The USTA today announced that Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actor, rapper, singer and producer Queen Latifah will feature as the face and voice of the 2022 US Open’s multi-dimensional marketing campaign, “Spectacular Awaits.” A native of Newark, N.J., Latifah becomes the first celebrity face of a US Open marketing campaign as the buzz and excitement for the 2022 US Open begin to build.
The campaign is set to debut on national television beginning on Saturday, June 4, with tickets to the US Open going on sale to the general public on Monday, June 6, via Ticketmaster and USOpen.org.
“There’s nothing like being in Arthur Ashe Stadium watching the game be played. Watching it happen, feeling it happen – the energy is palpable,” said Latifah, who has twice performed and is a regular attendee at the US Open. “The US Open is a special event that I look forward to every year, and I’m proud to share that excitement with every new and returning fan this summer.”
The concept for “Spectacular Awaits” was developed in collaboration with the USTA’s creative agency, dentsuMB. It embraces the bright, neon lights of New York City and striking player imagery to capture the electricity and anticipation in the air at the US Open, especially with a dynamic new generation of talent now rising to meet the game’s established stars. The campaign is part of an extensive multi-platform effort to support ticket sales across TV, radio, print, OOH, digital and social media that will take place throughout the summer.
“Queen Latifah is the embodiment of spectacular,” said Nicole Kankam, Managing Director, Pro Tennis Marketing, USTA. “You feel the excitement when she takes the stage, so there’s no one better to set the scene for the action and drama sure to come at the 2022 US Open.”
Queen Latifah is a Grammy award-winning musician, critically acclaimed television and Oscar-nominated film actress, producer, label president, author, and entrepreneur. Latifah has had amazing success since her career began in Hollywood and became the first hip-hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Latifah has not only just been recognized for acting: She has earned six Grammy Award nominations, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance in 1994.
A full roster of US Open events will be released in the near future. The tournament will be held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from Monday, August 29, through Sunday, September 11, with Fan Week beginning on Tuesday, August 23.
