Naomi Osaka Urged Influencers At The US Open To “Read Up” On Tennis Etiquette

The US Open — the final grand slam of the tennis season — is well underway in New York City . And, as you may have heard, there's been a lot of talk about influencers.

As any tennis fan will know, there is a huge amount of etiquette in the sport, for players and spectators alike. If you're watching a tennis match, it is expected that you should not make noise during active play so as not to distract the players.

At most major tournaments, this is not an issue. However, as the US Open has gained popularity in recent years, concerns have been raised about the level of noise during matches.

I, for one, have noticed a huge increase in the number of celebrities and influencers on my timeline who have attended the US Open in the past few years. And according to the BBC , around 100 influencers and content creators have been granted accreditation for this year's tournament, double the number from 2025.

Now, this isn't to say that celebrities and influencers are solely to blame for the disruption issues. However, there have been numerous instances suggesting that some people in the luxury suites are more interested in creating content than actually watching tennis.

Naomi Osaka is one of the most exciting athletes in the tournament. But during her opening-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, the umpire was forced to reprimand a group of influencers who were making noise and capturing content with a portable ring light while Naomi was serving. "Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat," the chair umpire could be heard announcing , while Naomi and her opponent, Anastasia Zakharova, were left waiting on the court.

Two videos from the Osaka/Zakharova match are circulating online, one of which shows a woman using a bright ring light while staging a photoshoot during play. Another clip — with over 33 million views on X — shows a group in a luxury suite talking loudly in unison, while a spectator in front of them looks visibly annoyed.

Fortunately for Naomi, she won the match in spite of the distractions; however, that doesn't mean there's not an important conversation to be had.

Speaking in a post-match press conference after her second-round win on Thursday, the four-time Grand Slam champion was asked about the ongoing influencer debate and urged all spectators to respect the sport's "etiquette."

"If you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," Naomi told reporters. "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 my first round match."

Though there wasn't such a notable disruption in her second-round match, Naomi noted that the general noise in the crowd was still an issue. "Today the umpire told everyone to be quiet more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet," she said, clarifying that she finds the noise more annoying than people using bright ring lights. "I tell people I normally just focus on the match and the court, but there was a moment where there was people shouting and you could hear it quite clearly. I think it bothered my opponent, too."

Despite this, Naomi did say she thought there were still "huge positives" regarding the influx of interest from social media stars. "You want people to continue to grow the sport," she said. "I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette."

Naomi is not the only tennis player to have weighed in on the influencer debate this tournament. US player Jessica Pegula said , "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."

Well, if you're heading to any tennis matches soon, make sure you read the room. You can find Naomi's full press conference here .