Last Thursday, the iconic Pierre Hotel threw its annual Smash Bash, a New York tennis fête that this year featured star players Alexander Bublik and Anastasia Potapova. It was, as one guest put it, “the pregame to the game,” firing up anticipation for the final Grand Slam tournament of the season, the U.S. Open.
It’s apropos that this year’s U.S. Open theme is “Celebrating Our New York Story”—more and more, the city’s kings and queens of hospitality are hosting tennis-themed celebrations. And what is more quintessential old New York than the Pierre Hotel? Coco Chanel and Elizabeth Taylor lived there. Audrey Hepburn celebrated her Oscar win for Roman Holiday in a Pierre suite, and Al Pacino danced the tango in the hotel’s Cotillion Room in Scent of a Woman. In more recent years, the hotel has been a mainstay for celebrities preparing for the Met Gala, including Lady Gaga and Shakira. In Ocean’s 8, Anne Hathaway’s character prepares for the Met Gala in the Presidential Suite.
The Smash Bash was inspired by the tradition of U.S. Open players staying at the Pierre. The fête began humbly in 2017 in Perrine’s alfresco setting but has since grown to more than 200 guests, moving this year into the hotel’s 18th-century-inspired French neoclassical Grand Ballroom.
There, under its cascading Murano chandeliers, guests mingled, sipping Taittinger Champagne and Grey Goose Honey Deuces adorned with mini tennis rackets as they waited for the main event: a table tennis match starring Potapova and Bublik, followed by an opportunity to play the pros themselves. A DJ spun tunes, and over a raw seafood bar, a chef shucked oysters, the waiting bivalves stacked on ice among sliced orange and lemon moons. In the very middle of the ballroom was a ping-pong table and a line of fans forming to take pictures with Bublik, who broke into the world’s top 10 this year.
Known for his big serve and being a character, he has, over the last two years, made a tremendous resurgence. His agent, Stefan Leiner, reflected on what changed, telling Observer that “he just manages his energy really well, like taking breaks and recovery. And then if you start winning, it helps a lot. Confidence kicks in. It’s more fun.” On technique, Leiner added, “He has a really, really good forehand now.”
Bublik has been open about burnout. “I just stopped whining and got back to work,” he told Observer. When pressed as to how, he answered, “You have to understand if things aren’t going your way, you have to change something. I was losing matches and I was complaining, complaining, complaining. And then I said, ‘Okay, I have to stop.’ And then I stopped.”
And what was his favorite New York dish? “None,” he deadpanned, though he added that he’s always happy to find a chili dog. He was then whisked away to play a game of ping-pong with Potapova. Later, we heard a party-goer say, under his breath, that while Bublik might be one of the best tennis players in the world—at ping-pong, not so much.
After weaving around high tables where attendees opined on tennis, nibbling on passion fruit caviar, toasted brioche with foie gras or tennis racket-shaped pasta with creamy truffle sauce, we caught up with international star Potapova, formerly ranked No. 1 in juniors and currently No. 25 in the world. Like Bublik, she has improved her ranking dramatically in the last year, which she credits, in part, to hard work and maturity. “I think it’s more about how I treat myself being a professional athlete, because it’s such a different life. If you want a good result, you need to be a tennis player 24/7, no matter what you do. Even if today I have an event to attend, tomorrow I need to be on court, playing again. I need to go to bed earlier, make sure I’ve recovered and eat well.”
Since she’s constantly playing around the world, she travels with her family, boyfriend and her toy poodle, Buya, to give her a sense of normalcy. “She’s actually a superstar of the tournament,” she said of her pup. “Everybody loves her.” Among the things Potapova loves are fashion, Hermès handbags especially, one of which she happened to be carrying. She was also wearing a Chanel jacket and Saint Laurent slippers, but pointed to her black fitted dress. “It’s just Zara, girls!”
Around the ballroom, a green glow lit the white fluted piers from below, washing across the trim around the 20-foot ceilings. A large bouquet of sunflowers and orange blooms, arranged with tennis rackets, adorned the dessert station, where a line of chocolate U.S. Open trophies sat among almost every mini dessert one could think of, from tiny tiramisu to Gala apple tart tatin.
Television personality Tom Murro, who described himself as just a guy at a party, told Observer he’d never been to a bad Pierre event. “It’s that old New York charm,” he said, then joked, “The Pierre always gives me chocolates and wood-handled umbrellas when it’s raining. And then, of course, there’s Jill Fox.”
Fox, the Pierre’s director of sales and marketing, laughed, adding that Murro has been coming to the Smash Bash since before she worked there. “People are coming back every year now, forming a new kind of community. I could tell you so much about the history, but really, it’s more like making our own history.”
