U.S. Open faces influencer reckoning with new drama
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The U.S. Open has long been a "see and be seen" destination for fashion, business and Hollywood. Now, a growing class of content creators is joining the crowd — and getting schooled in tennis etiquette in real time.
Why it matters: Creator partnerships can help brands reach audiences traditional media may not, but putting new messengers into highly codified environments creates another responsibility: making sure they understand the rules of the room.
Driving the news: Chair umpire Kader Nouni briefly interrupted Naomi Osaka's first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova after people in a hospitality suite were walking around and taking photos — including with a light — while Osaka was preparing to serve.
- "Guys, please, in the suite behind me ... please take your seat," Nouni told the group.
Context: The USTA approved credentials for "close to 100" content creators this year, nearly double the 54 it credentialed when it launched the program in 2025.
- USTA media operations director Jeanmarie Daly told Front Office Sports the goal is to reach the "broadest possible spectrum" of audiences, recognizing that traditional media and creators reach people differently.
- Last year's creator cohort generated more than 5.5 million social engagements, according to the USTA.
Thought bubble from Axios' Kerry Flynn: I've gone to the U.S. Open every year since 2015, and the etiquette has never felt this bad. It's always been rowdier than other tennis tournaments, but the party atmosphere has bled more into actual play.
- I sat in a suite with my mother-in-law Tuesday, and her Apple Watch noise warning went off multiple times due to the noise around us.
- The U.S. Open needs to make sure the spectacle doesn't overwhelm the game itself. There's an opportunity to do more to teach new audiences who may not know better and, when people ignore the rules, actually enforce them.
Friction point: That's the tradeoff facing event organizers and communicators alike: Reaching new audiences means inviting in people who may not know the norms insiders take for granted.
- The people involved in Monday's incident were not there on U.S. Open content creator credentials, U.S. Open spokesperson Brendan McIntyre confirmed.
- "These instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur."
What they're saying: "Creators are people, just like you or me," said Kyle Hjelmeseth, founder and CEO of G&B, a creator talent agency.
- "Some know these societal or institutional rules and don't follow them, and some don't know them at all," he said.
- "But when you put a brand or sponsor in the mix, that is where it is really on the brand or agency planning the campaign to ensure that everyone knows the expected level of decorum."
The bottom line: "High-level sports are a prime venue for the expression of human beauty," David Foster Wallace once wrote, a sentiment that's quickly lost when someone's recording a Reel with a ring light beside you.
