Exclusive | Die-hard US Open fans are making and selling their own tennis merch: Feels like Christmas
As tennis fever descends on New York, superfans are skipping the official merch tent in favor of something far more personal — and less expensive: homemade US Open-inspired clothes and artwork.From hand-painted tributes to tennis legends to beaded racket designs and maximalist posters packed with Queens references, fans and artists are putting their own spin on the annual tournament — and posting their creations online for fellow tennis obsessives to admire — and buy.The US Open, one of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments alongside the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, returns to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens this week.While qualifying and other events began during the tournament’s opening week, the main singles draw kicked off Aug.
30, with the women’s final set for Sept.12 and the men’s final Sept.
13.However, for crafty tennis fans like Hoboken sisters Amanda Mohre, 28, and Emily Mohre, 26, the tournament started long before the first serve — with a trip to the craft store.When a friend’s mom asked the duo, who run the handmade clothing brand The Beaded Tee, to create a tennis-inspired tank that she could wear to the US Open, they jumped at the opportunity.“They wanted something special to wear for the occasion, so we created the tennis racket and ball design,” Emily told The Post.The sisters sketched out the design, experimented with colors and then hand-beaded the rackets and tennis balls onto the shirt — a process that takes roughly four to six hours per tee.The result was a decidedly more personal alternative to the standard tournament souvenir — which can run spectators anywhere from $15 for small souvenirs to $600 for high-end designer pieces.“I loved that it represented something they both enjoy and their experience of going to the tournament together,” Emily said.“That’s really what we love most about custom pieces, there’s usually a personal story behind them.”Since posting a...