US Open Influencer Credentials Spark Etiquette Backlash — SkimNews
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- US Open organizers granted accreditation to around 100 influencers and content creators in 2025, double the number from the previous year, as part of a drive to bring tennis to new audiences.
- Naomi Osaka said the umpire had to shush the crowd more than she had ever heard during her second-round match, after a group ran a portable ring light and held a photo shoot in a hospitality suite during her serve in round one.
- Coco Gauff backed the push for new demographics but drew the line at etiquette, saying: "If you're being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn't show up in jeans."
- Jessica Pegula called the behavior "a little too much" and "disrespectful," singling out selfie lights and photo-taking during play, while Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe said the upside of more eyes on the sport outweighed the downside.
- USTA chief executive Craig Tiley defended the "creator credential" in a pre-tournament briefing, saying the tournament aims to become "the tennis Disneyland" and needs to reach audiences "in a way that they're listening."
- Following the Osaka incident, the USTA added on-screen messaging around Arthur Ashe Stadium reminding fans to refrain from noise, flash photography, and ring lights during play.
Why it matters: The USTA's strategy of nearly doubling influencer credentials to grow the sport is colliding directly with player concentration: top-ranked athletes like Pegula and Osaka are now publicly calling the disruptions "disrespectful," forcing organizers to add real-time crowd messaging — a sign that the tournament's growth-at-all-costs push is already producing backlash from the very stars it needs on court.
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