At the US Open, in addition to the constant hubbub of spectators free to move around during rallies, players now have to deal with the indiscipline of more and more numerous influencers and the overwhelming smell of cannabis, which disrupt matches, much to their dismay.
During the first round match between Japanese Naomi Osaka and Russian Anastasia Zakharova on the Arthur-Ashe court, a group of influencers stood out loudly by taking photos and videos with a light ring on a balcony, forcing French referee Kader Nouni to interrupt the exchange.
“Normally I don’t pay attention, but there was a moment when these people were shouting, we could hear them very clearly. I think it bothered my opponent too,” Osaka said afterwards, disillusioned.
And the former world No.1, double winner of the tournament, recalled that “when you attend a sporting event, you must respect this sport. I find it a matter of basic courtesy to find out about your rules of conduct.”
Another edifying scene, during the 2nd round meeting between Gaël Monfils and Learner Tien, an influencer approached the court during an exchange in order to take a photo with a photographer, for a mark visible on her t-shirt, before sitting down again, noted an AFP journalist.
Calls to order
“It’s so representative of New York: it’s chaotic and it’s going in all directions,” first joked American Jessica Pegula, world No.3, before lamenting that “it’s a little disrespectful, we’re starting to cross the line a little.”
Anxious to make tennis more popular in the United States and to rejuvenate the audience for the US Open, its organizers have set up a partnership with influencers since last year, the number of which has doubled for this edition with around a hundred accredited participants.
A strategy supported by certain players, including the Russian Daniil Medvedev. “The more we try to raise awareness of tennis, the better. I think there are many more advantages than disadvantages,” said the Russian.
The behavior of certain content creators, clearly more inclined to show off than to contribute to the good exposure of the tournament, however forced the USTA (the American tennis federation organizing the event) to take a call to order.
“We have reinforced signage on site and in the stadium, sent messages to ticket and box holders to remind everyone to refrain from any activity likely to disrupt the match, in particular the noise level, the use of flash for photos and light rings,” Brendan McIntyre, spokesperson for the US Open, told AFP.
“We want all of our fans and guests to have an amazing time when they come to watch the tournament, but we also need to make sure that they do not disrupt the flow of play and the competition on court,” he added.
“Respect customs”
Common sense measures welcomed by some of the best players on the circuit. If world No.4 Coco Gauff, crowned in New York in 2023, is delighted to see a new audience flocking to Flushing Meadows, she considers that there are a few rules of good manners to adopt.
“It’s like everything, you don’t go to a red carpet in jeans. You simply have to respect the practices specific to this sport. They’ve probably been to basketball games before, but sometimes it’s their first tennis match. No flash and Tiktok videos during points, try not to speak too loudly,” maintains the 22-year-old American.
In fact, the disturbance is not only audible or visual at Flushing Meadows this year, but also olfactory, with several players having complained about the strong smell of marijuana near certain courts.
“It smells very strong there… it’s nonsense,” exclaimed Gaël Monfils when he entered the fray, when Aryna Sabalenka interrupted her third round match on the Louis Armstrong, addressing the referee: “Someone is smoking weed. Could you do something? It’s really very strong.”
The influencers, the noise, the smell… so many disturbances which multiply at the US Open, only establishing its reputation as the rowdiest Grand Slam.
“Things change, the audience can move during points. It smells like weed on the courts. There’s noise everywhere, it’s becoming a bit of a zoo in fact,” summarized Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, beaten in the second round.
