How tennis is beating horse racing in the glamour stakes

The Australian Open has become a worthy opponent for the spring carnival in the game of glamour, as more brands and celebrities find horse racing on the nose. With US fashion giant Ralph Lauren increasing its sponsorship arrangement and champagne house Piper Heidseck and watchmaker Rolex on board as partners of the Australian Open, the summer Grand Slam is courting fans of luxury.

Ralph Lauren has extended its partnership to the AO Glam Slam, the world’s first LGBTQI+ tournament integrated into a Grand Slam event. The sponsor of Wimbledon and the US Open is also the official outfitter of the 4000 Australian Open staff, releasing its latest collection of polo shirts, jackets, headwear and accessories, using sustainable materials such as recycled polyester, nylon and responsibly produced cotton.

Ralph Lauren’s partnership with the Glam Slam and increased sponsorship, extending as far as the towels used at Melbourne Park, is part of a long-term push by event organisers to expand the Australian Open’s appeal beyond dedicated fans of sweeping serves to a broader audience including A-list aspirants.

“If we were to purely rely on tennis lovers, we wouldn’t grow our fan base,” said Ben Slack, chief revenue and experiential officer for Tennis Australia. “Everyone is going to be quite surprised at how much our partners have invested in the onsite experience this January.”

“We can’t just look after the experiences ourselves. It would be too expensive. Our partners have access to their own branded experiences, as well as their networks of ambassadors and influencers. We rely on them to add to the experience.”

For some influencers aligned with international brands, centre court is safer to tag in social media posts than the racecourse. In 2019 activists campaigned on social media against pop star Taylor Swift performing at the Melbourne Cup, before the singer cancelled her appearance. This year founder of The Upside activewear brand Jodhi Meares, television personality David Campbell and influencer Abbie Chatfield joined the #nuptothecup movement, which opposes horse racing.

“With many luxury brands looking for sports that don’t have controversy associated with them, tennis is perfect as it has continued to evolve in the sponsorship arena,” said Camille Thioulouse, founder of digital talent agency The Societe, which works with influencers Elle Ferguson and Whitney Port. “They have opened themselves up to diversity and inclusion which is important to a client’s audience.”

Inclusion is important to Piper Heidseck, sponsor of the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. The French champagne house has extended its sponsorship of the Australian Open for the next three years and will erect a champagne bar on the Rod Laver Arena Terrace, designed by Melbourne stylist Christian Wagstaff, with flowers by celebrity florist Katie Marx.