The presence of influencers and tennis etiquette become hot topics at the US Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka usually does not have a problem focusing on playing tennis and blocking out the crowd when she's on the court. Her first-round match at the U.S. Open became a notable exception.

“There was a moment where there was people shouting and stuff," Osaka said. “You could hear it quite clearly.”

The source of the disruption: a group of influencers and content creators who have been afforded widespread access at this U.S. Open. The number of content creators who were credentialed to cover the tournament has doubled from last year, and the interruptions have made the influencers and tennis etiquette a hot topic at Flushing Meadows.

Chair umpire Kader Nouni admonished a group of influencers in a suite for recording a video in the middle of a point, and another incident Monday night involved the use of a bright ring light to take photos. In Osaka's second match, chair umpire Marijana Veljovic asked fans several times to be quiet, an effort the players appreciated.

"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,” Osaka said Thursday after advancing to the third round . “Overall, I think there is huge positives. ... 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.”

The U.S. Tennis Association began inviting creators last year, and spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said reaching new audiences is essential to the growth of the sport and the U.S. Open.

There have been some crowd and noise hiccups, including again Thursday when Osaka played Katerina Siniakova.

“Sometimes the people don’t realize that even when they’re like up and they are talking, you can hear it down (on the court),” Siniakova said. “You just don’t think about it. You think: 'Oh, I’m somewhere where no one even, like, hears me, but it’s not really true. Actually, in this big stadium, it’s everything, is going everywhere.”

Arthur Ashe Stadium, which serves as center court, has emerged as the place to be at the U.S. Open — often with the famous Honey Deuce cocktail and its tennis ball-shaped melons in hand. It has become common for fans to pose for photos in the middle of matches while play is ongoing.

“Sometimes it’s their first tennis match; they don’t know. They have probably been to basketball games before," 2023 champion Coco Gauff said, wondering if brands that invite influencers should put up etiquette signs as a way of helping. “With anything, any venue you go to, if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans. I think it’s just follow the etiquette of the sport.”

Madison Appel, a college tennis player at Indiana who teaches lessons as a coach and is an influencer, responded to the criticism on TikTok and Instagram by giving her own tips for those unfamiliar with how to act at matches.

“The problem is not the influencer: The problem is that no one understands tennis etiquette,” Appel said. “You should only be walking around and taking photos when the two players are sitting down, the music’s up and it’s lively. When players are playing, and they’re in between serving games, you should be in your seat, not taking photos and keeping it quiet. When a player is ready to serve, everyone needs to respect that, sit down and just watch.”

Earlier this week, video screens began displaying a message to “Please refrain from the use of flash photography and other lighting.” Osaka notices the noise more than the lights, while Gauff is most concerned about flash photography.

They and other players have mixed feelings about influencers. Daniil Medvedev, ranked eighth in the world in men's singles, is all for making tennis more popular and joked that one downside is getting recognized by more people on the street or at restaurants.

“If it disturbs during the play, like if you see the light or something, well, you always say to the referee, can be sometimes challenging, like if during the point this happens,” Medvedev said. “But I’m pretty sure as well, even them, maybe one time they do it, and then someone tells them not to do it. (There is) a lot of more upside than downside, so go for it.”

Frances Tiafoe does not see much of a downside to more butts in seats, with the goal of getting fans from all walks of life into tennis. Fellow American Jessica Pegula sees a benefit to influencers showcasing the U.S. Open experience but wonders if there's a tipping point.

“It’s tough when you see videos like that when they’re taking pictures and using the selfie lights,” Pegula said. “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, it feels like, this year. I don’t know. I think I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough.”

See AP’s full tennis coverage here