Tennis vs Influencers: Balancing Tradition and Modern Entertainment

Lights. Camera. Quiet, please.

At the US Open, those four words used to be non-negotiable. Now they’re competing with ring lights, selfie sticks and a new courtside currency: content.

Around 100 influencers and content creators have been accredited in New York this year, roughly double last year’s number. Their arrival has lit up social feeds and stirred a far older conversation inside the sport – how far can tennis bend to modern entertainment without snapping its own code of conduct?

A New Audience Meets Old Etiquette

Tennis has always lived on a thin line of unwritten rules. A nod of apology for a net cord winner. Owning up to a double bounce. No noise mid-rally. A firm handshake at the net.

The players know the script. They also know when someone’s tearing it up.

World number four Coco Gauff can see the upside.

"I definitely think it's cool to have a new demographic and I definitely think it helps grow the sport," she said. Then came the caveat.

"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."

That etiquette has been tested on the biggest stage of all: Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world, where the usual New York buzz has been joined by a different kind of noise.

Osaka vs The Ring Light

Naomi Osaka’s first-round match became the flashpoint.

High above the court, in a hospitality suite, a group launched into a photo shoot while play went on. They switched on a portable ring light just as Osaka stepped up to serve. The umpire stepped in with a reprimand.

The scene didn’t end with one warning. When Osaka returned to Ashe on Thursday, the chair official had to repeatedly tell the crowd to be quiet.

"Today the umpire told everyone to be quiet more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet," Osaka said.

She usually blocks out the background. This time, she couldn’t.

"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."

One clip from that first-round match has gone viral: a group talking loudly, filming themselves as points were being played, until the chair umpire ordered them to stop.

Osaka’s stance is not anti-influencer. It’s pro-boundary.

"I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," she said.

"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."

Divided Locker Room

Not everyone in the locker room sees a problem.

Daniil Medvedev, the men’s seventh seed and a man who has ridden the highs and lows of the New York crowd before, is firmly in the growth camp.

"I think the more we try to raise awareness about tennis, the better it is, the more popular the sport is," he said. "The more the sport grows, the better it is. I trust USTA with what they are doing. I think [there is] a lot more upside than downside, so go for it."

American 11th seed Frances Tiafoe relishes the mix in the stands.

"I think the Open is great because you get all types of people that want to come and watch tennis," he said. "All different walks of life, different types of people, different type of occupations. Personally, I love that.

"I have no problem with anybody doing anything, coming to watch the tennis."

Yet even among Americans, there’s a harder line.

World number three Jessica Pegula called some of the behaviour "disrespectful".

"I can appreciate the influencers coming and showcasing the US Open experience," she said. "But I do think that it's tough when you see videos when they're taking pictures and using the selfie lights.

"People are down there trying to perform. It's their career and their job. It seems a bit disrespectful.

"I think it's become a little too much this year.

"I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough."

‘The Tennis Disneyland’

The US Open has been deliberately moving in this direction.

In 2024, it introduced free fan movement – no more waiting until changeovers to take your seat. A year later, the tournament stretched to 15 days. The week before the main singles draw is now sold as ‘Fan Week’, built around a revamped mixed doubles event and exhibition matches featuring past and present stars.

It’s a clear strategy: turn Flushing Meadows into a destination as much as a tournament.

Tournament chief executive Craig Tiley has described the vision as "the tennis Disneyland". That phrase lingers over everything happening this fortnight.

Asked before the tournament about accrediting influencers, Tiley was unapologetic.

"We need to find ways of reaching new audiences, reaching people in a way that they connect with media today," he said. "The creation of the creator credential has been a key part of that because it's enabled us to talk to people in a way that they're listening. That's been a big focus."

The USTA echoed that in a statement, stressing it "is always striving to grow tennis in this country and bring new audiences into the sport".

"We want all of our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend, but we also need to ensure they do not interfere with the action and competition on the court," it said.

"We are continually looking for ways to ensure fans in the stands know what is permitted and what is prohibited."

Since Osaka’s first match, messaging around the grounds has been ramped up. Screens now carry more frequent reminders to "refrain from any activity that could disrupt the game, including noise levels, flash photography and ring lights".

Where Does the Line Sit?

Arthur Ashe has never been a library. Its constant hum – the conversations in the suites, the clink of glasses, the late-arriving New Yorkers – has long divided players. Some thrive on it. Others brace against it.

This year, though, the noise feels different. Less ambient, more curated. Less about the match, more about the moment.

Tennis wants the next generation’s attention. It also wants silence at 30-40.

Somewhere between the ring light and the service line, it has to decide which rules are negotiable and which are not.