US Open: ‘Glam Slam’ all influencers want to be seen at with a $23 Honey Deuce
Wimbledon has long been the ultimate destination for tennis lovers, yet the US Open is making ground on the grass court extravaganza in London in one key area.
For wannabe and genuine influencers, Flushing Meadows has become the place to be seen for the two weeks of the US Open, with Instagram and TikTok loaded with images from the final Grand Slam of the year in recent days.
From tennis royalty Serena Williams and Roger Federer to Hollywood giants Kevin Hart, Hugh Jackman and Ben Stiller, attending the final major of 2024 was a bucket list moment they could not miss.
With ticket prices soaring, a trip to the US Open is no longer the cut-price sporting event it used to be.
Yet that has not put off those who chase likes and followers to flock to the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre and all who get inside the grounds want to be seen with what has become the ultimate US Open accessory – the Honey Duece.
So what goes into this signature US Open drink?
The vodka drink, created by restaurateur Nick Mautone, mixes Grey Goose vodka with raspberry liqueur and lemonade.
As an extra touch, it also features honeydew melon balls, presented on a toothpick, that have the look of tennis balls.
The full run-down of ingredients looks like this:
40 ml GREY GOOSE® Vodka
90 ml Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
10 ml Premium Raspberry Liqueur
3 Honeydew Melon Balls
Wimbledon has its Pimm’s cocktail, but Honey Duece has become the must-have drink at the US Open, with the plastic cup that comes with it part of the appeal for fans who take it home as a souvenir.
At $23, this cocktail doesn’t come cheap, but that is not putting off fans from lapping up a drink that is tipped to generate around $10million of revenue for US Open organisers over the course of the tournament.
Instagram posts have been loaded with fans holding a Honey Deuce, with Serena Williams emerging as the biggest promoter of Honey Duece at this year’s US Open after a TikTok post showing her lapping up the drink.
“Okay, so I’m at the US Open and I’m having the famous drink,” the 23-time Grand Slam title holder began her TikTok video on Sunday.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Have you ever had one?’ And I’m like, ‘No,’ because I’ve always been playing.”
Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle has been at the heart of the social media action at this year’s US Open, as she has been partying with her friends at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre as her fella has made it through the semi-finals for the first time in his career.
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With 365k followers on Instagram, Riddle is taking tennis to a very different audience, with Fritz telling Tennis365 that the sport needs to reach out to fans who are not just tennis lovers.
“I think that is the most important thing we need to do in our sport,” Fritz told Tennis365, as he advocated for tennis players to be given more exposure on a global media platform.
“When I think back to tennis players and sports stars that I admired or paid attention to it was always because firstly I valued their abilities on the court or on the field, and secondly because I connected with their story and the stories of those around them.
“Tennis has to do a better job in telling those stories. If you look at F1 now for example, people are captivated by F1 because Drive to Survive did an amazing job of letting people into that world and telling the stories of the drivers.
“Now the fans feel more connected than ever because they know the man under the helmet, and because of that, they feel more invested.
“I grew up gaming a lot (still do) and watching YouTube videos and YouTube creators, so I know how many alternative entertainment options there are out there for young people.
“We as a sport have to figure out how to better reach that audience and bring a younger crowd into tennis. I don’t know what the answer is, but we have to make some changes to find a better balance between the great traditions of tennis, which I love and value, and what that new audience is looking for.”
Morgan and her fellow influencers are lifting the profile of tennis to new heights at the US Open, with Honey Duece never far from their thoughts.
