Tennis stars become Marvel superheroes in US Open promotion

The United States Tennis Association is playing mixed doubles with the Marvel Universe, teaming up for an original comic book featuring Marvel’s Avengers along with a team of tennis stars including Carlos Alcaraz, Naomi Osaka, Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula. The comic books, to be given away during US Open Fan Week (Aug.19-25), are part of an effort to reinforce the US Open’s place in culture while marketing to new and younger fans, USTA executives say. Fan Week is a prelude to the US Open, including its qualifying tournament, practice sessions and other activities. The US Open main draw begins Aug. 26. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs For the USTA, a collaboration with Marvel aligns with its overarching marketing theme, “Celebrate the Power of Tennis,” Nicole Kankam, managing director, pro tennis marketing and entertainment for the USTA, said in an interview. The positioning makes sense as the game moves to market a new generation of players such as Alcaraz, the 21-year-old Spaniard and winner of this year’s Wimbledon tournament, and 20-year-old U.S. sensation Coco Gauff, who won last year. Gauff was one of two flag bearers for the U.S. Olympic team at last week’s opening ceremony in Paris, but was eliminated from singles competition on Tuesday. When Serena Williams and Roger Federer retired in 2022, “there was a lot of talk that no one would be interested in tennis, but we’ve seen all these new great stars,” Kankam said. Alvarez and Osaka are featured on the comic book cover, she noted. “I think it cements the idea that tennis is thriving, tennis is exciting, and a new generation of tennis stars will continue that trajectory.” Other tennis players captured in pencil and ink panels are Iga Swiatek, Taylor Fritz, Aryna Sabalenka, Ben Shelton and Sloane Stephens. Kankam declined to give away the plot of the comic, beyond acknowledging the story is set at the US Open and that none of the players are cast as villains. AthLife, Marvel’s sports agency, facilitated the collaboration. Marvel and ESPN, a USTA broadcast partner, are both owned by Disney. “We’re all in the family,” Kankam said. Broadening the fanbase As the US Open has become a premium event in sports and entertainment, Fan Week is its accessible cousin. It offers free admission to the US Tennis Center grounds as qualifying matches go on (some events at Fan Week may come with a separate admission charge). Fan Week will host activities related to the Marvel collaboration, including character appearances, comic book signings and a presentation from Marvel Spiderman editor Nick Lowe called “How a Comic is Made.” Another new approach is an energetic marketing campaign, called. “Spectacular Awaits,” that kicked off when tickets went on sale in June. An ad from Dentsu features the voice of famed New York rapper Fat Joe. “We want to broaden our audience fanbase. So things like the Marvel collaboration are a great example of this,” the USTA’s Kankam said. “But when you look at everything from our advertising campaign this year, and all of the different entertainment elements that are associated with that from the tennis exhibition, it’s about expanding the accessibility of the event itself, [and] attracting a new, more diverse audience that ensures the future viability of the event but also expanding the growth of tennis.”

Tennis stars become Marvel superheroes in US Open promotion

Featured Stories