Thursday, May 14, 2026

Serena Williams Has Been Dominating Twitter During US Open

  • Tennis activity on the app increased 365% between Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • Thirty percent of users who tweeted about Williams in August had not tweeted about tennis all year.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

At a very special 2022 US Open, Serena Williams has been winning on the court, on television — and now on social media, according to new data.

Per information provided to Front Office Sports from Twitter, conversation on the app during the peak hour of Williams’ Wednesday night match — a three-set upset over No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit — was 365% higher than the peak hour of the Tuesday night session.

The stats from her opening match Monday night were impressive, but Wednesday’s thriller drove even more traffic to the app: Conversation during the second-round match window was 45% higher than the first, and 60% higher during the peak hour.

Perhaps most interestingly, SerenaMania is attracting new fans to Tennis Twitter.

Thirty percent of users who tweeted about Williams in August had not tweeted about tennis all year — and 67% had not tweeted about Serena herself all year.

For the occasion of her final career tournament, Twitter released an exclusive goat hashmoji — an honor the social media company has only bestowed upon a select group that includes Tom Brady, Simone Biles, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.

  • The three hashmojis are among the top five most used hashtags in Serena conversations during the tournament.
  • #serenawilliams and #serena are two of the top three hashtags used in all tennis conversations globally during the US Open.
  • The data also speaks to Williams’ global appeal — 47% of the tweets using them came from outside the United States.
  • Four of the top five most retweeted tweets since the Open started are about Serena — including a quote tweet about Tiger Woods’ presence at Wednesday’s match (56.1K retweets and 462.2K likes).

Williams’ popularity on the app is helping drive the conversation as well.

Even with more than 10.7 million followers, Serena ranked among the top 20 women athletes with the most new followers last year.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

New York, New Jersey Lower Costs for World Cup Transit

Round-trip trains will now cost $98, and buses $20.

Collectible Cups Are Sending Sports Fans Into a Frenzy

The drink is secondary to the wild vessel it comes in.
exclusive

PGA Tour to Loosen Social Media Restrictions on Players

Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube ambitions could still prevent his return.

Featured Today

How Sports Graphic Designers Are Grappling With the Rise of AI Art

The release of ChatGPT 2.0 Images sparked a conversation among sports designers.
Matt Palumb
May 8, 2026

Pro Lacrosse’s Top Ref Is As Famous As the Players

The last celebrity referee is in the Premier Lacrosse League.
May 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze (11) reacts to his goal against the CF Montréal in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit
May 7, 2026

How Atlanta Unexpectedly Became the Epicenter of U.S. Soccer

U.S. Soccer is opening a new national HQ in Georgia.
Tottenham Hotspur
May 6, 2026

Tottenham Hotspur Is Facing a Billion-Dollar Disaster

A seemingly improbable drop to England’s second tier is a tangible possibility.

Netflix Deepens Its NFL Ties With Expanded Five-Game Package

The streaming giant significantly increased its presence with the league.
Mar 15, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; ACC commissioner Jim Phillips hands the championship trophy to Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer after the 2025 ACC Conference Championship game against the Louisville Cardinals at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
May 13, 2026

ACC Backs Duke-Amazon Deal Despite Big Ten Concerns

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips revealed ESPN was involved in the discussions.
Los Angeles, CA - May 8, 2026 - LAPC: Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless on the set of First Take.
May 13, 2026

‘First Take’ Ratings Up 24% for Skip Bayless Return

The episode marked Bayless’s first ESPN appearance in a decade.
Sponsored

What Is It Like to Run the Knicks?

Dave Checketts on his time running the Knicks & Jazz, Jordan war stories, and his investment strategy across major sports leagues.
TNT Sports
May 13, 2026

WBD Leans Further Into Sports With Paramount Deal Looming

The TNT Sports parent company pushes ahead with its own programming plans.
Apex, NC - February 15, 2026: Portrait of the Super Bowl LXI 61 Football.
May 13, 2026

ESPN Wants Its First Super Bowl to Be the Most-Watched Ever

Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LIX holds the current record.
May 13, 2026

NFL International Slate Gives Legacy Networks Bigger Stage

Legacy broadcast networks are core to this part of the schedule.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald on the sideline against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium.
May 12, 2026

Super Bowl LXI Gets the Star Treatment at Disney Upfronts

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appears at the network’s upfront presentation.