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They were living their best influencer life at the U.S. Open—and then the boom got lowered.
Influencers Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens say they were kicked out of the U.S. Open after posting photos of their credentials online, and the whole thing went down faster than a serve in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The women, of the Instagram account The VIP List, tell TMZ they partnered with one of their favorite restaurants at the tournament and planned to film content throughout the event. They’d been attending the Open for three years, so the invite felt legit. But here’s where it got real: they were thrilled to receive credentials after attending the Open for the past three years, but after they posted photos showing them off on Instagram Stories, they went to the restaurant for dinner and drinks, but before making it to the tennis courts, they were informed their credentials could no longer be used, with their access stripped just two hours after they arrived. Two hours. In and out. Game over.
The kicker? The influencers insist they had no idea posting the credentials violated any rules. They’re now begging for mercy—telling anyone who listens they just want back in, no apology needed. But the USTA has gone silent. What they may not know is that this whole situation is happening against the backdrop of something way bigger: the influencer takeover of tennis itself.
This year, the U.S. Open went ALL IN on the creator economy. The U.S. Tennis Association awarded approximately 100 content creators credentials, up from 54 in 2025, to amplify the tournament’s reach on social media. That’s nearly a 100% jump in just one year. And yeah, it worked—last year’s creator cohort generated more than 5.5 million social engagements. Money moves. But the downside hit immediately. During Naomi Osaka’s match against Anastasia Zakharova, influencers inside Arthur Ashe Stadium caused enough noise mid-point that the chair umpire paused play and shushed the group, with a viral video showing a group of influencers filming a TikTok inside a luxury suite while yelling a line in unison, with a couple seated below them looking visibly irritated. The internet went CRAZY. People were calling it cringe, disrespectful, a violation of sacred tennis etiquette.
So Radice and Jongens became collateral damage in the culture war between tennis purists and the creator economy. The USTA invited them, gave them passes, let them through—and then nuked their access the moment they did what any influencer does: shared it. The irony is sharp. You’re invited to grow the brand online, but the second you actually post about being there, you’re out. No warning. No “read the fine print.” Just a security guard saying your credentials are no good.
The bigger picture is wild too. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula admitted influencer activity can help tennis, but said some of it has become “a bit disrespectful” to players. Players are catching heat for ring lights during their serves. Fans are pissed about paying $300+ for grounds passes while 100 creators get freebies to film content. And now two influencers who actually tried to do the right thing got yeeted out of the tournament.
The 16BARS take: The U.S. Open wanted the influencer era without the influencer chaos—and that’s impossible. You can’t invite 100 creators, nearly triple the credentials you had, and then be shocked when they act like creators. Radice and Jongens got played by the machine they were supposed to feed.
