Influencers have been issued a star warning following a string of bad behaviour at the US Open, with tennis stars calling out their actions as turning the tournament “into a zoo”.
The New York tournament has always attracted a star-studded crowd but this year organisers nearly doubled the number of content creators accredited to attend matches in a bid to “reach younger and wider digital audiences”.
The decision was heavily contested, with many tennis stars and fans alike arguing that it could damage the rules and etiquette around the prestigious sporting event.
Such manners include spectators not disturbing the players during points — a courtesy that was taken for a ride by some influencers when four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka took to the court in her first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova last week.
While the star looked for the best angle to serve, influencers were simultaneously busy assessing their best angle for content, using a large portable ring light in doing so.
The display was so disruptive that the chair umpire had to issue several warnings and pause play.
“Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please, thank you guys, please take your seat,” the chair umpire scolded.
They weren’t alone. Other content creators in the stadium reportedly asked staff to take photos of them using flash during the game.
Addressing the disruption in a post-match press conference, Osaka urged fans to “respect the sport”.
“[The umpire] told everyone to be quiet more than I’ve ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet,” she said.
“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport.”
While she acknowledged that it “could be a good thing” for people to increase the popularity of tennis among their own audiences, she said the situation “has to be managed a lot better”.
Reacting to the US Tennis Associations decision to increase influencer accreditation, world number four Coco Gauff had mixed opinions.
“I definitely think it’s cool to have a new demographic and I definitely think it helps grow the sport but if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans,” she said.
“I think it’s just follow the etiquette of the sport. That’s all.”
Gauff also said that some behaviours of influencers could distract players during games, including talking “too loud”.
“Ashe (stadium) is a very loud court, so I’m used to it but definitely not, like, mouthing TikToks and stuff in the middle of a point,” she said, adding that flash photography is a worse distraction.
“That actually does mess us up a little bit.”
Fellow US star Jessica Pegula said it was “tough” to see videos of people using selfie lights in the crowd during games.
“People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. It seems a bit disrespectful. I think it’s gotten a little too much this year.”
French tennis player Adrian Mannarino even went so far as to say the tournament had ‘become a bit of a zoo’ with the former grand slam star stating: “You can smell weed on the court, there’s noise coming from everywhere, it’s becoming a bit of a zoo.”
Mannarino’s “weed” comment came after two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her match against Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday to complain about the strong smell of cannabis on the court.
Approaching the umpire, she said: “Someone is smoking weed, do you mind … because it’s so strong.”
She told a post-match conference: “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails