Every September the finest players from the world of tennis converge upon the New York City area to participate in two full weeks worth of U.S. Open action. Though the 2015 Open doesn’t officially kick off until Monday, August 31st, what was once a festival welcoming the players into town has transformed into a long weekend in and of itself. The 2015 Taste of Tennis returns to Manhattan bringing together some of the New York areas best chefs along with some of the sport’s biggest names for the annual affair’s most grandiose events yet. And tickets are available now.

The festivities get underway on Wednesday, August 26th out in Long Island City where City View Racquet Club in Queens will crown a preliminary champion in the Celebrity Chef Tennis Challenge. Participants include Chef Marc Murphy, Jonathan Waxman, Kerry Heffernan and others as they vie to be crowned King or Queen of the Courts, followed by a festive celebratory cookout to follow the friendly action.

 

On Thursday, August 27th, the action continues with the incredible Taste of Tennis Gala at the posh W Hotel in Midtown. The event that started it all gives tennis fans and culinary enthusiasts the unparalleled opportunity to schmooze with the aforementioned chefs as well as incredible players Serena and Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, John Isner, Lucie Safarova and many more. Though the evening is hosted by the beautiful Andi Dorfman from ABC’s The Bachelorette, equally as spectacular is the selection of participating restaurants cooking up a feast for the evening. Notable restaurants like Telepan, Gotham Bar & Grill, The Four Seasons, Buddakan, The Meatball Shop, Oceana, The Clam and many more are among the 25 culinary masters slated to be on hand.

Fittingly the multiple evening affair concludes on Saturday night in style. Party With the Pros welcomes more than a handful of the sport’s top tennis players inside of a ritzy Fifth Avenue space along with live music, cocktails and some light fare for two full hours. Whether making the event your final destination or a precursor to a fun night on the town, there’ll be plenty of scenesters on hand at the Measure Lounge to make sure that the Saturday evening setting is both a luxurious way to wind down the 2015 Taste of Tennis and get you all geared up for the U.S. Open in the days that follow.

- Jane Van Arsdale