Pickups at LaGuardia Airport's private terminal. Chef-prepared dinners: She makes sure celebrities at the U.S. Open watch tennis in style.

There’s Ben Stiller, front row for the Taylor Fritz–Novak Djokovic match, watching every point with intent. Beside him, Owen Wilson. A few seats down? Elizabeth Banks. And that’s just a sampling from one night session at the U.S. Open, America's biggest and loudest professional tennis tournament. Some of the biggest names haven’t even touched down in Queens, N.Y., yet — but as the tournament stakes get higher, so does the celebrity wattage.

Even non-tennis fans can get swept up in the other sport happening outside of the courts: celebrity watching. Behind the velvet ropes and perfectly chilled champagne, there’s one person making sure the stars are seated at the right match, the caviar-topped chicken nuggets are boxed up and the Honey Deuces are flowing.

Enter Amanda Wight, who leads the program. While her team does “a little outreach” to secure high-profile names to watch tennis’ biggest talents duke it out on the court, this year from Aug. 18 to Sept. 7, she says her inbox is filled up with asks — and her phone doesn’t stop buzzing.

“Mostly the requests come directly to us — through friends of the Open, agents or even players who have celebrity friends, either other athletes or entertainers,” Wight tells Yahoo.

The star power might look effortless, but it’s the result of thoughtful planning and behind-the-scenes coordination. In fact, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has a role specifically carved out to manage VIP engagement and celebrity experience. Plenty of stars want tickets, but not everyone gets one. In recent years, the guest list has become far more intentional.

The invite list

While the USTA team plans year-round, the real surge of requests comes in the summer.

“Once it hits the start of August, then it’s [fielding] hundreds and hundreds of requests,” Wight says.

These celebrities aren’t buying their own passes; the very important — and the very, very important — aren’t paying. “The majority of them are invited guests,” she says. “We have very few celebrities who are actually purchasing tickets.”

While Wight and her team have a set number for celebrity ticket allocation, they say it is “finite.” Once they review the requests, it becomes a careful game of curation — weighing star power, cultural relevance and timing to determine who gets in, where they sit and how to make the most of their appearance. Especially for the two biggest days of the tournament.

“We know everyone wants to attend the women’s and men’s finals,” Wight says, which will be taking place on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, respectively. “We really focus on the highest-profile names — from entertainment and sports, to fashion and tech — and we prioritize those who align with what the U.S. Open represents on a global stage. ... We try to keep it at the highest level that we can.”

Those people sit at the top of the invite hierarchy. And the bigger the name, the later their attendance tends to get confirmed.

In 2024, that included Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who decided to attend the men’s final just 36 hours before the event. They joined Patrick and Brittany Mahomes in the ESPN suite — setting off a flurry of calls, approvals and security walk-throughs. “We try to keep it under wraps, but still plan shots of their arrival and seating,” Wight says. “We know where everyone is seated so that broadcasters and photographers can capture them.”

The Open experience, celebrity style

For those invited or approved with one of the USTA's allotted tickets, the experience begins long before the first serve. Transportation is often arranged — from black cars picking up talent around Manhattan to more high-touch service for guests arriving by private jet or helicopter.

“We’ll do pickups at LaGuardia’s private terminal,” Wight says.

Once on-site at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, VVIPs are typically placed in either the President’s Suite or the Emirates Suite, two of the most exclusive hospitality spaces in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The President’s Suite is a two-story, invite-only space with its own private entrance, top-shelf open bar and private ballroom for intimate dinners. Regular guests include Anna Wintour, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alec Baldwin and Vera Wang.

“[It] can be most aligned to the Royal Box [at Wimbledon]. Obviously, we have a little bit more wiggle room because we don’t have royals in our President’s Suite,” Wight says. “There’s a formal dinner every evening that guests can attend, there’s allocated seating. That one’s a little bit more buttoned up.”

