{"id":110186,"date":"2025-09-01T05:22:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T05:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/110186\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T05:22:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T05:22:08","slug":"with-tennis-fandom-on-the-rise-the-us-open-and-sponsoring-brands-put-the-focus-on-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/110186\/","title":{"rendered":"With tennis fandom on the rise, the US Open and sponsoring brands put the focus on fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Open has long attracted commercial attention<\/a> as brands seek to capitalize on the star power of tennis players like two-time champion Naomi Osaka or emerging contender Ben Shelton. But with attendance steadily growing, new initiatives and activations are putting the focus not solely on the athletes, but also on the fans \u2014 whether they\u2019re there for the tennis, or for the vibes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of those brands putting the focus on fans is Dove. In its inaugural year as an official U.S. Open partner, the body-care brand teamed up with influencer Estefania Pessoa \u2014 better known by her moniker of Tefi \u2014 to announce to her 1.9 million TikTok followers and 400,000 Instagram followers the chance to compete to act as Dove\u2019s \u201cofficial underarm correspondent\u201d during the U.S. Open. Out of more than 100 submissions, Dove chose New Yorker Flora Manon to attend the Open during the third round of the singles championships, where she will create social content for the brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an amazing group of fans that might not be such experts in the game of tennis, but just love the culture. And it\u2019s a really fun space to be in,\u201d said Dana Paolucci, head of PR and influence for Dove. According to Paolucci, the social media contest drove more than 22,000 engagements, and Dove has handed out more 100,000 mini deodorant samples at its on-site booth at Flushing Meadows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSocial media has really helped people have more access [to tennis] and get more excited, even if they\u2019re not able to attend, by getting more connected to the players and their stories,\u201d said Paolucci of the sport\u2019s growing appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other U.S. Open brand partners include tequila maker Dobel, which is tempting fans to the tournament with not just cocktails but also the chance at romance. The brand partnered with the U.S. Open to create \u201cGame, Set, Matchmaker,\u201d a dating show hosted by figure skater and influencer Ilana Sedaka that pairs fans up on blind dates. The U.S. Open will air installments of the show on its YouTube channel throughout the 2025 tournament.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those initiatives speak to a growing tennis fanbase that goes beyond those who follow the sport, but also those who tune in for fashion and lifestyle content surrounding the field. Figures like Morgan Riddle<\/a>, girlfriend of the U.S. tennis star Taylor Fritz, and Paige Lorenze, who announced her engagement to American player Tommy Paul in July, have been prominent faces in and around the tournament in recent years. That increased awareness helped the 2024 U.S. Open draw more than 1 million attendees for the first time in the tournament\u2019s history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The shift to audience-focused initiatives also comes at a time when the costs of partnering with professional influencers have grown higher as full-time content creators increase their rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shift toward fan-focused activations in large part stems from the brand desire to build a loyal and excited community base,\u201d said Erin Ally, vp at influencer and creator agency Bobbie. \u201cWorking with players is one entry point to capture attention, but if you can also show up in a way that allows fans to get a sense of who you are as a brand firsthand and feels like a natural extension of an event they already enjoy, the more memorable the brand will be for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the 2025 tournament, the U.S. Open has also experimented with new ways to attract attendees, such as by beefing up its Fan Week. The free week that opens the tournament each year is usually limited to qualifying matches, but this year included the Mixed Doubles tournament for the first time, bringing out stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu to the court ahead of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s singles tournaments. The expanded format paid off: A record-breaking 239,307<\/a> guests turned out for 2025\u2019s Fan Week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some longtime fans, however, the increased attention on tennis comes with its downsides. Ticket prices have shot up<\/a> for the U.S. Open from $69 for an entry-level ticket in 2015 to $169 for a grounds pass in 2025. And some attendees have bemoaned that the atmosphere feels more focused on influencers<\/a> than the sport itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some off-site events leaned into tennis\u2019s fashionable vibes over hardcore sports knowledge. K\u00e9rastase and meme account Overheard hosted a Wednesday evening cocktail event to promote the hair-care brand\u2019s Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops and allow fans to watch the Open, if they chose \u2014\u00a0cocktail napkins at the event read, \u201cIt\u2019s that time of year again where I pretend to care about sports.\u201d According to K\u00e9rastase, the 100-person event exceeded RSVPs within 24 hours, and its U.S.-centered social content from paid creators has generated 5 million views.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On-site at Flushing Meadows, many fans have turned out for the food and drink offerings as much as the matches. The 2024 U.S. Open sold more than half a million of the famous Grey Goose-sponsored Honeydeuce cocktail, which goes for $23 a pop and has become near-mandatory Instagram and TikTok fodder for tournament attendees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And those who can\u2019t get to Flushing can still get a piece of the U.S. Open: Would-be fans can get a Honeydeuce cocktail outside the tournament at locations like a Grey Goose Grand Central Terminal pop-up or at Lower East Side bar Ray\u2019s. For some fans, that\u2019s as good as seeing the tournament itself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n