With tennis fandom on the rise, the U.S. Open and sponsoring brands put the focus on fans
By Emily Jensen • September 3, 2025 •
Ivy Liu
This story was first published by Digiday sibling Glossy.
The U.S. Open has long attracted commercial attention 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 — whether they’re there for the tennis, or for the vibes.
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 — better known by her moniker of Tefi — to announce to her 1.9 million TikTok followers and 400,000 Instagram followers the chance to compete to act as Dove’s “official underarm correspondent” 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.
“There’s an amazing group of fans that might not be such experts in the game of tennis, but just love the culture. And it’s a really fun space to be in,” 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.
“Social media has really helped people have more access [to tennis] and get more excited, even if they’re not able to attend, by getting more connected to the players and their stories,” said Paolucci of the sport’s growing appeal.
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 “Game, Set, Matchmaker,” 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.
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, 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’s history.
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.
“This shift toward fan-focused activations in large part stems from the brand desire to build a loyal and excited community base,” said Erin Ally, vp at influencer and creator agency Bobbie. “Working 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.”
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’s and women’s singles tournaments. The expanded format paid off: A record-breaking 239,307 guests turned out for 2025’s Fan Week.
For some longtime fans, however, the increased attention on tennis comes with its downsides. Ticket prices have shot up 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 than the sport itself.
Some off-site events leaned into tennis’s fashionable vibes over hardcore sports knowledge. Kérastase and meme account Overheard hosted a Wednesday evening cocktail event to promote the hair-care brand’s Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops and allow fans to watch the Open, if they chose — cocktail napkins at the event read, “It’s that time of year again where I pretend to care about sports.” According to Kérastase, the 100-person event exceeded RSVPs within 24 hours, and its U.S.-centered social content from paid creators has generated 5 million views.
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.
And those who can’t 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’s. For some fans, that’s as good as seeing the tournament itself.
