On Monday, 31 August, during the first round of the US Open women’s singles match between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova, chair umpire Kader Nouni was forced to stop play because people in the hospitality suite kept moving around and taking photographs with the flash on. “Guys, please, in the suite behind me: sit down,” Nouni said over the microphone. The suite was directly behind the umpire’s chair, right in the line of sight of the player about to serve. When play resumed, Osaka’s ball toss went wrong and the Japanese player apologised to her opponent before starting the serve again.
It was not the first time something like this had happened during a match, but the 2026 US Open is beginning to feel like a point of no return for modern tennis. The tournament is starting to have a few problems with the influencers in the stands watching the matches. It all began in 2025, when the USTA — the United States Tennis Association, the American federation that also organises the tournament at Flushing Meadows — created a press accreditation specifically for content creators for the first time. Last year, 54 creators were given access to the event; this year, that number has doubled. “There are about 100,” Jeanmarie Daly, the tournament’s director of media operations, said.
The idea is simple: traditional media and creators reach different audiences in different ways, and the aim is to reach as broad a range of people as possible, not just existing fans. Craig Tiley, the USTA’s chief executive, sees it the same way. His goal, as he explained in an interview, is to make the US Open “the Disneyland of tennis”.
It has not gone down well with everyone, particularly among players and fans. Asked about the change, several players have pushed back against it. “I think it’s great to have a new audience and I think it helps grow the sport,” Coco Gauff said. “But like anything, anywhere you go: if you’re invited to a red carpet, you don’t show up in jeans. I think it’s simply about following the etiquette of the sport. That’s all.” Adrian Mannarino has also spoken about it. “Now everyone comes in however they want, they move around, they talk… The tournament allows it and I don’t know if it’s the best thing for tennis. You can smell marijuana on court, there’s noise everywhere, it’s becoming a zoo. These are really unusual conditions to play in.”
Others have welcomed the change. “The more we try to get people to know tennis, the better,” Daniil Medvedev said. “I trust what the USTA is doing. If it’s disturbing play, if you see a light or something like that, you can always tell the umpire. I think there are many more positives than negatives, so let’s keep going.” The players have to deal with the noise, while the fans are increasingly the ones being squeezed out. The increase in hospitality areas — where creators are invited by companies — and sections reserved for accredited guests has pushed ticket prices higher, with the cheapest tickets reaching €360 on the opening day. “Maybe it’s not the best thing for real tennis fans, because they’re starting to be priced out of the market,” Patrick McEnroe said.