Tourism officials announced a new “multi-year agreement” as part of the island’s sports tourism strategy, that will see Bermuda become the exclusive tourism sponsor of the US Open Tennis Championship.

The announcement was made at a news conference held earlier today by Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) CEO, Kevin Dallas.

The new partnership with the US Tennis Association “kicks off with the 2019 US Open this summer in New York City – a top market for visitors to Bermuda.

“Benefits of this new partnership will include court signage, including the Bermuda logo, which will be visible for more than 100 hours of live television broadcast in the US, Canada and the UK in addition to more than 100 other countries,” said Mr Dallas.

The new venture allows the BTA to link and interact with more than 800,000 tennis fans who flock to Flushing, Queens to attend the two-week annual event.

“The brand story of Bermuda introducing the sport of tennis to the United States is just one example of how we punch above our weight as a small island out in the middle of the Atlantic,” he added.

“The collaboration also puts Bermuda in the cultural conversation at one of the must-see events in New York City. As summer comes to a close in the city, we will leverage this platform to invite New Yorkers to extend their summer season with active adventure out here in Bermuda.”

Also on hand for the announcement was Gordon Smith, CEO and executive director of the USTA, who said this new partnership will introduce Bermuda “to a new generation of travellers who match-up perfectly with our regional, national and global US Open fanbase”.

Junior Tennis Player: Lorenzo Lucarini-Durrant of Saltus plays on the USTA’s Generation Net court set up at Pier 6, Hamilton

“We look forward to helping increase Bermuda’s exposure as a leading luxury travel destination through this exciting new partnership,” he said.

Moving forward, the BTA “is working in conjunction with the USTA, USTA Player Development and the USTA Foundation to create a new, multifaceted event to take place in Bermuda in 2020”.

The event will feature a Pro-Am as well as exhibitions with tennis legends and rising American players.

Mr Dallas also noted that “tennis has important historical roots in Bermuda”.

“Credited by the International Tennis Hall of Fame as the ‘Mother of American Tennis’, Mary Ewing Outerbridge (born in America to Bermudian parents) first came across the game while visiting her family’s home on the island in 1874, learning tennis from British officers stationed in Bermuda.

“She later brought tennis equipment back to New York, introducing the sport in her home borough of Staten Island.

“As summer comes to a close in the city, we will leverage this platform to invite New Yorkers to extend their summer season with active adventure out here in Bermuda,” he added.

“The addition of a custom event to take place in Bermuda that will create direct spending and provide kids clinics for developing and exposing Bermuda’s youth to tennis greatness and opportunity is icing on the cake.”

The 2019 US Open takes place from August 26 to September 8 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, New York.

The tournament’s recently-completed five-year $600 million strategic transformation provides visitors and partners more room, experiences and activations than ever before. The venue welcomed a record 828,798 attendees in 2018 over the course of the event.

  • About USTA: The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the US and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level – from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the US and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games
  • Photos Courtesy of BTA: Group Shot: US Consul General of Bermuda Constance Dierman; Minister of Tourism & Transport Zane DeSilva; USTA CEO Gordon Smith; Minister of Labour, Community Affairs & Sport Lovitta Foggo; Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO Kevin Dallas