Rybakina and Alcaraz Triumph at the Australian Open as Louis Vuitton Takes Centre Stage on the Podium

From Melbourne’s courts to the global podium, Louis Vuitton reinforces its position where sport, ceremony and luxury converge.

The 2026 Australian Open crowned two standout champions this weekend, with Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz lifting their respective trophies in Melbourne. Beyond the sporting achievement, both ceremonies underscored the growing alignment between elite tennis and luxury, as each cup emerged from bespoke Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunks, handcrafted in the Maison’s historic Asnières workshops.

The women’s final took place on January 31, when Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. The presentation paired contemporary culture with tennis legacy: Thai singer and Louis Vuitton House Ambassador BamBam appeared alongside American tennis legend Jennifer Capriati, the 2001 Australian Open champion. BamBam wore a Louis Vuitton ensemble featuring a dark brown double-breasted jacket, brown trousers, a white shirt and black derbies, reinforcing the house’s strategy of blending entertainment and sport at key podium moments.

On February 1, Carlos Alcaraz followed with a defining victory of his own, defeating Novak Djokovic in four sets to secure his first Australian Open title and fifth Grand Slam overall. At just 22, the Spaniard completed the career Grand Slam, adding Melbourne to titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup was unveiled by actress and Louis Vuitton Ambassador Chloë Grace Moretz, joined by tennis icon Marat Safin. Moretz wore a black crinkled vinyl jacket with a matching skirt, LV Knot pumps and Le Damier de Louis Vuitton fine jewellery set with yellow diamonds.

Both Trophy Trunks share identical craftsmanship: Monogram canvas exteriors, brass locks, lozines and corners unchanged since the 1860s. The front panels open to reveal a white “V” — for Victory and Vuitton — while the interiors are lined in Australian Open blue microfibre, with the AO logo featured on each cover. Throughout the tournament, the trunks protected and transported the trophies, turning functional objects into ceremonial centrepieces.

Since its partnership with the Australian Open began in 2023, the trophy reveal has become a key part of the event’s visual identity. The Melbourne finals sit within Louis Vuitton’s broader philosophy that “Victory travels in Louis Vuitton”, a strategy refined over four decades and extended across some of the world’s most prestigious sporting competitions.

Tennis offers particularly strong positioning. The Australian Open attracts more than 1.1 million fans on-site each year and reaches over one billion households globally. Every broadcast image of Rybakina and Alcaraz lifting their trophies places the Monogram canvas at the heart of the moment — not as overt advertising, but as an integral element of the ceremony.

By pairing House Ambassadors from music and film with revered figures from tennis, Louis Vuitton ensures each victory resonates across multiple audiences. For Rybakina and Alcaraz, the weekend marked career-defining milestones. For Louis Vuitton, it added two more chapters to a long-term strategy built on a simple premise: in modern sport, the most powerful stage is not the court, but the podium.