Another star-studded and dramatic @usopen unfolds on Twitter

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Wednesday, 10 September 2014

As the greatest tennis players in the world congregated in New York City, the 2014 @usopen proved to be another memorable chapter in its storied 119-year history.

While a familiar champion claimed victory in the Women’s bracket, a surprise contender won the Men’s title. And as tennis fans have come to expect, every dramatic moment of Grand Slam action was captured on Twitter.

The tournament

As the world witnessed @SerenaWilliams take home her third-straight @usopen title and 18th Grand Slam overall, fans from all corners of Twitter – athletes, musicians, actors/actresses – were moved to congratulate the living legend:



The outpouring of support compelled Serena to express gratitude toward her fans in response:

The Men’s bracket hosted its share of excitement throughout the tournament as well. After Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) beat his longtime friend and rival Andy Murray (@andy_murray) in a grueling, late-night match, he turned to Twitter to wish his fellow competitor well:

Five-time US Open champion Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) also used Twitter to address his fans after being upset by Marin Cilic (@cilic_marin), who would go on to win his first US Open championship:

The results

Widespread coverage from @usopen, athletes, sponsors and fans generated significant conversation on Twitter during the tournament, with over 2.8 million Tweets sent about the @usopen.

Here are the moments that sparked the top Tweets per minute (TPM) peaks during live, televised #usopen matches:

  1. Kei Nishikori defeats Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole)
  2. Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) defeats Gaël Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) in five sets
  3. Marin Cilic (@cilic_marin) defeats Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) to advance to the final

And these were the most-mentioned players during the tournament:

Another star-studded and dramatic @usopen unfolds on Twitter

The celebrities

In addition to being the final Grand Slam of 2014, the @usopen is a star-studded event. This year we saw the interactions and thoughts of several high-profile guests captured on Twitter.

The official handle of the event (@usopen) also captured the celebrity buzz on-site by hosting a Twitter Mirror and Vine 360 Booth. Exclusive content was pushed out consistently throughout the competition, delighting fans on Twitter with behind-the-scenes access to the famous “Blue Carpet”:

The coverage

Celebrities weren’t the only ones in the spotlight during the two-week tournament.

@usopen leveraged a Twitter Amplify program to ensure that all of the biggest on-court moments were captured on Twitter in near-real time.

Additionally, @usopen hosted player Q&As exclusively on Twitter throughout the tournament, giving fans the chance to engage with their favorite contenders between playing days.

Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils), Victoria Azarenka (@vika7) and eventual-champion Marin Cilic (@cilic_marin) were among the participating players:



Finally, the @usopen’s #StoryOfTheOpen billboard in New York City proved to be a big hit throughout the tournament. Fans and press took notice as artist Josh Cochran (@joshjcochran) used a New York City billboard to visualize social media conversations every day from August 25 until September 8:

Whether you were playing on the “Blue Carpet,” enjoying the games onsite, or watching at home, Twitter was your home for all the @usopen action in 2014. The tournament closed the book on another exciting year of Grand Slam tennis, and we look forward to more around-the-globe tennis coverage in 2015.