The US Open is my favorite time of the year in New York City, and I always take the opportunity to remind my parents that if I had started playing tennis earlier, I could be playing the tournament instead of watching it. Anyway, the US Open is the last grand slam of the year (a.k.a. the final major tennis tournament) and unlike Wimbledon, there is no curfew at the US Open so it’s known for its hours-long evening sessions which go late into the night.
When Maybelline invited me to the Open to celebrate the launch of their new skin tint, I immediately recognized that this would be a perfect road test to see if the product lived up to its claims. I’d be outside in the heat and humidity for hours, yelling and cheering (I’m very passionate about tennis!). If the skin tint could last through all of that, I knew it’d last through almost anything.
I applied the skin tint in the morning, and I instantly loved the texture. It feels more like a serum than a conventional foundation, and it left behind a nice sheen on my skin that didn’t feel too over-the-top. I tend to reach for lighter foundations, so I found the coverage level to be ideal for me. You can apply the tint with your fingers, a brush, or a beauty blender. Because the idea of applying foundation with my fingers makes my skin crawl, I chose to use a brush to smooth the tint across my skin before heading over to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at around 12 p.m.
I somehow got lost on the way to my seat (don’t ask—I’m very directionally challenged) so by the time I arrived, I was already sweating. Thankfully, you wouldn’t be able to tell that my body temperature was quickly rising by solely looking at my face.
Me and my friend Shirley, ready for a full day of tennis.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng
Once I arrived, with a Honey Deuce in hand of course, I took a seat to watch my girl Madison Keys beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets. Then, it was time to watch world number one and defending US Open men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz play Matteo Arnaldi. Anyone who’s lucky enough to watch Alcaraz play knows that you’re in for a great time. He’s extremely entertaining to watch and he transforms the sport into a thrilling spectacle with his drop shots and pounding backhands.
When I’m watching a tennis match, whether it’s in person or in the comfort of my apartment, I have a hard time standing still. I’m squirming in my seat, I’m jumping up and down, throwing my fists in the air, or holding my head in my hands. That’s all to say that it’s important for me to have a foundation that can handle the chaos. After the first two matches and lunch, it was around 4 p.m. The skin tint was still holding strong.
Yes, these are worth the hype.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng
Madison Keys on the court following her win.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng
During this moment of the day, there was a lull. The evening singles sessions didn’t start until 7 p.m., so a few friends and I decided to walk around the grounds for a bit. We quickly returned to our seats after realizing how miserable it was to walk around in the sweltering heat and watched a women’s doubles match—Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula won their match in straight sets. (It’s actually pretty common for players to play in both the singles tournament and doubles, a fact that I’m always surprised by. Aren’t they tired??)
When the evening session finally began, it was 7 p.m. and we settled in to watch Aryna Sabalenka play Daria Kasatkina. I was rooting for Sabalenka, and it was at this point that my voice started to go. Thankfully, she wrapped up the match fairly quickly, winning in two sets. Because the other matches of the day had gone by fast, there was an expectation for the final match of the night to follow the trend. This was not the case at all. Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium around 9 p.m. The match went all the way to five sets, lasted four hours and 41 minutes, and ended at 1:30 a.m.
Carlitoooooooo.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng
Our view of the court after we snuck down.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng
At around 11 p.m., I made the chaotic decision to have a cup of coffee and my friend Shirley had some whiskey—we were re-energized and ready to cheer on our men. (I was rooting for Sinner because I love the Italians, and she was rooting for Zverev because she loves an underdog.) I yelled, “Andiame!” which means “Let’s go” in Italian (shout out to Google Translate) and Shirley called out, “Go Sascha!” which is Zverev’s nickname (he’s Russian). At 11:50 p.m., when the match hit the two hours and 52 minutes point, my friend Shirley and I were the last ones standing out of our initial group. Other spectators had called it quits, deciding to head home early, but Shirley and I were dialed in. We decided to use this opportunity to sneak down to seats closer to the court and ended up sitting right behind Zverev’s coach box. The vibe in the stadium was unmatched at this point—it was so electric, it was easy to forget that it was still so damn humid this late into the night. “The humidity is what killed us both,” Zverev said in a post-match interview. “I’m usually a guy that doesn’t sweat. I had to change everything twice. I had to change shoes three or four times.”
A selfie I took at 1:22AM.
Photo: Courtesy of Ama Kwarteng