By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, September 3, 2026
Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA
NEW YORK—Naomi Osaka can sport cutting-edge couture on court.
The former world No. 1 is also a tennis traditionalist when it comes to etiquette.
Asked her reaction to the influencer influx that has created controversy at this US Open, Osaka offered practical advice for all: Respect the sport.
“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” Osaka told the media today. “And I feel like it’s common courtesy to, like, read up on the sport, especially, like the etiquette.”
Two-time US Open champion Osaka fended off doubles No. 1 Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium today.
During Osaka’s 7-6(6), 7-6(3) US Open opening-round win over Anastasia Zakharova on Monday night a group of influencers in an Ashe Stadium suite were so loud, chair umpire Kader Nouni asked the group to quiet down.
Then this TikTok video went viral showing an influencer creating video content using a bright white light that obviously can be a distraction to a player trying to return a 100 mph+ serve.
@katticuspfinch Tennis etiquette is that you don’t even GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A POINT but now at @US Open apparently it’s ring lights and photo shoots everywhere in the MIDDLE OF A POINT. Listen, I love bringing new people to the open and I’m all for getting more people into tennis because it’s such a fun sport to watch but if you’re going to disrespect the players, you shouldn’t come to the match. And I LOVE content creators bringing tennis to everyone on social media but if you’re not going to be respectful of the game being played thats NOT OKAY. Yyou can see ring lights from all over the stadium and the umpire and players made it very clear that it’s a HUGE DISTRACTION and it’s now impacting the players ability to play the game we are all here to see. And apparently the us open and USTA are just fine with it because their staff is helping it happen. @influencersinthewild @Tennis Channel #nyccontentcreator #naomiosaka #usopen #tennistiktok #usopentennis ♬ original sound – There I Ruined It
The USTA, in an effort to grow the game’s popularity among non-traditional tennis and sports fans, credentialed nearly 100 influencers for this US Open.
The 13th-seeded Osaka, who will face 23rd-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens for a spot in the US Open round of 16, said she supports trying to grow the game collaborating with social media influencers—but says it’s vital to manage the process so that the content creators aren’t intruding on the competition on court.
“I mean, I feel like it could be a good thing for people to make the sport of tennis popular to their specific audience, but I think it has to be managed a lot better, especially in the situation like first-round match,” Osaka said. “Yeah, overall I think there is huge positives, and I’m not the one to, like — what do you say?
“Like, you want people to continue to grow the sport. I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette.”
Part of the issue in Osaka’s opening-round emanated from a noisy group of influencers in a sponsor suite. The group grew so loud, and obviously Arthur Ashe Stadium is already the loudest stadium in Grand Slam tennis, chair umpire Kader Nouni asked them to quiet down at one point.
It’s easy to blame the sponsors for cramming the suites with influencers in an effort to push their products on social media or blame the USTA for credentialing nearly 100 influencers while simultaneously shutting out or limiting some journalists or blame those influencers, flying high on Honey Deuces, so self-absorbed they treated a US Open night match as a photo op.
Perhaps Osaka, who often uses her social media as a platform to promote culture and fashion, can influence the influencers with her words.
Surely, influencers and content creators can help expose tennis to their vast audiences and tennis itself is all about self-expression.
It’s a delicate dance in that the game’s governing bodies want to draw a younger audience, an audience many influencers already attract, yet at the same time mutual respect is a fundamental foundation of tennis tradition. While US Open night crowds can be some of the rowdiest in the sport, it’s a bad look for all when credentialed influencers can disrupt a major match.
Throughout recent history tennis’ governing bodies have courted the power of the entertainment industry.
Remember, Arlen Kantarian, former USTA Chief Executive Pro Tennis, previously worked for the NFL and Radio City Music Hall before bringing bright lights and entertainment elements to the US Open Under Kantarian’s leadership, the US Open adopted replay technology and also introduced the Saturday night US Open women’s final envisioning years of Venus vs. Serena prime-time all-American finals. Kantarian applied his entertainment expertise to help power the Open to new profit levels.
So it’s not surprising that the USTA and its sponsors are seeking to channel the popularity and power of influencers to expand the Open’s audience and tap into even more revenue streams.
The US Open remains the Showtime Slam.
Here’s hoping week two shifts the spotlight from influencers online to the players inspiring on court.
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