Influencers at the US Open test the limits of tennis etiquette
At the US Open tennis tournament in New York, influencers and content creators with smartphones and ring lights are becoming increasingly noticeable in the stands. Some instances of photography during matches have prompted reprimands from umpires and criticism from tennis players. As Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters, about 100 content creators received accreditation for the tournament. Of them, 20 cover food and drinks exclusively, including caviar-topped chicken nuggets and the Honey Deuce cocktail.
Photo shoots during matches
The chair umpire was forced to reprimand a group of spectators who staged a photo shoot as two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was serving in her first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova. After defeating Katerina Siniakova in the second round, Osaka said that visitors to sporting events should respect the sport. In her view, popularizing tennis among a new audience can be beneficial, but it requires better organization.
Another social media user posted photographs posing at Arthur Ashe Stadium during a point in the match between Madison Keys and Alina Korneeva. The article notes that such behavior runs counter to the basic norms of tennis etiquette.
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Players' reaction and the tournament's growth
2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula said she understands influencers' desire to show the tournament's atmosphere. At the same time, she called videos in which people take photographs and use selfie lights during play problematic, as tennis players are competing on the court at that time.
2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev positively assessed the popularization of tennis, but noted that light or other distractions during a point can interfere with players. Growing attendance prompted organizers to extend main-draw matches to 15 days and hold the mixed doubles competition separately one week before the start of the singles events. The ATP men's tour also reported an increase of more than 25% in the number of posts with the #tennis hashtag in 2025 after expanding its partnership with TikTok.
