The US Open is putting Hispanic and Latin American tennis in the spotlight today with its annual Hispanic Heritage celebration at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The event is part of the tournament’s Be Open program, which uses the Grand Slam stage to recognize communities that have helped shape tennis in the United States and around the world.
The US Open says the annual celebration brings Hispanic and Latin American communities together while honoring pioneers of the sport and players helping carry that legacy forward. This year’s celebration falls during one of the biggest days of the tournament. The men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals began today at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with another full day of quarterfinal play scheduled Wednesday.
The timing puts Hispanic heritage alongside the championship stages of a tournament with a long connection to Spanish-speaking tennis. Latin America has produced some of the US Open’s most memorable champions. Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini won the women’s singles title in 1990, defeating Steffi Graf in the final. Nearly two decades later, another Argentine, Juan MartÃn del Potro, produced one of the tournament’s most famous upsets when he defeated Roger Federer in the 2009 men’s final.
Players from across Latin America have continued to make New York an important stop on the tennis calendar. Argentina again supplied one of the strongest Latin American runs at this year’s tournament. Francisco Cerúndolo reached the fourth round after rallying from two sets down to defeat American Taylor Fritz in the third round. His run ended Monday when Belgium’s Alexander Blockx beat him 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Other South American players in the 2026 men’s draw included Tomás MartÃn Etcheverry and Mariano Navone of Argentina, Alejandro Tabilo and Marcelo Tomás Barrios Vera of Chile, Ignacio Buse of Peru and several others who came through qualifying or the main draw. Spanish tennis also remains prominent during today’s celebration. Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, is still competing for another New York title and is scheduled to face American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals Tuesday night.
The heritage celebration is one part of a broader series of events staged by the US Open during the tournament. The Be Open program has also featured events recognizing Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the LGBTQ+ community and U.S. military members. An Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage celebration is scheduled for Wednesday.
The initiative began in 2020 as a campaign aimed at giving greater visibility to underrepresented communities in tennis. It has since expanded into a year-round message centered on representation, access and the different cultures that make up the sport. That connection is especially visible at the US Open.
Unlike the other Grand Slam tournaments, the event is held in Queens, one of the most culturally diverse parts of New York City. Fans arriving at Flushing Meadows regularly bring flags from Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Brazil and other countries, turning outside courts into home crowds for players thousands of miles from home.
The tournament has leaned further into that connection in recent years through music, cultural performances and community events around the grounds. During 2026 Fan Week, for example, the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company performed at the National Tennis Center as fans watched qualifying matches and player practices.
Today’s Hispanic Heritage celebration continues that approach, placing the cultural history surrounding the sport alongside the tennis itself as the US Open moves into its championship week.
