Meet the US Open's Melon Man! The employee behind the famous Honey Deuce drinks goes viral

The Honey Deuce cocktail is the must-have Instagram drink of the US Open – but have you ever wondered who painstakingly assembles the melon-shaped tennis balls that sit on top of the rim?

Meet the US Open Melon Man, one of the brains behind the infamous Honey Deuce drinks.

The popular $23 signature drink was launched in 2006 and contains Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur. It is famously garnished with small, tennis ball-shaped honeydew melons on a skewer.

A content creator nicknamed “The Spritz Saga” posted a photo of an unnamed US Open employee spearing a container full of honeydew melons while apparently watching a tennis match on the TV across the street.

The influencer's caption read: “In case you were wondering how they got all the melons for the Honey Deuces. There is a melon man.”

She humorously presented the video with Tinashe's popular song “Nasty” and captioned it: “MMS (Melon Man Slays), thank you for your service.”

Meet the US Open Melon Man (pictured), the hard worker behind the infamous Honey Deuce drinks

The popular $22 signature drink contains Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and raspberry liqueur and is famously garnished with small, tennis ball-shaped honeydew melons on a skewer.

The video received more than 220,800 views, 15,500 likes and many happy comments.

One person jokingly asked: “Do you know the melon man?”

A second person commented: “The prince of the people.”

A third person wrote: “He carries the Open on his back!”

A fourth commented: “After the players, he has the most important job in the arena.”

A fifth person added: “The guy (probably) gets to sit alone in the air conditioning all day and put melon balls on a skewer. He has the best job there.”

One wrote: “Game, set – that was my plan.”

Another person remarked: “Get this man a better chair.”

The worker's video received more than 220,800 views, 15,500 likes and many cheerful comments

Celebrities including Jason Sudeikis (pictured), 48, and James Corden (below), 46, were spotted enjoying the must-try drink

In the picture, James enjoys his honeydew melon garnish at the US Open

Celebrities like Jason Sudeikis (48) and James Corden (46) have been spotted enjoying this must-try drink.

Recently, 42-year-old tennis legend Serena Williams tried the cocktail to see if it worked despite the viral hype, and she was not disappointed.

In her TikTok video, Serena said: “So I'm at the US Open drinking the famous Honey Deuce and everyone says, 'Have you ever had one?' and I say, 'No, because I've been playing forever.'”

“But I like my Honey Deuce with Cincoro and you know that – I'm more of a tequila [girl].'

After taking a sip, she seemed pleasantly surprised by the great taste and said, “Honey, this isn't Deuce – it's called Honey Ace. Let's rename it. It's good.”

She rolled her eyes as she savored her sip and added, “Oh boy. Try it.”

As for the arrival of the one million honeydew balls at the US Open, the arrival of the one million balls is indeed subject to a very strict schedule.

During the two-week U.S. Open, Jared Walton, director of national accounts for Baldor Foods, wakes up at 3:30 a.m. and arrives at his company's Bronx facility at 4:30 a.m. to beat the crowds.

His team loads three to five trucks to the brim with honeydew melon balls and other fresh produce, which eventually arrive at the tournament site in Flushing, Queens.

He told the NY Post, “Our goal is to be in line by 6:30 a.m. simply because loading space is limited.” We're all jockeying for the best spots.

Most recently, 42-year-old tennis legend Serena Williams tried the cocktail to see if it worked despite the viral hype, and she was not disappointed.

“This cocktail has only just grown. It takes a year to plan – we have to fill the entire stadium with products.”

He noted that 1,500,000 melon balls were produced in 2023, after successfully selling 405,000 cocktails in 2022.

According to CNBC, the cocktail generated sales of $10 million last year.

Despite trying to keep a close eye on supply and demand, one bartender confessed to the NY Post, “We have the drink, but we don't have the melon balls.”

The employee said that workers used to finish work at 5 p.m., before the dinner rush, but the times have changed.

He admitted: “After the first few days of thinking, 'We can't keep up,' they actually extended the hours and created a second shift.”

Due to the huge demand for the drink, bartenders may still have to spear 15 buckets of melons while people wait online.

The drink's popularity hasn't waned since New York native and bartender Nick Mautone created the signature drink, the same year that Grey Goose fittingly became the beverage sponsor of the U.S. Open in 2006.

Nick explained that the idea for this iconic drink came to him while driving home through the Hamptons and stopping at a store to purchase ingredients for a dessert salad he was preparing for his guests.

He told Fox News: “Immediately, lightning struck and I said, 'Holy cow, they look like tennis balls.'”

“From that moment on, I knew this was the set – non-negotiable.”

The drink's popularity has not waned since New York native and bartender Nick Mautone created the signature drink in 2006

Nick recalled that Grey Goose “fell in love” with his cocktail pitch.

He added humorously: “The people who run the restaurant were not exactly thrilled about the idea of ​​producing tens of millions of honeydew melon balls.”

“Because of social media, they've become a cultural phenomenon, especially the honeydew melon balls, which I think a lot of people just see as a brilliant garnish to a tennis match.”

“So it's become an Instagram-worthy drink that's very friendly, very refreshing and inviting.”

“And lo and behold, it has become a cultural icon.”

Without hesitation, Nick confirmed that he would “definitely” order the Honey Deuce the next time he attended the US Open.

The signature cup in which the drink is served features the historic names and years of all US Open winners.