A day in the life of US Open content creators — as…
In a car on the manner to Day 3 of the U.S. Open, Justin Morelli and his staff had been going through content concepts for the day.
The creator and voice behind “The ShotClock”, who is a credentialed influencer for the arduous court Grand Slam, had a wet and muggy day forward of him in Queens that introduced some challenges.
No matter. They had beforehand deliberate six days value of content concepts for their allotted days and have discovered a great deal since their first US Open as a model a yr in the past.
“Improvising is important, especially when you’re doing IRL stuff,” Morelli told The Post.
This is the morning of an influencer at the US Open.
Throughout the first week of the match, The Post adopted two credentialed content creators to uncover the tennis spectacle from their level of view as the US Open has leaned more into the influencer space to grow the sport.
Content creators Nicholas Castello and Justin Morelli of “The ShotClock” pose for a picture exterior Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Content creators Nicholas Castello and Justin Morelli of “The ShotClock” pose for a picture exterior Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The match credentialed about 100 influencers this yr — practically doubling the 54 from 2025.
Influencers have been a scorching matter this yr as hardcore tennis followers hit a breaking level and called out creators when they interrupted matches by recording content during play — ring lights and all. The USTA told The Post that the profiled incidents are usually not linked to the official U.S. Open creator credential holders and steps have been taken around the grounds and in the stadiums to educate new followers on tennis protocols to cut back disruptions.
Morelli and his producer, Nicholas Costello, and videographer Juliana Fromigia determined to take benefit of the merchandise shops around the grounds as a number of tennis matches had been suspended due to dangerous climate. The staff put together an thought of a problem — “Who can spend the least on the best fit in the fastest time?”
Morelli and Costello each had 10 minutes to run to the shops to piece together the best outfit attainable while staying under $200. As the solar began to come out afterwards, they requested a number of followers in short interviews for their rating from 1 to 10 to decide who had the best outfit.
“We plan it out. But you have to be able to adjust…” said Morelli, who is a New York sports activities fan based in the metropolis. “Maybe the one thing you thought was going to be great doesn’t work. And then you have to be like, ‘Alright, scrap that. We don’t need to go further with that. But this is a great idea.’”
Alyssa La Spisa, a lifestyle influencer, was adapting on the fly as properly on Day 5 of the US Open.
The creator and host of “Where Hot Guys Eat IRL” and “The Perfect Order” usually schedules interviews with a particular visitor for her segments. At the U.S. Open, every little thing is “up to chance,” she described.
La Spisa, who holds 87,400 followers on Instagram and practically 48,000 on TikTok, had her videographer Kelly Garcia stroll around to discover trendy tennis followers to interview around 11 a.m. to start their day. Rejection was seen and felt right here and there, and at occasions switching location might be the key.
“It’s a little bit of waiting, trying to find the right person,” she said. “We were here on Sunday and it was a little tough at first. I think today there is a good crowd.”
Content creator Alyssa La Spisa interviews Chee Smalls of New York City in entrance of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in Queens, New York. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Eventually, La Spisa logged a number of interviews where she requested about favourite food and drinks at the Grand Slam event and what NYC restaurant they want to take a well-known tennis participant to — as she is based in New York.
Much of the daily expertise for influencers is trial and error. La Spisa and Morelli’s content is pushed by what occurs throughout the day. If one interview stands out, that might be the focus. On the other hand, it might be a mash-up of interviews and content.
“I don’t even know what we are doing right now is going to work,” Morelli admitted during the outfit contest. “This is something we thought about in the car because it was raining….I’m big on just trying different ideas. If it doesn’t work then we’ll scrap it or who cares, we’ll post it and if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work….If it does really well, then alright, let’s double down on it.”
The USTA invitations creators to be credentialed and are vetted prior to acceptance into the program. It’s not a paid gig and the group doesn’t guarantee content, but the access is at their disposal to post what speaks to them.
For La Spisa, that is centered around food. During fan week, she was invited to a food and beverage preview where she had the likelihood to interview 4 cooks and style all the US Open food. She also was invited by Moët to their suite for the Roger Federer-Andy Roddick match where she produced content around their new drink “Moët Serve”, which she said is “very refreshing.”
“That actually helped a lot,” La Spisa told The Post of the invitations. “Otherwise, I would be running around, doing a bit more of that here but got such great content with that.”
Alyssa La Spisa, host of host of “Where Hot Guys Eat IRL”, stands in entrance of Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2026 US Open Tennis Championship. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Content creator Alyssa La Spisa interviews Chee Smalls of New York City in entrance of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
By early afternoon, La Spisa was ordering the COQODAQ caviar chicken nuggets, also recognized as “The Golden Set”, along with Steph’s cookie for lunch. She and Garcia filmed a video placing all the toppings on the scorching and ready-to-eat nuggets and of La Spisa taking a chunk for both while adjusting for angles and lighting as needed.
The cookie by the restaurant’s pastry chef, Stephanie Prida, stays the “most underrated” US Open food merchandise for La Spisa.
As for Morelli, who has 281,000 followers on “The ShotClock” Instagram account and 123,800 on TikTok and 55,400 YouTube subscribers, he was in the food court by 3 p.m. to strive a Salt Hank’s sandwich.
He and Costello ranked it out of 10 in a food review video. He might “see the hype” but was “not rocking with” the fries as Morelli didn’t really feel it was enough to call it a facet.
Afterwards, his staff headed to the follow courts and ran into tennis professional Elijah Poritzky, who is a part-time hitting associate. Morelli interviewed him, discovering out he has hit with Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Naomi Osaka among many others, and is a valued lefty on the tour for gamers to follow against including Carlos Alcaraz forward of going through Ben Shelton in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
By 4:30 p.m., an intro video and day recap video had been shot on the US Open blue carpet exterior Arthur Ashe, and Honey Deuces had been ordered before capturing some tennis content at the Grandstand.
All the content captured in a full day, ending around 5 or 6 p.m. if not attending a evening match, is in an effort to disrupt the market for Morelli and La Spisa as they construct their particular person manufacturers.
Founder and voice of “The ShotClock” Justin Morelli working at the U.S. Open alongside his crew. New York Post/Bridget Reilly
Evergreen content will likely be posted at least by the end of the match, while food and merchandise content was posted earlier due to relevance and curiosity.
“It might not work every time. But we want to do something that’s gonna have a chance to get people copying us instead of us copying them,” Morelli said.
This yr, La Spisa thought the chef interviews made her content “a bit stronger” than in 2025. It also carried out better and she was “happier” with it.
La Spisa and Morelli, who both commented on the backlash influencers obtained at the U.S. Open, are scheduled to go to six days each out of what has turned into a three-week match. Outside of wandering the grounds, both plan to differentiate their content by doing a day inside Arthur Ashe for a match or returning at evening for a different vitality in the crowd.
The two enormously worth the access given to them throughout the match for a likelihood to grow their following and the sport in an setting exterior of their normal content.
La Spisa was in protecting the match last yr before she was invited, but she didn’t know what she can be allowed to do on her own on the grounds. The program has given her access she is sure she “wouldn’t be able to have.”
Tennis was Morell’s “first love” as he began to play at the age of 3 before going on to play in the NYJTL Mayor Dinkins Cup (previously the Mayor’s Cup) in high faculty at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
He pitched himself and his model to the Grand Slam a yr in the past when he carried a fan base of 60,000.
The likelihood to cowl the match again meant “something special,” Morelli said.
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