The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) introduces a dedicated credential program for social media creators at this year’s U.S. Open, marking a shift toward courting younger audiences through diverse content creation.

Approximately 50 creators spanning food and beverage, lifestyle, entertainment, fashion, and family niches now produce content at the tournament with official credentials, Jonathan Zipper, who oversees social media at the USTA, tells Reuters.

“We have a wide array of creators generating organic content through their unique lenses,” Zipper says. “They highlight all of the activities around the U.S. Open, not just the tennis, which of course is the centerpiece, but we’ve built what is essentially a creator playground on the grounds.”

The program offers creators easier access to tournament grounds and additional perks, including food and beverages. Cory Muroff, co-founder of fashion-focused OOTD (outfit of the day), documents style at this year’s tournament, capturing fashionable tennis fans as they navigate the venue.

“Creator coverage is really important and, as the years go on, it’s going to be even more important,” Muroff notes. “It’s really cool to see USTA be the first to do this type of coverage, and I think other festivals, events, and sporting leagues … they’re going to catch on.”

Engagement Metrics Drive Strategy

The U.S. Open generated a record 2.3 billion engagements through its platforms during last year’s three-week period. The organization sets a higher internal target for this year, but declines to disclose the figure.

Wimbledon’s successful social media approach this season serves as inspiration. The UK grass-court tournament’s social channels generated 5,844 content posts throughout the season, resulting in 144 million engagements (a 26% year-on-year increase) and 2.7 billion video views (a 71% increase). Wimbledon’s social media audience increased by 2.3 million to 23.5 million, representing a 12% annual growth rate.

Broader Sports Creator Trend

The USTA initiative aligns with similar creator-focused strategies across major sports leagues. The NBA expanded its creator program for the 2024-25 season, introducing new partnerships and content-sharing initiatives. Last season’s NBA creator initiatives generated 650 million video views across the league’s digital channels.

TikTok and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) recently announced a global content partnership, which includes the creation of a Tennis Creator Network. This network will provide TikTok creators with exclusive access to ATP Tour events. The #tennis community on TikTok has grown 30% in 2025, with more than 1.8 million posts transforming how fans engage with the sport.

ESPN also embraces the creator economy, signing Katie Feeney, a sports and lifestyle content creator with more than 14 million social media followers, to create content across the network’s digital channels and appear on premier football programming. According to ESPN, engagement rates for creator content are up to 13 times higher than typical social platform benchmarks.

“We understand how media consumption is changing, and content creators are a key part of that,” Zipper says, confirming the USTA credential program for social media creators will likely return next year.