The U.S. Open tennis tournament is navigating a discussion around sportsmanship and player focus, amplified by the presence of approximately 100 social media influencers and content creators. This number, double that of the previous year, has led to a debate on how to balance engaging a new audience with upholding the established etiquette of tennis.
Incidents during matches have brought this issue to the forefront. During Naomi Osaka's first-round match, a group of accredited influencers was observed using a portable ring light while she was serving, prompting a reprimand from the umpire. Later in the match, the umpire repeatedly had to request quiet from the crowd, an unusual occurrence according to Osaka.
"Today the umpire told everyone to be quiet more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet," Osaka said. "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."
Osaka emphasized the importance of respecting the sport and its customs. "I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," she stated. "I feel like it's common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette. 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. 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."
World number four Coco Gauff echoed these sentiments, stating, "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. I think it's just follow the etiquette of the sport. That's all."
The unwritten rules of tennis include apologizing after winning a point from a net cord, honesty in line calls, and refraining from disturbing players during points. The presence of influencers has prompted questions about how these traditions are maintained when new audiences are being actively courted.