An influencer’s bright ring light forced a U.S. Open umpire to stop a match, angering tennis fans.
Video shared online showed a woman using a bright ring light from the stands, prompting the chair umpire to pause the match. Another clip showed several people filming inside a luxury suite as a spectator seated beneath them appeared visibly annoyed.
The incidents have added to complaints that the tournament at Flushing Meadows is becoming more focused on social media and entertainment than the tennis itself.
@katticuspfinch Tennis etiquette is that you don’t even GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A POINT, but now at @US Open apparently it’s ring lights and photo shoots everywhere in the MIDDLE OF A POINT. Listen, I love bringing new people to the open and I’m all for getting more people into tennis because it’s such a fun sport to watch but if you’re going to disrespect the players, you shouldn’t come to the match. And I LOVE content creators bringing tennis to everyone on social media but if you’re not going to be respectful of the game being played thats NOT OKAY. Yyou can see ring lights from all over the stadium and the umpire and players made it very clear that it’s a HUGE DISTRACTION and it’s now impacting the players ability to play the game we are all here to see. And apparently the us open and USTA are just fine with it because their staff is helping it happen. @influencersinthewild @Tennis Channel #nyccontentcreator #naomiosaka #usopen #tennistiktok #usopentennis ♬ original sound – There I Ruined It
United States Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre told the New York Post that such disruptions are uncommon.
“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,” McIntyre said. “These instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur.”
The USTA has increasingly welcomed online creators. The organization granted credentials to 54 content creators in 2025, its first year formally including them. That number has climbed to nearly 100 this year, according to USTA media operations director Jeanmarie Daly.
“We realized we live in a world where traditional media and content creators reach different audiences in different ways,” Daly said. “Our goal for the program was to have the broadest possible spectrum of coverage for the tournament.”
American tennis player Jessica Pegula said influencers can help promote the tournament but should not distract players during matches.
“I do think that it’s tough when you see videos like that when they’re taking pictures and using the selfie lights,” Pegula said. “People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. It seems like a bit disrespectful. I think it’s gotten a little, maybe too much; it feels like this year. I don’t know.
“I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough,” Pegula added.
Some spectators have also complained that a growing number of attendees appear more interested in the atmosphere and social media content than the competition on the court. Others slammed the influencer’s behavior as disrespectful and urged tournament organizers to enforce stricter conduct standards.
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