How social media boosted the 2023 US Open

The 2023 US Open captured the public’s attention with more than 3.4 million viewers, up 27% from last year’s tournament. In addition to the television audience, the tournament benefited from its share of social media coverage which generated buzz.

Here are some notable social media moments from this year’s US Open.

The US Open goes all out on TikTok

The US Open may be 142 years old, but it established TikTok’s entire presence. The institution’s official TikTok account delivered a steady stream of engaging content covering everything from the latest stats on the field to relevant pop culture moments to celebrities in the stands.

Tennis does not have a reputation for being an accessible sport, however, the conversational and informal coverage of the US Open on TikTok made the rest of the tournament fun and accessible to passive fans who may not have tuned in to watch live.

Coco Gauff’s big victory

America has a new sweetheart: tennis champion Coco Gauff. On Saturday, Gauff, 19, defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open, becoming the second youngest player to achieve the feat since Serena Williams won at age 17 in 1999.

Immediately after her big win, Gauff’s family was seen wearing matching New Balance t-shirts that read “Call Me Coco Champion.” The placement of the shirts was important in post-match interviews as Gauff thanked his family. After the win, fans took to Google to search terms like: “coco gauff shirt”, “call me coco champion shirt” and “call me coco new balance”.

New Balance was ready and quickly received the shirts listed on its site for sale.

In true Gen Z fashion, Gauff quickly took to her own TikTok account to share a few celebratory posts using trending sounds following her win. Later in the weekend, she also took to Instagram Live to chat with fans about her future plans.

How it started and how it’s going

Speaking of Gauff’s victory, a clip went viral over the weekend for showing the ultimate “how it started and how it’s going.” The video begins with footage of eight-year-old Gauff dancing in the stands at the 2012 US Open and ends with a clip of her winning shot at this year’s Open.

Not only did the clip generate widespread interest across all platforms, but it also served as an inspiring message for the next generation of tennis players.

With all the buzz surrounding the US Open in recent weeks, tennis may have gotten a few points ahead in its famous pickleball rivalry.