Hasta La Creative!

Serena Williams’s historic pursuit of the fifth-ever calendar-year Grand Slam in tennis — which would be the sport’s first since 1988 — has helped make the upcoming U.S. Open a must-buy for advertisers looking to reach one of the most affluent audiences outside of golf. But in an interesting twist, host network ESPN this year has begun what may be characterized as a democratization of the U.S. Open’s marketing mix.

Should Ms. Williams advance to the women’s final on Saturday, Sept. 12, she will at age 33 have a shot at securing her 22nd major title, tying Steffi Graf for second on the all-time list behind Margaret Court (24). Ms. Graf is the last pro tennis player to win all four Grand Slam events in a single year; the most recent male sweep of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open came in 1969, courtesy of Rod Laver.

A win for Serena in New York would not only lend further credence to the argument that she is the greatest American athlete of this century, but would prove to be a considerable boon to ESPN in the bargain. Ms. Williams is a guaranteed ratings draw: her six Open titles have averaged a 5.3 overnight household rating, according to Nielsen, whereas the corresponding men’s finals averaged a 3.7.

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