James Blake at the Heineken Premium Light Tennis Event

James Blake is a busy now. Here he attended the Heineken Premium Light Tennis Event at the outdoor of World Financial Center New York.

For 17 years, Heineken USA has helped support the U.S. Open tennis tournaments and has formed a new relationship with James Blake.

Blake hosted this charity event and will appear on U.S. Open ads and Heineken Premium Light in-store signs.

James Blake, Christian McMahan(CMO Heineken) and Brian Citron (Sr.Brand Director Heineken)

Heineken presented Blake with a $10,000 donation to the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Heineken is also sponsoring Heineken Premium Light Hat Night for fans on Aug. 30.

(Via Black Tennis Pro's)

What's Cooking?: Andy Roddick & James Blake at the 9th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis

Andy Roddick and James Blake attended the 9th annual "BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis" event before the start of the U.S. Open.

Roddick was cooking with Food Network host Ingrid Hoffmann while Blake with Gotham Bar & Grill chef Alfred Portale.


(Via U.S. Open site)

Roger Federer, Serena Williams & Maria Sharapova at the Nike's 21 Mercer St. Block Party

Yesterday Nike Sportswear commemorated the opening of 21 Mercer Street by hosting an invite only block party. Mercer street was transformed into a stadium-like environment.

At precisely 9:21 PM Roger Federer and Spike Lee opened the doors for the first time to the public. Nike also invited their other old friends, including Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Mr. Lee introduced Mr. Federer to the crowd as "the world's greatest tennis player." To which the tennis player awkwardly responded, "I'm Roger Federer, that's me."

At the opening, Williams said,

"There has been no relaxing for me, I've been playing every day, literally," she said about getting ready for the U.S. Open. But at least she has something to look forward to after the next couple of weeks."

"Fashion Week is right after the tournament so I look forward to going there, I love it," said Ms. Williams. "I'll have two weeks off so it is definitely like a vacation for me."

In the meanwhile Sharapova, who will be sitting out the U.S. Open due to an ongoing shoulder injury, was asked if she's in New York to cheer on her tennis peers from the stands.

She said, "No, no, definitely not," she said. "I'm just here to work with my brands and to do things that I already had planned to do for a couple of days, and then I'm going back."

So Sharapova won't be watching the U.S. Open at all?

No, I won't. Unless I'm working out and it happens to be on TV, I might catch it, but I don't plan to watch it. I have so many things going on in my life, and this is a good time for me to work on all of the projects I'm working on."

"I didn't even know (the draw) came out!" she said, laughing. "To be honest, the day I got injured was the day that I was like, I'm not even sure who's playing."

Sharapova night not be interested with the U.S. Open but she'll definitely check out the Fashion Week instead.

(Via New York Observer, Nike.com)

Novak Djokovic and the USTA President ring the NASDAQ opening Bell

The good thing about the U.S. Open is that there are usually a lot of events and campaigns going on.

While Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are busy with their Nike campaigns, world no. 3 Novak Djokovic has the privilege to join Jane Brown Grimes, Chairman of the Board and President of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to ring the NASDAQ Opening Bell to celebrate the 2008 US Open and the 40th anniversary of the Open Era.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of tennis’ Open Era, there will be the Opening Night Ceremony being held this coming Monday with a parade of more than twenty-five former US Open singles champions!

The on-court ceremony will be hosted by the Oscar-winning actor/director Forest Whitaker and will feature special musical performances by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Earth, Wind & Fire and the Tony® Award winning Jersey Boys. USA Network will carry the ceremony live. Throughout the tournament, the US Open will feature additional celebrations and special tributes to past champions.

Among the tennis greats expected to be on-hand for Opening Night are Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Tracy Austin, Martina Navratilova, Stan Smith, Boris Becker, Gabriela Sabatini, John Newcombe, Ilie Nastase, Guillermo Vilas and Mats Wilander.

The celebration will include a look back to the very first US Open in 1968 and will include Virginia Wade, the first women’s singles US Open champion, and Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and her daughter Camera Ashe, who will represent their late husband and father Arthur Ashe, who won the 1968 men’s singles title.

Additionally, present day players expected to appear in the celebration include Roger Federer, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick.

Pheww... this year's U.S. Open is surely a HUGE and PRESTIGIOUS one!

(Via NASDAQ)