NEW YORK — Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts announced today Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club: Ballroom Tennis Invitational, an unprecedented celebration of tennis, style and hospitality at Waldorf Astoria New York.

The event marks the official debut of Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club, the brand’s new global platform embracing the world of racquet culture through extraordinary destinations, distinctive hospitality and experiences timed to some of the world’s most celebrated sporting and social moments.

Building on the exceptional tennis, padel and racquet offerings already found across the Waldorf Astoria portfolio, the platform will connect the brand’s landmark destinations with a new generation of players, spectators and culturally curious travelers.

Designed for a new era of sport-as-social-occasion, Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club brings the elegance of Waldorf Astoria to the courtside world, from tennis to padel and beyond.

For one night only on August 27, 2026, Waldorf Astoria New York’s legendary Grand Ballroom will transform into a full-size tennis court beneath the chandeliers, trading its dance floor for the baseline and turning one of New York’s most storied gathering spaces into the city’s most unexpected tennis venue.

The Ballroom Tennis Invitational brings the platform to life in grand New York fashion, blending showcase matches, Champagne, culinary theatre and the brand’s signature sense of elegant service in a moment that could only happen at Waldorf Astoria.

Culinary programming will spotlight Lex Yard, Waldorf Astoria New York’s signature restaurant helmed by four-time James Beard Award winner Chef Michael Anthony, alongside Champagne House Moët & Chandon, interactive chef stations, tennis-inspired cocktails, premium seafood and limited-time offerings.

The Grand Ballroom has long served as a stage for defining moments in culture, from the first Tony Awards and some of the earliest Met Galas to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

On August 27, it will add another first to that legacy, hosting live tennis beneath its chandeliers for the first time.

Top Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) players including Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Leylah Fernandez and Maria Sakkari will take to the court, bringing the energy of New York’s late-summer tennis season into one of the city’s most storied gathering spaces.

“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, Waldorf Astoria New York.

“For one night, we are doing something it has never seen before: bringing world-class tennis beneath the chandeliers. It is playful, elegant and unmistakably New York, and it reflects the spirit of Waldorf Astoria New York as we welcome guests back to experience this hotel in new and unexpected ways.”

Beginning at $1,500, ticketed experiences include live showcase match play, curated culinary offerings, signature beverage experiences, player meet-and-greet opportunities along with exclusive event merchandise, which will be available for purchase.

A limited collection of stay-and-play packages is also available, featuring spacious accommodations at Waldorf Astoria New York, exclusive tennis clinics and restorative experiences at the hotel’s Guerlain Wellness Spa.

Five percent of net sales proceeds from the event will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, with the contribution matched by the Hilton Global Foundation.

The support builds on Hilton’s recently announced nationwide partnership with the organization to expand access to mentorship, hospitality career exploration and transformative travel experiences for young people and their families.

“Conrad Hilton famously called Waldorf Astoria New York ‘The Greatest of Them All,’ and that idea has always been bigger than one address. It speaks to the spirit of Waldorf Astoria itself: creating places and experiences with a sense of occasion, a sense of story and a point of view that people remember.”

“Conrad Hilton famously called Waldorf Astoria New York ‘The Greatest of Them All,’ and that idea has always been bigger than one address. It speaks to the spirit of Waldorf Astoria itself: creating places and experiences with a sense of occasion, a sense of story and a point of view that people remember,” said Dino Michael, senior vice president and category head, Hilton Luxury Brands.

“With Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club, we are bringing that spirit into a new space for the brand, where sport, culture and hospitality meet in ways that feel elegant, social and wonderfully unexpected. The Ballroom Tennis Invitational is the beginning of that story, and exactly the kind of only-at-Waldorf-Astoria moment that shows where the brand is headed.”

The launch builds on a distinctive world of racquet experiences already found across the Waldorf Astoria portfolio, from professional-grade tennis and padel courts at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi to the celebrated clay courts at Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and sunset tennis beside the private beach at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.

Ahead of the Ballroom Tennis Invitational, Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club will also make an early appearance through a pop-up experience in Sydney, bringing the platform into one of the world’s fastest-growing racquet communities.

Together, these expressions connect exceptional on-property play with the wider culture surrounding the sport, creating a global program that moves across destinations, disciplines and seasons.

“Racquet culture has become one of the most compelling expressions of modern luxury, where sport, style, travel and social life all move in the same orbit,” said Jamie Kerr, vice president, Luxury Marketing Strategy, Hilton.

“Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club is our way of entering that world with a distinct point of view, building on the exceptional tennis and padel experiences already found across our portfolio and creating moments that feel timely, surprising and unmistakably Waldorf Astoria. Ballroom Tennis is the first chapter of a global program that will continue to evolve across destinations and seasons.”

— Hilton News