Children from Miami Gardens, Brooklyn and East Palo Alto were selected through the USTA Foundation, linking Emirates’ community court programme with a once-in-a-lifetime hit at the US Open.
Emirates brought seven young players from three U.S. communities onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for a tennis session with John Isner during the 2026 US Open.
- Emirates brought seven young tennis players from Miami Gardens, Brooklyn and East Palo Alto onto Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2026 US Open.
- The children were nominated by the USTA Foundation for both their tennis development and their academic, leadership and community contributions.
- The experience was tied to Emirates’ Force for Good partnership with the USTA Foundation, which has funded court refurbishments in under-resourced neighborhoods over the past three years.
- John Isner led the on-court session, while Emirates cabin crew presented each participant with new tennis gear and additional families were invited to experience the event.
(NEWS) NEW YORK, New York, United States, 2026-Aug-31 — /Travel PR News/ — For seven young tennis players from three U.S. communities, the 2026 US Open brought a rare shift from spectator to participant. Emirates took the group onto Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York for an on-court session with former American star John Isner, turning one of the sport’s most iconic stages into a reward for youth development rather than elite competition.
The players came from Miami Gardens, Brooklyn’s Kings County Tennis League and East Palo Alto. According to the airline’s announcement, all seven were nominated by the USTA Foundation not only for their ability on court but also for their performance in school, leadership qualities and involvement in their communities.
A reward linked to court access and community investment
The event was connected to Emirates’ Force for Good initiative, a community-focused programme run in partnership with the USTA Foundation. Over the past three years, the programme has funded court refurbishments in under-resourced neighborhoods, aiming to improve access to safe places to play and practice.
That background gave the Arthur Ashe session a broader purpose than a one-off celebrity clinic. The children invited to New York came from communities that have already benefited from the programme, so the experience functioned as both a recognition of personal effort and a visible extension of a longer-term investment in grassroots tennis infrastructure.
The seven players also represented the first time that children from the three Force for Good communities had been brought together in one shared event, according to Emirates. In that sense, the day was as much about creating a network and sense of possibility as it was about hitting balls with a well-known former professional.
John Isner leads the session on the sport’s biggest stage
Isner, long associated with the upper reaches of the men’s game and one of the best-known American players of his generation, joined the children on court to rally with them and offer coaching pointers. Emirates said the day also included autographs and photographs, giving the participants access to the kind of personal interaction that is usually reserved for official player appearances and sponsor hospitality events.
The setting added weight to the occasion. Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main arena at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, is the largest tennis stadium in the world and the centerpiece of the US Open. For young players coming from neighborhood programmes, the chance to step onto that court can carry symbolic importance far beyond a single afternoon’s coaching.
Emirates extends the experience to families and supporters
Emirates cabin crew attended the event and presented each participant with a fresh kit of tennis gear intended to support the next stage of their development. The airline also invited additional young fans and their families to take part in the day, widening access beyond the seven selected players.
That approach reflects a growing tendency among large sports sponsors to attach community programming to high-profile events. Rather than limiting sponsorship to logos, hospitality or advertising, brands increasingly look for ways to demonstrate local impact and youth engagement alongside marquee tournament exposure.
For Emirates, the initiative connects an international sports sponsorship with a socially focused community programme in the United States. For the seven children involved, the more immediate meaning was simpler: a chance to play on a Grand Slam court, meet a tennis figure they would normally see only from the stands or on screen, and experience what accessible facilities and sustained support can make possible.
