Fan Scores Free US Open Ticket with Snarky Sign

FLUSHING MEADOWS, New York — A tennis fan scored a free ticket to the US Open on Thursday by waving a clever sign that mocked a competitor. Dahlia Lopez Ramsay needed the pass for her mother, so she created a sign that read, “Will haunt Ostapenko’s dreams for a free ticket.” The sign caught the attention of Allen Smith, 50, who was attending the tournament with his wife and offered her an extra ticket.

Smith, who hails from Huntsville, Alabama, said he found the sign amusing. “I thought that sign was hilarious and I had an extra ticket,” he said. The ticket allowed Ramsay to watch top-tier matches at the Louis Armstrong and Arthur Ashe stadiums, which are typically worth hundreds of dollars.

Ramsay’s sign specifically targeted Latvian tennis star Jeļena Ostapenko, who had been embroiled in controversy after accusing her opponent, Taylor Townsend, of lacking “class” and “education” following their second-round match the day before. Many fans expressed disappointment over the post-match spat between the two players.

“It was unfortunate,” Smith said. “We watched Ostapenko for years and she’s always clowning … she’s gotta be smarter than that.” His wife expressed a similar sentiment, commenting, “She was the classless one. She was just mad that she was losing.”

Ramsay, 39, from Sunset Park, came up with the idea for her sign that morning and stood near the 7 train station in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for about 45 minutes before receiving the ticket. “When I woke up this morning I said perfect, something to riff off of,” she explained. “I like the exercise of writing copy. Oh, what would catch people’s attention?”

Ramsay has a history of obtaining free tickets, having received them for the past four years. “It is pretty easy,” she said, adding that she wanted the ticket for her mom, who is undecided about her interest in tennis.

The tension between Ostapenko and Townsend arose after a controversial moment in the match, where a shot by Townsend clipped the net but remained in play. Ostapenko later expressed her frustration on social media, stating, “Today, after the match, I told my opponent that she was very disrespectful.”

Ramsay believes that the public backlash against Ostapenko is due to her unprofessional behavior towards Townsend. “What people are resonating with is the fact that the woman who behaved towards Taylor Townsend was unprofessional, inexcusable, unkind,” Ramsay said.