Luxury Dining Is Taking Center Court at Tennis's Biggest Events

Top tennis tournaments are evolving into cultural playgrounds for luxury dining.

Zuma's exclusive pop-up experience at the 2026 Miami Open. | Courtesy of Zuma

High-end dining has become an essential layer of the modern tennis experience, transforming tournaments into immersive cultural events where cuisine and sport intersect. Major tournaments like the Miami Open have become cultural moments, drawing crowds as much for the atmosphere and social energy as for the matches themselves.

Tennis, perhaps more than any other sport, lends itself naturally to this fusion of luxury and leisure. From the manicured lawns of Wimbledon to the electric energy of New York, the sport has long carried a social dimension. What’s changing now is its cultural reach.

In cities like Miami, that heritage is being reinterpreted through a more contemporary lens where lifestyle and dining intertwine with the game. The result is an atmosphere that feels less like a traditional sporting event and more like a curated lifestyle experience.

Luxury brands have taken advantage of the shift, offering spaces catered to fans looking to experience something more out of their favorite tennis tournaments. Zuma Miami, a contemporary Japanese restaurant overlooking the Miami River, is one of several luxury dining establishments capitalizing on the growing interest in tournament dining experiences.

Zuma’s full-service restaurant within the Miami Open offered a telling glimpse into where lifestyle culture is headed in the world of tennis. Amid the fast pace of the tournament, it created a place to pause and indulge. The duality currently defines luxury dining in the tennis not just as a place to eat, but a space to experience the sport in a richer, more meaningful way.

Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI sat down with Emilia Lommano, Zuma's global brand and marketing director, to learn more about luxury dining's role in tennis.

What makes sporting events like the Miami Open such powerful moments for lifestyle brands?

For Zuma, that’s where we naturally fit. We’ve always been about creating social, vibrant environments and events like the Miami Open amplify that. As we approach 25 years as a brand in 2027, we still see ourselves as 25 years young. Being part of moments like this is how we continue to evolve and grow: by staying relevant to how people choose to spend their time today.

How do you see the relationship between elite sports and lifestyle dining evolving right now?

I feel like the synergy is more apparent now than ever. Dining is no longer something you do around the event; it’s a huge part of the event. People are planning their day around where they’ll spend time, who they’ll meet, and the overall experience.

Zuma's exclusive pop-up experience returns to the 2026 Miami Open. | Courtesy of Zuma

For us, it’s about creating that energy wherever we are. Whether it’s in one of our flagship locations, a pop-up seasonal restaurant, or a global sporting event, Zuma becomes a place where different worlds come together. That’s very much what a modern lifestyle brand looks (and feels) like.

Is tennis uniquely aligned with this lifestyle positioning compared to other sports? Why?

Tennis has always had such a strong social element, whether it's in Miami, New York, Madrid or Wimbledon, it’s as much about the social occasion as it is the sport. What’s interesting now is how that’s evolving. It still carries that heritage, but it’s becoming more expressive and culturally connected, especially here in cities like Miami.

Have you noticed a change in how athletes engage with these kinds of spaces today compared to 10–15 years ago?

Definitely. Athletes today are far more connected to culture, especially through social media. They’re not just participants in sport; they’re part of wider conversations around fashion, music, and lifestyle. 

They engage with spaces like Zuma in a much more natural, social way. They’re a part of the room, not separate from it. Which is why, for us, athletes and sporting legends are one of the best and most organic endorsements we have as a brand. They mean so much to people. 

What does a night at Zuma during the Miami Open say about where lifestyle culture is headed?

It’s more social and definitely more experience-led. It shows that even in high-energy environments, people are increasingly looking for something more considered and immersive than a quick, transactional experience.

At the Miami Open, everything moves fast, but Zuma offers a different rhythm. As the only full sit-down restaurant in the stadium, it gives guests the chance to step out of the crowd and into a more immersive dining experience. Something familiar and social, but worth slowing down for. In many ways, it becomes a world within a world, still connected to the energy of the event, but offering a more curated, social experience.