Naomi Osaka Calls Out U.S. Open Influencers After Disruptive Viral Incident

Naomi Osaka is calling out influencers traveling to the U.S. Open to familiarize themselves with the sport's spectator rules after the disruptive viral incident she faced during the first round of her match.

Discussing that event two days after her match on the tournament's showcourt, she said, per the Daily Mail, "I think obviously, if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport."

"And I feel like it's common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette," she added.

The etiquette for her sport largely dictates that fans should save conversations and movement during the match for changeovers or set breaks, when the players are at the chairs.

In 2024, though, the U.S. Open switched to a policy of "free fan movement," allowing spectators to move during points regardless of on-court action.

Suggesting that more could be done to make sure that the players were not disturbed during match play, she went on, "I feel like 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 the situation like first-round match."

Osaka's words came after her match was disrupted by a rowdy group in one of Arthur Ashe Stadium's luxury suites when she was preparing to serve.

At the time, the chair umpire told off the guests who appeared to be staging an impromptu photoshoot, complete with portable lights.

"Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat," the umpire announced as the broadcast camera moved to show a group milling freely within their prime seats, taking pictures and talking.

Talking about influencers, Osaka added during the interview, "Overall I think there is huge positives. You want people to continue to grow the sport. I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette."

She also mentioned how she had been more bothered by the noise inside the stadium during her matches than by the flashlights themselves.

She said, "I was going to say today the umpire, she told everyone to be quiet more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet."

The four-time Grand Slam champion continued, "I do think in my first match, I wasn't really paying attention. I tell people I normally just focus on the match and the court, but there was a moment where there was, like, people shouting, and you could hear it quite clearly. I think it bothered my opponent, too."

"Maybe that's what you were talking about, but I've heard some people say, like, the lights or whatever. I don't really see the lights, because obviously, when you are serving, you're looking at the sun or you're looking at the night lights. It was more the noise," she confessed.