Waldorf Astoria New York to Transform Grand Ballroom Into Tennis Court

• Waldorf Astoria New York lays a full-size court in its 15,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom on August 27
• Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Leylah Fernandez and Maria Sakkari play two 45-minute showcase matches
• The event, running three days before the US Open's main draw, launches Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club, a new global platform for the brand
• General admission starts at $1,500; overnight packages bundle two tickets with a Lex Yard breakfast and Guerlain spa access

A regulation court, inside the Grand Ballroom

On August 27, Waldorf Astoria New York will lay a regulation tennis court across its Grand Ballroom floor for the Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club: Ballroom Tennis Invitational, running 6 to 10 p.m. under a "courtside chic" dress code. Two ATP and WTA pairings, drawn from Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Leylah Fernandez, and Maria Sakkari, play 45-minute singles showcase matches, with a clinic, meet-and-greets, and food and drink service running throughout the evening. A separate ticket-holder perk on August 28 adds a private on-court clinic with one of the pros, plus light bites and photos.

The timing is deliberate: the invitational lands three days before the US Open's main draw begins on August 30, positioning the hotel inside the city's tennis calendar rather than alongside it.

Why this ballroom, why now

The Grand Ballroom reopened in September 2025 as the centerpiece of Waldorf Astoria's $2 billion, eight-year restoration of its landmarked Park Avenue tower. The same room hosted the first Tony Awards, early Met Galas and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-led restoration, with interiors by Pierre-Yves Rochon, preserved the room's Art Deco plasterwork and tiered balconies while adding modern rigging, sound and lighting, the infrastructure now doing double duty as a sports venue for a night. The three-story ballroom seats up to 1,500.

"The Grand Ballroom has always been one of New York's great stages, a room created for moments people remember," said Luigi Romaniello, managing director of Waldorf Astoria New York. "For one night, we are doing something it has never seen before: bringing world-class tennis beneath the chandeliers."

The invitational also marks the debut of Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club, a new platform the brand is building across its portfolio around tennis, padel and other racquet sports tied to major sporting and social calendars, a bid to give its 40 properties a recurring, ticketable event format beyond weddings and galas.

Moët, Michael Anthony, and a clinic the next day

Food and drink comes from Lex Yard, the hotel's restaurant under four-time James Beard winner Chef Michael Anthony, paired with Moët & Chandon, chef stations, tennis-themed cocktails and a seafood program. General-access tickets start at $1,500; overnight packages layer in two event tickets, a Lex Yard breakfast, a welcome amenity and full match access alongside a hotel stay.

What's next

With Racquet Club now live, expect Waldorf Astoria to bring the format to other properties in its portfolio tied to their own marquee sporting moments, an experiential push to keep its heritage ballrooms and event spaces booked well beyond the wedding and gala circuit that built their reputations.