Flushing Meadows is not all fun and games.
Influencers Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, known for their social media account The VIP List, stated on Friday that they were removed from the U.S. Open just two hours after sharing photos of their credentials online.
The duo had obtained their credentials through a partnership with a restaurant and intended to create content over a two-week period at Flushing Meadows, which they described as a “dream” opportunity.
However, the USTA clarified that Radice and Jongens were never actually credentialed in the first place.
“These individuals were not credentialed as media or content creators,” the USTA stated in a release to The Post. “They were improperly submitted on a staff list provided by a food vendor. Vendors are not authorized to credential media, content creators, or external individuals as part of their staff.”
“We review credentials throughout the tournament to ensure compliance with all U.S. Open policies. Upon discovering that these individuals had been improperly credentialed, we revoked their access and reminded vendors of our policy.”
Although Radice and Jongens lacked official media credentials, the terms of the passes explicitly prohibit photographing and sharing them online.
This incident marks the latest in a series of controversies involving influencers at this year’s U.S. Open. While the sport’s final Grand Slam is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere, players and spectators have objected to certain fan behaviors.
On Monday, a chair umpire paused the first-round match between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova to request that a group of influencers in a suite cease using distracting floodlights to film themselves during play.
A public notice was issued at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center urging attendees to “refrain from the use of flash photography or other lighting during match play. Thank you and enjoy the tennis!”
“I can appreciate one side of it, but I think we have the other side literally interrupting matches—it gets a little tough,” said American player Jessica Pegula.
According to both the tournament officials and the influencers themselves, Radice and Jongens did not cause any disturbances beyond the credential issue during the two hours before they were asked to leave the premises.
