The debate over influencers at the US Open has intensified, with two content creators claiming they were removed from the event after drawing attention online.
While the Grand Slam has helped bring a new wave of fans to tennis in recent years, this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows has faced growing criticism over the visible presence of social media personalities.
That tension escalated Thursday when two influencers said their access was cut off and their credentials were revoked.
According to the pair, the issue began after they shared images of their tournament credentials on social media while heading to dinner at a restaurant they had partnered with during the US Open.
‘We post our credentials on our story. We go to our favorite restaurant. Have a nice steak dinner. We’re downing Honey Deuces. We’re having a great time, haven’t even made it to court yet,’ Radice told TMZ.
Two influencers say their US Open credentials were revoked this week
Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens claimed they were removed after sharing their credentials online
‘Within two hours of us leaving, we were told we could no longer use our credentials. We were heartbroken and we still are,’ Jongens added.
Redice and Jongens received the passes through through a partnership with one of their favorite restaurants at the Open, then posted photos of the credentials to Instagram Stories this week.
They insisted that they were unaware they had broken any rules by sharing their credentials and have attended the tournament for the past three years.
The duo described themselves as ‘diehard’ tennis fans and said that they had intended to film content at the Grand Slam over the course of the two weeks, branding it a ‘dream’ opportunity.
‘We were there to be respectful and follow the rules and just have a good time and show content to our followers about how amazing the US Open is,’ Jongens added to TMZ.
‘We were like, what do you mean? We had our credentials just stripped away within two hours before we even get to see a match. How does this happen?’ Radice questioned.
‘It was taken away like that. Just because we wanted to show how hot we looked in our credentials,’ Radice added.
The pair pleaded with the USTA to allow them to return, saying: ‘We don’t even need an apology, we just want to go back.’
Radice and Jongens are NYC-based influencers who run the social media account The VIP Lis
They received the passes through through a partnership with one of their favorite restaurants
The duo described themselves as ‘diehard’ tennis fans, intending to film content at the event
They bemoaned the fact that they had cancelled plans for the two weeks and planned their outfits to be able to attend the event.
This year’s tournament has seen the number of influencers at the event almost boule with the USTA credentialing 100 content creators.
Yet, the impromptu photoshoot between points, chatting and moving around have caused quite the stir at Arthur Ashe, leaving traditional tennis fans disgruntled over the lack of etiquette.
Earlier in the week, Naomi Osaka was forced to wait until the chair umpire had chided a group of spectators in one of Arthur Ashe’s hospitality suites.
‘Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat,’ the chair umpire announced to the stadium, as the broadcast camera panned to a group milling freely within their prime seats, taking pictures and talking.
Elsewhere in the stands, another spectator was heard calling out: ‘The players are ready!’
When the stadium had stilled somewhat, Osaka returned to her serve but struggled with her ball toss, apologizing as she reset.
Guests of a US Open hospitality suite were told off by a chair umpire for taking pictures during a game, seemingly using a portable light (ringed)
One social media user called out ‘influencers’ for taking pictures while action was ongoing
Footage captured from another spectator of the group on social media later showed them posing as a group, allegedly during a game, with a person who appeared to be a member of US Open staff holding up a portable light to help them capture the shot.
The social media clip showed another spectator on the same evening posing in front of the court with a portable light, also allegedly during live matchplay.
When contacted by Daily Mail Sport for comment on the incident, Brendan McIntyre, head of US Open communications said: ‘We want our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend the US Open, but we also need to ensure that does not interfere with the action and competition on the court.
‘These instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur.’
