Naomi Osaka Got Interrupted Mid-Match by an Influencer Photoshoot. She's Not the Only One Annoyed.
Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula spoke out after viral videos showed influencers disrupting matches at the 2026 US Open, as tournament officials intervened mid-play and two content creators were reportedly removed from the grounds.
Image Credit : INC
Tennis and TikTok are having a genuinely awkward moment together at this year's US Open.
The tension boiled over during Naomi Osaka's opening-round match against Anastasia Zakharova on August 31, when play at Arthur Ashe Stadium came to a halt after a group of credentialed influencers, seated in a luxury suite, began loudly filming content mid-match — including one viral clip capturing them reciting Kim Kardashian's signature catchphrase, "Hey, guys. We're back. Did you miss us? 'Cause we missed you!" The chair umpire was forced to intervene directly, addressing the disruption over stadium audio.
Osaka addressed the incident candidly during her September 3 press conference, describing an umpire telling a crowd to quiet down more forcefully than she'd ever witnessed before. "In my first match, I wasn't really paying attention," she explained. "I normally just focus on the match and the court, but there was a moment where there were people shouting and stuff, and you could hear it quite clearly."
Her message to attendees was direct without being dismissive of content creators entirely. "If you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," she told reporters. "It's common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette." Osaka was careful to note she sees real value in influencers helping introduce new audiences to tennis — she just wants the balance managed better.
Fellow American Jessica Pegula, the 2024 US Open finalist, offered a similar take with a slightly sharper edge. "People are down there trying to perform. It's their career and their job," she said, adding that the disruptions have "gotten a little maybe too much it feels like this year." Pegula acknowledged tolerating some atmosphere — including the tournament's famously popular Honey Deuce cocktail crowd — but drew a clear line at outright interference with athletes actually competing.
Not every player shares the same level of frustration. Daniil Medvedev offered a more measured view, telling reporters there's "a lot more upside than downside" to welcoming a new wave of fans and content creators to tennis, provided tournament officials keep intervening quickly whenever etiquette genuinely breaks down.
The controversy has a broader backdrop worth noting: the number of content creators credentialed to cover this year's US Open has doubled compared to last year, according to Washington Times reporting — a scaling decision that's now colliding directly with decades of traditional tennis crowd etiquette.
The debate escalated further Friday when two New York-based influencers, Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, claimed they were removed from the tournament entirely after posting photos of their credentials online — adding a fresh layer to an already simmering conversation about where exactly the line sits between welcoming new audiences and preserving the focus elite athletes need to actually compete.
For a sport built on hushed crowds and pin-drop silence during play, tennis's growing influencer problem shows no signs of resolving itself quietly.
Got a tip or breaking story for us? Reach out at tips@kanilprwire.com.
