Brands are finally reacting to the mess creators caused at the US Open. One brand has reportedly sent etiquette guidelines to invited influencers after the backlash from Naomi Osaka’s match against Anastasia Zakharova, where people in a suite filmed during points and used a bright ring light. Chair umpire Kader Nouni had to step in and tell them to sit down, while Osaka later said they were shouting loudly enough for her to hear from the court.

“Brands are so worried about getting caught up in the influencer discourse that they’re starting to outline tennis etiquette for people invited to the US Open by them,” reported Jessica Schiffer.

Jessica Schiffer had already reported in Vogue that tennis is becoming a serious creator economy, with brands spending heavily to get influencers into premium seats, events and US Open activations. Now she is reporting the fallout.

The issue truly came into the spotlight when Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff publicly called out the behavior.

Osaka had already been disrupted during her first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova and made her position clear afterward.

“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” she said. Osaka was not against influencers being there, adding, “It could be a good thing for people to make the sport of tennis popular to their specific audience, but I think it has to be managed a lot better, especially in a situation like my first-round match.”

Gauff went even further by spelling out exactly what needed to stop. “I definitely think no flash photography because that does bother [me],” she said. “Try not to talk too loud… definitely not like mouthing TikToks and stuff in the middle of a point.”

She also put some responsibility on the brands bringing newcomers into the suites. “I think it might be on some of the brands to, to maybe have a sign plastered in the suite so that they know because sometimes it’s their first tennis match.”

But there is one important catch. Not every influencer at the US Open came through the USTA’s official creator program.

In 2026, the US Open approved close to 100 creator credentials, up from 54 when the program launched in 2025. The USTA said the goal was to reach audiences traditional tennis media often misses.

The program went beyond match coverage, bringing in creators from fashion, food, health and lifestyle. Their 2025 content generated more than 5.5 million social engagements, while the 2026 group also included social-first teams from traditional outlets and podcasts such as Andy Roddick’s Served.

The USTA separately worked with around 15 to 20 creators producing content directly for the tournament. By 2026, creators were no longer a side experiment. They had become part of the US Open’s media strategy.

That distinction is now at the center of the creators’ own defense. Many influencers at Flushing Meadows came through brands, sponsors, hospitality suites or regular tickets, not the USTA program.

Influencers Push Back, but Admit Some Creators Crossed the Line

Even the influencers themselves admit the backlash did not come from nowhere. US Open-credentialed creator Justin Morelli, the voice behind The ShotClock, said the influencer boom around sports has been building for years and in 2026 had “kind of gone crazy.”

He still defended creators as a way to bring casual fans into tennis, but said there has to be a limit. Once content starts distracting players during points, the whole idea stops being harmless.

Morelli also said the outrage had been “blown a little out of proportion,” arguing that a few rude guests should not define everyone. Alyssa La Spisa, the food and lifestyle creator behind Where Hot Guys Eat IRL, agreed and called the criticism a “blanket statement.”

She pointed out that many influencers at the US Open come through brands and hospitality suites rather than the USTA’s official credential program. Some creators clearly crossed the line, but blaming the entire influencer crowd for every disruption misses the bigger picture.