US Open 2024: Balancing Influencer Culture and Tennis Etiquette

At Flushing Meadows this year, the soundtrack has changed. Between the thud of the ball and the murmur of 20,000 fans, there’s a new layer: ring lights snapping on, phones held high, creators talking to camera while rallies unfold below them.

The US Open wanted this. It doubled the number of accredited content creators for 2024, a deliberate push to reach new audiences for the season’s final Grand Slam. The tournament opened its doors wider than ever.

Now it’s dealing with the consequences.

Influencers in the firing line

The flashpoint came high above the court, in one of the suites. Chair umpire Kader Nouni stopped play and turned his attention not to a player, but to a group of influencers filming a video in the middle of a point. His message was clear: enough.

Another incident involved a creator using a bright portable ring light to take photos, the glare cutting through the arena’s dimmer evening tones. On a tennis court, where concentration is a currency, that kind of distraction is not a minor detail.

On court, umpires have been dragged into a role they never asked for: crowd managers in the age of content. During Naomi Osaka’s second-round win, chair umpire Marijana Veljovic repeatedly asked fans to quiet down. The interruptions were frequent enough to be noticed, and not just by those watching.

Osaka, a two-time US Open champion and one of the sport’s most influential voices, didn’t dress it up.

“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.”

The word “etiquette” keeps coming up in New York this fortnight. Not by accident.

A new policy, new problems

This year the US Open introduced free fan movement, scrapping the long-standing requirement that spectators wait for changeovers before taking their seats. It was meant to make the event more relaxed, more accessible, more in tune with modern live entertainment.

Instead, it has collided head-on with tennis’s need for quiet during play.

Since Osaka’s opening match, the tournament has ramped up in-stadium messaging. Big screens now carry more reminders: keep the noise down during points, no flash photography, no ring lights, avoid anything that could disrupt the players.

The requests are polite. The frustration on court is less so.

Pegula: “It seems a bit disrespectful”

Jessica Pegula, the American No 1 and third seed, has watched the shift from inside the ropes. She understands the commercial logic. She also sees the other side.

“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.”

Pegula’s point cuts through the noise. For players, this is not a backdrop for content. It is their office, their livelihood, their shot at history.

Celebrities have always flocked to Flushing Meadows. From A‑listers to US presidents, the luxury suites have long been a parade of the ultra-wealthy paying thousands for the right to be seen. But the influencer era is different. The stars in the suites are no longer just watching the show. They are producing one.

Gauff’s dress code for the digital age

World No 4 Coco Gauff isn’t pushing back against the new wave entirely. Far from it. She sees 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 she reached for an image that every New Yorker understands.

“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.”

In one line, Gauff summed up the tension. Tennis wants the buzz, the reach, the new audiences. It doesn’t want to lose the standards that make the sport what it is.

Inside the influencer camp

Not every creator turning up at the US Open is chasing views with no sense of context. Eliza Wastcoat is one of those trying to bridge the gap.

An influencer with a deep interest in tennis, she runs a social channel exploring where tennis meets fashion. She grew up close enough to the sport to serve as a Wimbledon ball kid, moved to the United States to attend Lehigh University, and started her career at a creative agency. She knows both worlds.

“There is a space in tennis for influencers and content creators to be welcomed into the sport and reach new audiences,” she said, “but I think there’s ways in which the sport can do that which includes content creators and influencers who appreciate the sport itself and the etiquette of it and for those who are maybe new and are bringing new audiences in.”

Her argument is blunt: if you’re coming into this space, do your homework.

“I do think it’s the responsibility of both the brands, the tournaments and the individuals coming to read up a little bit and understand the etiquette of the type of sporting event they’re going to.

“Tennis has really opened up its doors to change but ultimately players need some quiet and the ability to concentrate.

“We all want tennis to grow so inviting people in and making it an all-round experience is great for the game, so it’s just an opportunity to further educate people about the game on what tennis is.”

In other words, growth is welcome. Chaos is not.

USTA on the tightrope

The United States Tennis Association finds itself walking a narrow line. It wants packed stands, viral clips, a younger audience. It also has to protect the integrity of the matches it stages.

In a statement, the governing body said it wanted fans to have an “incredible time” while making sure they did not interfere with play.

“We are continually looking for ways to ensure fans in the stands know what is permitted and what is prohibited,” the USTA said.

That learning curve is something Wastcoat recognises from the outside looking in.

“What’s the balance of how many credentials or tickets do we give to folks who are new, or how many do we give to creators who know and appreciate the sport?” she asked. “It’s trying to find that balance.

“Experiences like this show that tennis is increasing in popularity so in the end more people are going to be a part of it. There’s more opportunity with brands than there ever has been and I expect that to continue.”

The US Open wanted to be the sport’s most modern stage. It has succeeded. Now comes the harder question: can tennis keep its soul while the ring lights keep flashing?