Ring lights and reels: Influencers force pause during US Open match

The US Open has entered its influencer era, but not everyone is liking the content. Here's what's happening

The 2026 US Open is facing backlash over a growing influencer presence in the stands, with bright ring lights, flashes and noisy content shoots disrupting matches. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) reportedly increased influencer media credentials to nearly 100 this year, up from 54 in 2025, as it looks to make the tournament more social-media friendly.

Influencers at the US Open

The strategy came under fire when Naomi Osaka’s match against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium was briefly interrupted by a noisy group of influencers filming something like a TikTok dance. Chair umpire Kader Nouni had to ask the suite to quiet down and take their seats. “Guys, please, in the suite behind me, thank you guys, please take your seat,” Nouni said to the audience. Footage of the incident went viral online, with comments from frustrated tennis fans complaining about the “distracting influencers” at the tournament. “What happened to tennis etiquette?” said on fan under the video. Another said, “This is a bit obnoxious!” World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, after winning her second-round match on Wednesday said to FOS, “People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. And it seems a bit disrespectful.”

Mriganka Chawla, one of the influencers taking a selfie while Osaka is playing in Katherine’s video, told The Cut she regrets trying to get a picture during the match. It was her first time at the US Open, but not as part of her work as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She was accompanying her fiance’s tennis-obsessed family. Although Chawla was not in the suite that caught the umpire’s attention, she asked an usher to take her picture at a slightly less crowded spot “because my man can’t take a photo to save his life.” She didn’t think she was disturbing anyone.“I’m really sorry if I disrupted any playing,” she said, adding that she wished there had been clearer guidelines. “I just wanted one cute photo.”

The US Open’s head of communications, Brendan McIntyre, has defended the strategy, saying that such disturbances occur ‘infrequently.’ “We want our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend the US Open, but we also need to ensure that does not interfere with the action and competition on the court,” he told the New York Post.

After the ring-light fiasco, users shared reels showing the US Open gates prominently display a warning asking spectators to refrain from using “flash photography or other lighting” during matches.