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US Open Denies Influencer Claims Over Revoked Tournament Credentials

Two social media influencers claim their US Open access was revoked after posting photos of their passes online, but tournament officials state the credentials were obtained improperly through a food vendor’s staff list.

US Open Denies Influencer Claims Over Revoked Tournament Credentials

Two New York-based social media influencers have alleged they were ejected from the US Open and stripped of their tournament credentials shortly after sharing images of their passes on Instagram. Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, who operate the content creation account The VIP List, claim their access was abruptly terminated while they were dining at the venue, preventing them from attending any matches.

The pair, who described themselves as long-time tennis enthusiasts, stated they had secured their passes through a partnership with a restaurant located at the tournament grounds. According to the influencers, they were enjoying a meal when they were informed their credentials were no longer valid, a development they attributed to their decision to post photos of the passes on their social media stories.

Tournament Officials Dispute Influencer Account

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has offered a different explanation for the incident. Brendan McIntyre, the USTA’s managing director for the US Open, stated that the influencers were never officially credentialed as media or content creators. Instead, he clarified that the pair had been incorrectly submitted for access via a staff list provided by a food vendor, rather than through the tournament’s formal media accreditation process.