How the US Open became NYC’s premiere place to be seen — and it has nothing to do with tennis
This isn’t your grandpa’s US Open.
The annual tennis tournament is more popular than ever — and has become a hot ticket for celebrities, influencers and brands looking to see and be seen.
“It’s sort of this socialite, luxury event that’s hard to get into, and there’s nothing cooler than an influencer being somewhere no one else can get into,” Meg Stagaard, Vice President at New York-based PR firm 42West, told The Post.
For the next two weeks, the mass of visitors flocking to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens will never be far from an Instagram-ready display, a celebrity sighting or a trendy cocktail.
Rumor has it some tennis will also be played.
Many of the attendees — a record-breaking nearly 75,000 people on opening day Monday, according to ticketing tech company Logitix — are there to take in world-class tennis from big-name stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
But some freely admit they’re just there for the spectacle.
“I’m just here for the vibes,” said Morgan Ridgeway, 26, a teacher from Bloomfield, NJ sporting an all-white outfit and straw hat outside the stadium complex Monday, adding she was “trying to look the part.”
“I’m not really a big follower but some of my family goes so they got tickets,” she said, noting that she’s looking forward to tipping back a few Honey Deuces, the tournament’s signature cocktail, which has become a social media sensation in its own right since it debuted on stadium grounds in 2007.
Also attending was self-described fashion and lifestyle influencer Maggie Tate, 39, from Chelsea, who counts more than 42,000 Instagram followers and noted it was her “fifth or sixth” year at the Open.
The event has gotten so trendy in a big part because of the glam celebrities who make the pilgrimage to Flushing Meadows, she said.
“You’re seeing more celebrities at the US Open than at New York Fashion Week,” Tate told The Post.
“It’s a who’s-who of New York. More and more people are going, influencers, celebrities, so I think more people are like OK, this is the place to be, so let’s go.”
Famous faces like Phoebe Dynevor of Netflix “Bridgerton” fame, “The Outfit” actress Zoey Deutch, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin and Kerry Washington hobnobbed in luxury boxes — many clad in classic all-white tennis attire — this week while sipping Honey Deuce cocktails made with Grey Goose vodka, one of several high-end booze brands prominently featured at the tournament.
Also in the audience at Tuesday’s matchup at Louis Armstrong Stadium between 2021 Open champ Daniil Medvedev and Dusan Lajovic, five young women wearing matching pleated Suzanne Lenglen-style tennis skirts all had their phones out filming the match for social media.
Pours of Moët in metallic champagne flutes set attendees back a cool $32, but the sky-high prices were no obstacle for scores of elegantly dressed ladies of luxury, who clutched the flashy vessels alongside their designer purses.
Influencers and “WAGs” like Morgan Riddle — girlfriend of US tennis star Taylor Fritz — have made an art form out of creating Instagram posts with a tennis angle, including courtside glamor shots at Wimbledon last month.
Social media has played a big role in the Open’s transformation in recent years, said Stagaard, adding the allure of being able to experience an exclusive event in this way — even without tickets — is a big draw for younger audiences.
“The audience is changing a bit, the media landscape has changed, but it’s still something only the coolest people get to go to, but more people can show off they were part of it because there’s all of these new ways you can show off like you were there without actually being there,” she said.
The influencer-heavy turnout isn’t surprising considering young people have become the Holy Grail marketing demographic for many firms, she noted.
“Every brand, every client I have and their mother is trying to reach a younger audience. They’re on Instagram, they’re on TikTok, when you’re trying to reach that younger audience that’s where you’ve got to be.”
Conspicuous branding has become a cornerstone of the final leg of the Grand Slam tournament, and companies seem to be leaning into the influencer culture with flashy displays and mellow lounges where attendees can pose for pics or take in the sights.
“I think brands want to be associated with the US Open. Tickets are expensive, it’s a very kind of luxury sport, so I think you’re seeing influencers and brands want to be associated with it in a way that perhaps they don’t want to be associated with other sporting events,” Ebony Lewkovitz, founder of NYC-based PR firm Eden Communications told The Post.
Based on what she saw at the first night of the tourney, she believes its influencer-centricity will only increase in the years to come.
“This concept of brands like Moët and Aperol and American Express, even Chase having lounges where people can go and pose in front of Instagram installations and have these courtside experiences is something I think is relatively new and is only going to become bigger.”
Part of the appeal might also lie in the US Open being widely considered a “feel-good” type of event, where there’s “nothing inherently political or controversial” about it that might dissuade brands from associating themselves with it, Lewkovitz noted.
Tonia Mancino, Senior Brand Director at Heineken USA — a US Open partner for more than 30 years — said the growing excitement around tennis in pop culture in recent years has transformed how they look to engage with fans.
“It’s been a crucial part of our strategy to ensure we’re engaging with fans not only on the ground but from afar as well with the help of our different celebrity and influencer partners.”
The soaring popularity of the event is evident in the ticket sales, according to Logitix, which points out that the number of tickets sold through the secondary market this year has jumped by over 25% — and prices have spiked right alongside them.
“The increasing demand for US Open tickets can be attributed to the unique experience it offers, which goes beyond just seeing the world’s best tennis players compete on the court,” said Travis Apple, Logitix’s chief revenue officer.
“For many sports fans, attending the US Open has become an annual tradition, a must-see event that they return to year after year,” Apple said.
“As a social event, the US Open has evolved into a premier experience where fans can enjoy gourmet food and drinks, including the famous Honey Deuce, live music, and activations, all in an iconic setting that comes alive for these two weeks.”
Attendee Marie Davis, 39, of Greenpoint, admitted she wasn’t much of a tennis fan — even sharing she only found out who was playing an hour earlier — but said going to the event was a great way to enjoy a summer evening in the Big Apple.
“It’s the atmosphere. They’ve done a really nice job,” she said, Honey Deuce in hand. “We’re here on a nice summer evening to enjoy a bit of tennis and a few drinks.”
— Additional reporting by Johnny Oleksinski
