This isn't the U.S. Open your grandpa watched.
The annual tennis tournament is more popular than ever, becoming a hot ticket for celebrities, influencers and brands looking for attention.
“These are like extravagant socialite events that are hard to get into, and there's nothing cooler than influencers being in places that no one else can get into,” Meg Staggered, vice president of New York-based PR firm 42West, told The Washington Post.
Over the next two weeks, crowds of visitors to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens can look forward to Instagram-worthy exhibits, celebrity sightings and trendy cocktails.
Rumor has it that tennis will also be played there.
A record crowd of about 75,000 people attended the opening day, Monday, according to ticket sales technology company Logistics, with many of them there to watch world-class tennis from big-name stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
But some people willingly admit they're just there to watch.
“I just came to soak up the atmosphere,” Morgan Ridgway, 26, a teacher from Bloomfield, New Jersey, said outside the stadium on Monday, dressed in all white and a straw hat, adding that she was “trying to look the part.”
“I'm not a huge fan, but some of my family is going so I got tickets,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to sipping a few Honeyduce, the tournament's signature cocktail that has become a social media hit since its debut at the stadium in 2007.
Also in attendance was Maggie Tate, 39, from Chelsea, a self-described fashion and lifestyle influencer who has more than 42,000 followers on Instagram and said it was her “fifth or sixth year” attending the British Open.
She said the event has become so popular thanks in large part to the glamorous celebrities who make the pilgrimage to Flushing Meadows.
“You see more celebrities at the U.S. Open than at New York Fashion Week,” Tate told The Post.
“This is where the big names of New York hang out. More and more people are visiting – influencers, celebrities – so I think more people are saying, let's go because this is the place to be.”
Celebrities like Phoebe Dynevor of Netflix's “Bridgerton” fame, “The Outfit” actresses Zoey Deutch, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin and Kerry Washington mingled in plush booths this week, many of them dressed in classic all-white tennis attire and sipping Honey Deuce cocktails made with Grey Goose vodka, one of the premium liquor brands featured at the tournament.
And at Tuesday's match between 2021 Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Dusan Lajovic at Louis Armstrong Stadium, five young women in Suzanne Lenglen-style pleated tennis skirts all had their phones out to film the match for social media.
The Moet wine, served in a metal champagne glass, was a hefty $32, but that didn't seem to matter to the elegantly dressed, high-end ladies clutching flashy glasses and designer handbags.
Influencers and “WAGs” like Morgan Liddle, girlfriend of US tennis star Taylor Fritz, have made crafting an art form. Posting on Instagram from a tennis perspectiveIt also includes glamorous shots from courtside at Wimbledon last month.
Social media has played a major role in transforming the British Open in recent years, and the allure of experiencing such an exclusive event without a ticket has become a big draw for younger spectators.
“The audience is changing a little bit, the media landscape has changed, but it's still a place only the coolest people can go, but there are lots of new ways to make it look like you were there even if you weren't, so more people can brag about attending,” Staggerd said.
She noted that the high participation rate of influencers is not surprising, given that young people have become the marketing holy grail demographic for many companies.
“All my brands, all my clients and their moms are trying to reach a younger audience. They're on Instagram, they're on TikTok. If you want to reach a younger audience, you need to be there.”
Visible branding has become a staple of Grand Slam finals, with companies leaning into influencer culture with flashy displays and chill-out lounges where attendees can take photos and take in the views.
“I think brands want to be associated with the U.S. Open. Tickets are expensive, it's a very luxury sport, so I think influencers and brands might not want to be associated with other sporting events, but they want to be associated with the U.S. Open,” Ebony Lewkowicz, founder of New York-based PR firm Eden Communications, told The Post.
Based on what she saw on the tournament's opening night, she believes influencer-centricity will only get stronger in the future.
Annie Warmiel/NY Post
“The concept of brands like Moet, Aperol, American Express and even Chase having lounges where people can pose in front of Instagram installations and have courtside experiences is relatively new and I think it's only going to get bigger.”
Part of the appeal may also be that the U.S. Open is widely considered a “feel good” type of event, with “nothing inherently political or controversial” that would deter brands from associating themselves with it, Lewkowicz said.
The event's growing popularity is showing up in ticket sales, with the number of tickets sold on the secondary market up by more than 25% this year, and prices soaring accordingly, according to Logitix.
“Demand for U.S. Open tickets is growing because the event offers a unique experience that goes beyond watching the world's best tennis players compete on the court,” said Travis Apple, Logitix's chief revenue officer.
“For many sports fans, attending the U.S. Open has become an annual tradition and a must-attend event each year,” Apple said.
“The U.S. Open as a social event has evolved into a premium experience where fans can enjoy gourmet food and drinks, including our famous Honeydeuces, live music and activations in a vibrant, iconic atmosphere for just two weeks.”
Attendee Marie Davis, 39, of Greenpoint, admitted she's not a tennis fan and even revealed she only found out who was playing an hour beforehand, but said going to the event was a great way to enjoy a summer evening in the Big Apple.
“It's a great atmosphere. They've done a really great job,” she said, holding a Honeyduce. “We came here for some tennis and drinks on a nice summer evening.”
—Additional reporting by Johnny Oleksinskiy