Emirates’ hospitality suite spans nearly 1,400 square feet and offers direct sightlines to center court, exclusive cocktails and elevated bites. It’s one of the largest in the stadium — essentially the size of four standard suites combined.

“There’s a chef preparing food for everyone and they’re waited on for their beverage services,” Wight says. “It’s very comfortable and a fun vibe, of course, particularly in the evening session.”

Neither suite is available to the public for purchase. Instead, they’re used to host celebrities, dignitaries and select guests from the USTA and its partners.

Wight says guests tend to arrive early before the match begins for a cocktail or stay after it ends to mingle — but everything is managed quietly and discreetly.

Not every celebrity ends up in a box and not every seat comes from the USTA. However, Wight and her team work closely with their corporate sponsors to make sure if a star is coming through, they get the blue carpet treatment.

“Courtside is mostly sponsor-based,” Wight says. “Emirates has a couple of seats. Sometimes we can flip people in and [out of the suite] depending on who’s coming and who we want to have courtside.”

That’s why you might spot stars like Rory McIlroy, Tom Brady, John Mulaney or Olivia Munn sitting just a few feet from the baseline — as they have during this tournament. Some come through sponsors. Others are invited by players. And sometimes, if there’s room and the name is big enough, Wight’s team finds them a seat.

“It’s a mix,” she says. “Players will reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’m coming — can I get a seat in the player area? Can I warm up with so-and-so? Can I stop by the lounge?’ And we try to make it happen. They’re their friends, after all.”

Incorporating influencers

It’s not just Hollywood A-listers and iconic athletes filling up the Open’s guest list. In recent years, the USTA has also been expanding its reach by incorporating influencers — from beauty creators and fashion TikTokers to sports personalities with massive online followings. According to the USTA, more invites have gone to digital creators in the years since the COVID pandemic, as the tournament looks to broaden its cultural footprint.

Some still roll their eyes at influencers getting A-list treatment, but that’s just how the game is played now. The goal is simple: reach new audiences in the places they’re already scrolling.

Influencer guests might not land in the President’s Suite or show up in a broadcast cutaway next to Gigi and Bella Hadid, but their impact is still measurable. Blue carpet photos, courtside selfies and Get Ready With Me-style vlogs rack up millions of impressions — and help position the U.S. Open as a relevant, stylish and aspirational cultural moment, not just a sporting event.

The USTA wants people with big online followings at the stadium, like Giggly Squad podcast hosts Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo, who both attended this year.

On the other end of the influence spectrum are the WAGs — like Dairy Boy founder Paige Lorenze and Morgan Riddle, who both have massive online followings and serious courtside presence. Riddle, dubbed “the most famous woman in men’s tennis,” is dating Taylor Fritz; Lorenze is engaged to Tommy Paul. Technically, they’re “within the tennis family,” Wight says — but their ability to drive buzz (and rack up views) puts them right in the influencer mix.

“We really want to try and lean into that because they do attract new audiences that we’re trying to grow,” she says.

You might expect the influencer crowd to accidentally disrupt play — snapping selfies with the flash on or filming during points — but Wight says etiquette has never been an issue.

“They're all pretty well behaved, to be honest,” she says.

More than a match

For all the glitz and glamour, the U.S. Open is still, at its core, a tennis tournament. But in 2025, celebrity culture doesn’t just orbit the sport; it elevates it. Whether it’s a suite cameo from a pop icon or a TikTok creator capturing the perfect tennis skirt twirl, the off-court visibility amplifies what happens on it.

Let's not forget, the stars in the stands aren’t just there to be seen — they’re often showing up to see someone specific. With players like Jannik Sinner, Naomi Osakaand Carlos Alcaraz competing, many celebrities are superfans of individual athletes and time their visits accordingly. "That just adds to the cachet," says Cankham.

At a major sporting event where luxury hospitality and influencer strategy now play alongside world-class tennis, one thing is clear: the U.S. Open is no longer just a tournament. It’s a seen-and-be-seen experience.