Evian water created New York City’s first floating tennis court on the world-famous Circle Line boat cruise in honor of the U.S. Open men’s tennis championship final. On Sunday, September 10, lucky guests boarded the one-of-a-kind SS Evian boat to watch the tournament, sit courtside at a pink tennis court, view the New York City skyline and meet former U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova, who acted as the honorary captain of the ship.
“This was the best possible experience,” Sharapova told guests onboard. “What a unique opportunity. I’ve never watched or played tennis from a boat before. This is a first on many levels!”
Sharapova is a 5-time Grand Slam tennis champion and won the U.S. Open in 2006. During the cruise, she participated in a fun and thought-provoking waterside chat with tennis star Andrea Petkovic. The two discussed Coco Gauff winning the U.S. Open women’s final match, which took place the night before. “I was so happy to see Coco win,” shared Sharapova. “She has the ability to transcend the sport into so many bridging, into entertainment and culture and fashion.” Sharapova also gave exclusive insights into the men’s match between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. She predicted that her friend Novak Djokovic would win the U.S. Open, and she was correct. Djokovic won in three straight sets, marking his 24th Grand Slam title.
Following the chat, Sharapova took to the pink tennis court on board (the court was netted, so no balls were lost at sea) and happily played some tennis with fans while the SS Evian cruised along the Hudson River under the shining sun and perfect weather conditions.
To celebrate the longstanding partnership between the U.S. Open and Evian, attendees were treated with a premium experience. They watched the thrilling match from comfortable reclining chairs and were served an assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres and a hearty lobster roll lunch provided by Canard. For drinks, mocktails and alcoholic beverages from an open bar were given out , and of course endless Evian water was available. A personalized boat hat was even offered to guests to take home.
Embracing the commitment by Evian to sustainability, all proceeds from ticket sales from the event will be donated to Billion Oyster Project, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor and preserving the city’s waterways.
“This was a really fun afternoon. Evian has been such an amazing partner of mine and of the U.S. Open for over 30 years and a partner of mine for over 10,” said Sharapova. “We’ve done some incredible collaborations and this is one of the unique ones that we get to share!”
