Why the U.S. Open Plays in the Best Tennis Fandom Market in America

New York doesn’t just host the U.S. Open; it’s the most engaged tennis market in the country. The gap between New York and the rest of the nation highlights the deep link between home-court advantage and local fandom.

According to Nielsen Scarborough’s Local Tennis Fandom Index, New York leads the next most popular market, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, by a full 12 points and sits 34 points ahead of the national average. While a “host city bump” is expected for the Flushing Meadows home, the margin is wider than mere proximity suggests. New York’s tennis interest is uniquely outsized.

Mirroring Nielsen’s football fandom rankings, the tennis index evaluated nine factors to capture a comprehensive view of tennis interest: U.S. Open viewership, pro tour viewing, general interest, live attendance, betting intent, social media engagement, streaming habits, participation, and tennis-related travel.

New York is the runaway #1 on the single most relevant metric to this discussion — U.S. Open viewership. The likelihood of tournament viewership in the market is more than double the national average and the most direct evidence of the bookend slam’s home-market pull.

Consistency, rather than just peak performance, gives New York its edge. The market ranks within the top nine for every factor except vacation planning. In contrast, other top markets show high volatility: Miami/Ft. Lauderdale leads in four categories (ATP interest, betting, attendance, and social) but drops below 18th in all others. Similarly, Palm Springs and West Palm Beach boast specific peaks but fall into the 50s and 80s elsewhere. New York’s steady performance across the board results in the highest average score of the 80+ Nielsen DMA markets examined.

The single soft spot is illustrative. New York only falls outside the top 30 in plans for “golf or tennis vacations.” This aligns with travel patterns: sunbelt markets like Florida and California are destinations, while New Yorkers are the travelers. This underscores that New York’s fandom is rooted in engagement and participation rather than tourism.

The takeaway: New York is the most well-rounded tennis market in America. Its #1 ranking is fueled by balanced strength across viewership, betting, attendance, and social engagement, all anchored by a tournament-driven viewership spike that no other market can match. Plus, more than half a million Honey Deuce drinks are consumed during the tournament in New York alone.

The Creator Economy Also Takes The Train to Flushing Meadows 

New York’s edge extends beyond television audiences to those posting from the grounds. The U.S. Open has become a marquee stop in the creator economy, further compounding the home-market advantage.

The USTA nearly doubled its content-creator credential program for 2026. This investment aligns with the profile of tennis fans; Nielsen Fan Insights (NFI) data shows they over-index heavily on celebrity interest and receptiveness to influencer marketing.

Tennis fans are nearly twice as likely as the general population to be “very interested” in celebrities. This interest drives commercial behavior: over half of tennis fans report that influencers impact their purchase decisions, and they are twice as likely to use a service based on an influencer’s recommendation. Specifically, 58% of tennis fans have made a purchase based on an influencer, compared to 36% of the general public.

This creator presence is a natural extension of the market dynamic. New York’s proximity to talent, combined with a fan base eager to act on influencer content, means the city doesn’t just watch the tournament—it produces the content that carries the U.S. Open far beyond the 7 train’s reach.

Outside New York, Tennis Fandom Skews Coastal and Sunbelt

While New York dominates, the rest of the map shows that U.S. tennis fandom is a concentrated coastal and sunbelt phenomenon. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Springs, and West Palm Beach form the next tier, reflecting the academy and retiree cultures of Florida and Southern California. The top ten is rounded out by East Coast and sunbelt hubs including Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C., Charlotte, San Francisco, and a tie between Austin and Cincinnati.