Sports
NEW YORK — The U.S. Open's growing creator program has put tennis etiquette under the lights—sometimes literally. The USTA credentialed close to 100 content creators this year, nearly double the 54 approved in 2025, as the tournament tries to reach younger and social-first audiences.
The debate intensified after people recorded a video during a point in Naomi Osaka's opening match and a bright ring light appeared during play. Chair umpire Kader Nouni admonished a group, and tournament messaging reminded spectators not to disrupt points with noise, flash photography or lights.
Tennis crowds follow a stop-start rhythm different from basketball or football: movement and celebration are expected between points, but concentration during a live rally is part of the competitive environment. New guests may not know that code, while credentialed creators also carry a professional responsibility to learn venue rules.
Parker's film-room rule is to grade the play that happened, not the storyline expected beforehand. The USTA gains promotional reach when creators translate the event for new audiences. Players and ticket holders lose value if content production interferes with competition. Brands, agencies and organizers can reduce the conflict through briefings, visible rules and enforcement applied consistently to traditional and social media.
Officials say the incidents are infrequent, so a few disruptions do not prove that all influencers disregard etiquette. Nor does criticism establish that traditional spectators never cause noise. The measurable change is expanded credentialing and several documented interruptions.
The operational test is whether reminders and stewarding prevent repeats through the tournament's final rounds. The best outcome is not banning a medium; it is making access conditional on conduct that protects the match.
Publication status: This report uses the dated official action and corroborating record listed below. It does not convert a filing into a judgment, a proposal into law, a political characterization into a neutral fact, or an initial result into a season-long forecast. The distinctions above control the headline, summary and practical takeaway for this specific assignment and should govern any later update as new documents or official results become available. Readers can compare those later records directly with the confirmed baseline reported here.
Status ledger — confirmed: The USTA credentialed close to 100 creators, up from 54, and documented disruptions prompted warnings. Alleged or characterized: Critics say creator culture is eroding decorum; organizers say the program reaches new fans. Disputed: How broadly a small number of incidents represents credentialed creators is contested. Still unknown: Whether revised messaging will prevent further disruption. The next verifiable step: Final-round enforcement will show whether access and etiquette can coexist.
Sources
- Associated Press — The presence of influencers and tennis etiquette become hot topics at the US Open (09-04-2026)
- Newser — Influencers Push Boundaries of Tennis Etiquette at US Open (09-04-2026)