Naomi Osaka rips US Open influencers causing match disruptions

Naomi Osaka had her first round match at the US Open interrupted by influencers in the crowd. The tournament has seen an influx of influencers this year and the reaction has not been mixed as people just seem generally annoyed by their disruptions .

Osaka was asked about the influencers during a press conference following her round two victory. She noted that the umpire had "told everyone to be quiet more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet." And in her first round match she mostly ignored the noise, but there was a moment when people were shouting.

Osaka was diplomatic, pointing out that they could help grow the game, but wished they better followed the etiquette of the sport.

"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 my first-round match. Overall, I think there are huge positives. I'm not the one to… you want people to continue to grow the sport."

Osaka herself has been very influencer-y during the tournament. She showed up to her first round match in a look inspired by Allen Iverson and took a page out of LeBron James' fashion playbook in round two. Her next match will be against Elise Mertens on Saturday. As usual, all eyes will be on Osaka. If the influencers don't cause another distraction.