Taylor Swift headlined the list of celebrities present at the US Open final on Monday, as another Taylor – Fritz – aimed to end a 21-year American men’s major drought on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Italian top seed Jannik Sinner.

As it transpired, Sinner became the first Italian man to win the US Tennis Open, producing a powerful display to beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets, 6-3 6-4 7-5.

Sports, television, movie and music stars have flocked to Flushing Meadows over the past fortnight, occupying luxury boxes and sipping on the venue’s famous IS$23 ‘Honey Deuce’ cocktails and the celebrities were back in full force for Sunday’s finale.

But few stars shine brighter in American pop culture than Swift, who kicked off a spending frenzy in the NFL ticket resale market last season just by showing up to watch her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, play.

Kelce and Swift arrived hand-in-hand for the match and sat with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany, ignoring the first Monday of the NFL season in favour of tennis after the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 in their Thursday opener.

(L-R) US former tennis player Billie Jean King talks with US musician Jon Bon Jovi during the men’s final match on day fourteen of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 8, 2024.
Photo: AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

“In a tennis era,” tournament organisers wrote on social media platform X to accompany a video of the couple at Flushing Meadows. Swift has been breaking records around the world with her Eras Tour.

Former US Open champion Andy Roddick, the last American man to claim the title, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi were also spotted among the crowd. Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey turned up wearing a red, white and blue bandana.

Friends star Courteney Cox waved to fans wearing sunglasses and the same blue US Open giveaway hat donned by scores of others in the Ashe Stadium seats.

Today Show hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager as well as nighttime talk show host Stephen Colbert were also in attendance on a cool but sunny afternoon.

Vogue editor Anna Wintour, seated beside actor Eddie Redmayne, was back in the stands after taking in the women’s championship match a day earlier, when Olympic gold medal sprinter Noah Lyles and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton were also among the spectators.

– Reuters