Influencers at the US Open: Growing Tennis or Ruining the Experience?
Tennis needs influencers—but it needs the right kind of influence.
The modern sports audience no longer discovers athletes only through television broadcasts and newspaper profiles. Fans find players through TikTok clips, Instagram fashion posts, YouTube analysis, podcasts, behind-the-scenes videos and personalities who make an unfamiliar sport feel accessible.
For tennis, that represents an enormous opportunity.
A good creator can explain why a return position matters, introduce a promising junior, reveal what happens beyond Arthur Ashe Stadium or help a casual viewer understand why a fifth-set tiebreak feels so intense. Fashion and lifestyle creators can also show that the US Open is more than a draw sheet. It is a cultural event combining competition, style, food, celebrity and New York energy.
But there must be a boundary.
When content creation disrupts the point, blocks another spectator’s view or turns a professional match into background scenery for a personal photo shoot, it stops promoting tennis. It begins competing with it.
“The best tennis influencer makes you want to watch the next point—not look away from it.”
The Ring Light That Started an Argument
The debate intensified during Naomi Osaka’s first-round match at the 2026 US Open.
A viral video showed a spectator using a bright ring light during play. Another group in a hospitality suite was seen moving around and recording itself while Osaka prepared to serve, prompting the chair umpire to ask them to sit down.
The incidents were quickly blamed on “influencers,” but the truth was more complicated.
The USTA credentialed approximately 100 content creators in 2026, nearly double the 54 approved in 2025. However, ESPN reported that the people involved in the widely circulated Osaka-match incidents were not among the officially credentialed creators.
That distinction matters.
An accredited independent tennis analyst producing responsible coverage is not the same as a hospitality guest holding up a ring light. Using one dismissive label for both groups creates an easy villain while ignoring the real issue: disruptive behavior can come from creators, celebrities, suite guests or ordinary ticket holders.
The rule should apply equally to everyone.
Tennis Needs New Storytellers
Traditional tennis coverage is excellent at reporting scores, rankings and press-conference comments. It is not always as effective at explaining why new fans should care.
Creators can fill that gap.
They can introduce the personalities behind the rankings, explain tennis language without making beginners feel foolish and show the tournament from a fan’s perspective. They can cover practice courts, qualifying, doubles, juniors, wheelchair tennis and the many competitors who rarely receive prime television exposure.
A strong creator might show:
- How a player prepares before a night match.
- Why left-handed serving patterns create different return problems.
- What makes an outer-court match special.
- How to attend the US Open for the first time.
- Which junior players deserve attention.
- How equipment, strings and court surfaces affect performance.
- Why doubles positioning matters.
- How tennis fashion and culture have evolved.
This kind of content does not weaken serious journalism. It expands the number of doors through which people can enter the sport.
Tennis is competing with every other form of entertainment available on a phone. Expecting younger fans to discover the game exclusively through a four-hour broadcast is unrealistic.
The sport needs short-form entry points—but those entry points should lead somewhere meaningful.
When the Stadium Becomes a Personal Studio
The problem begins when the creator becomes more important than the event.
A spectator repeatedly standing during play, aiming bright lighting toward the court or obstructing surrounding fans is not documenting the US Open. That person is using the tournament as production scenery.
Players notice sudden light and movement. Tennis depends upon concentration, timing and the ability to track a small ball moving at extraordinary speed. Consistent stadium noise can become part of the background; a ring light or unexpected movement appearing as a player serves is far more disruptive.
Other spectators also pay substantial prices to watch the match. Their experience should not be sacrificed so one person can capture the perfect social-media post.
There is nothing wrong with taking pictures, filming permitted areas or celebrating the experience. The question is one of timing and awareness.
Record before the match. Capture reactions between points. Film around the grounds. Take photographs during changeovers. But when the server begins the motion, let the competition become the content.
“If your content requires everyone else to stop enjoying the event, it is probably not growing the game.”
The US Open Helped Create This Tension
The US Open markets itself as much more than tennis.
Its brand includes celebrity sightings, expensive food, fashion, cocktails, luxury suites, sponsor installations and shareable experiences. The tournament wants to be one of New York’s biggest cultural events—and it has succeeded.
It cannot then appear surprised when some visitors behave as though they are attending a lifestyle festival with tennis happening nearby.
This does not excuse disruptive behavior. It means the tournament shares responsibility for setting expectations.
If the US Open invites a new audience, it should also teach that audience how to participate.
The USTA responded to the controversy by increasing signage and sending reminders to ticket and suite holders about flashes, lighting and disruptive activity. That is a sensible beginning. Associated Press
But tennis etiquette should not be presented as a collection of mysterious traditions that newcomers are expected to know automatically. It should be explained clearly and positively.
A Better Creator Program
Banning creators entirely would be an overreaction. A stronger system would separate responsible coverage from disruptive self-promotion.
The US Open could introduce:
A short orientation
Every credentialed creator should complete a brief etiquette and access briefing explaining when filming is permitted, where lighting can be used and how movement affects players and spectators.
Designated content areas
Creators need places where they can film introductions, fashion segments and sponsored content without blocking walkways or disturbing matches.
Tiered access
Tennis specialists producing interviews, analysis and tournament reporting should receive different access from lifestyle creators primarily documenting food, fashion or the fan experience.
Better storytelling opportunities
Provide approved creators with practice access, player interviews, junior-tennis features and behind-the-scenes material. If compelling content is available away from live points, there is less incentive to manufacture a spectacle during them.
Clear enforcement
Ring lights, flash photography and repeated movement during points should receive an immediate warning. Continued disruption should result in removal, regardless of follower count or VIP status.
Fan education
Ticket confirmations and stadium screens could include a friendly 30-second guide: remain seated during points, avoid flash and bright lights, silence notifications and wait for a changeover before moving through the rows.
Education grows the audience. Unexplained rules merely divide insiders from newcomers.
Influence Should Serve the Game
The future of tennis media will include athletes publishing directly, independent analysts, traditional reporters, coaches, fashion creators, podcasters and fans building communities around particular players.
That is healthy.
The sport should not try to restore a world in which a few television networks controlled every story. New voices can make tennis more global, personal and culturally relevant.
But influence should be measured by more than views.
Did the content help someone understand the game? Did it introduce a player worth following? Did it inspire someone to attend a tournament, join a league or pick up a racquet? Did it make doubles, juniors or lower-ranked professionals more visible?
Those outcomes create genuine value.
A ring-light video may attract temporary attention, but attention without connection disappears quickly. Tennis needs creators who convert curiosity into participation.
Growing Tennis Without Losing Tennis
The choice is not between tradition and growth.
The US Open can remain loud, fashionable and social while protecting the moments that belong to the players. Creators can entertain their audiences while respecting the people competing and the fans seated around them.
Tennis does not need fewer storytellers. It needs storytellers who understand what the story is.
The tournament is not simply a location. The match is not a prop. The athletes are not background characters in somebody else’s personal brand.
When the point begins, the court must remain the center of attention.
“The future of tennis belongs to creators who amplify the game—not creators who compete with it.”
Explore Tennis Tokens to discover how digital communities, fan participation and emerging technology could reshape the culture and business of tennis.