Naomi Osaka has urged influencers to have “respect” for tennis at US Open after content creators disrupted her first round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium and sparked a wider debate surrounding their involvement at one of the most prestigious events in sport.
The Japanese superstar urged them to “read up” on the sport’s rules for spectators after a number of influencers were seen conducting a photoshoot with portable lights from the luxury suites.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion was forced to wait after the chair umpire intervened and warned the influencers about their behaviour, with the Grand Slam authorising around 100 content creators for credentials.
“Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat,” the chair umpire announced.
Osaka, who eased past Anastasia Zakharova, opened up on the experience and how those attempting to help grow the sport can better inform themselves on how to behave courtside.
“I think obviously, if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” Osaka said. “And I feel like it’s common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette.
“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.
“Overall I think there is huge positives,’ she added, on the topic of influencers more generally. ‘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.”
Of the 100 influencers granted accreditation, around 20 are dedicated to publishing content on the food and beverage scene alone, which includes caviar-topped chicken nuggets and the viral cocktail ‘Honey Deuce’.
Another disturbance occurred during Madison Keys’ match against Alina Korneeva, with one influencer posting photos mid-point.
“I feel like every slam kind of has their own identity and the U.S. Open has kind of always been the ‘big-show Grand Slam’,” Madison Keys, a 2017 finalist, said.
While Jessica Pegula, a 2024 runner-up, added: “I can appreciate the influencers coming and kind of showcasing the US Open experience. But I do think that it’s tough when you see videos like that when they’re taking pictures and using the selfie lights.
“People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. It seems like a bit disrespectful. I think it’s gotten a little maybe too much.”
Further disruption followed as world number one Aryna Sabalenka called a halt to her match after complaining she could smell marijuana.
The two-time defending champion was 2-0 up and serving in the first set against Kamilla Rakhimova on Louis Armstrong Stadium. She stopped abruptly and spoke to her team before approaching the umpire’s chair.
“Someone is smoking weed,” she told umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. “Would you mind … because it’s so strong.”
Asderaki-Moore spoke to an official on her radio and turned to someone else behind her, making a smoking gesture with her fingers, before play continued. Sabalenko went on to win the match 6-3 6-4.
The smell of weed around Flushing Meadows has been an issue this week but has broadly been confined to the outside courts, close to nearby Corona Park. Smoking of any kind is prohibited on the site itself.