.

From a reputation management perspective, smaller brands should leverage social listening during these tournaments to join conversations organically. When someone posts about tennis fashion, engage meaningfully rather than pushing products. I've seen brands gain thousands of followers simply by sharing genuine style insights in comment sections of tournament posts.

The key is treating these tournaments as relationship-building opportunities rather than direct sales events. Build connections with players, tennis coaches, and even tennis club managers in your area - they influence purchasing decisions more than you'd think and their endorsements carry weight in local tennis communities."

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