Referee tells US Open influencers to organize light photo shoot DURING Naomi Osaka’s first round match

A US Open referee had to intervene in the middle of the four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka‘s first round match after spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium staged an impromptu photo shoot between the points.

Tennis etiquette dictates crowd silence during matches, with movement in the stadium usually reserved for between-match changes or set breaks.

But increasingly, the New York Grand Slam has attracted fans who are new to the tennis world and have only a passing interest in adhering to convention.

Osaka – who turned heads with her final Grand Slam outfit of the season – was in the middle of the second set against Anastasia Zakharova, serving at 40-40 in the fourth game.

But as her opponent was about to return, Osaka had to wait for the chair umpire to reprimand a group of spectators in one of Arthur Ashe’s hospitality suites.

“Guys, please, in the suite behind me, thank you guys, please, take a seat,” the chair umpire announced to the stadium as the broadcast camera panned to a group moving freely in their best seats, taking pictures and talking.

Elsewhere in the stands, another spectator was heard shouting, “The players are ready!”

Once the stadium quieted down, Osaka returned to her serve but struggled with her ball throw and apologized as she reset.

Finally able to put away her first serve, the Japanese-American star conceded the point and gave Zakharova the advantage.

Footage captured from another spectator of the group on social media later showed them posing as a group, reportedly during a match, with a person who appeared to be a member of the US Open staff holding up a portable light to help them take the photo.

The social media clip showed another spectator posing in front of the pitch with a portable lamp the same evening, also reportedly during live match play.

When contacted by Daily Mail Sport for comment on the incident, Brendan McIntyre, head of US Open communications, said: ‘We want our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend the US Open, but we also need to ensure this does not disrupt the action and competition on the field.

“These instances do not occur often, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur.”

The US Open scrapped restrictions on movement during matches in 2024 and introduced a “free movement of fans” policy, with the tournament’s atmosphere unusually relaxed compared to more buttoned-down majors such as Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.

Players at the tournament have learned to adapt to the buzz around the stadiums and in the crowd, with US star Emma Navarro describing the atmosphere around the 2025 tournament’s show court as ‘casually rowdy’.

But while the atmosphere of the US Open is seen as a hallmark of the tournament rather than one that organizers have tried to suppress, Monday night’s incident could be seen as a side effect of the event’s cross-cultural appeal.

The US Open has become a hot ticket outside the tennis world, especially the evening sessions of the tournament, and those who have managed to get a pass to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are keen to show it off on social media.

For tennis fans at home, influencers accused of using the tournament as a flashy – but ultimately interchangeable – backdrop for photos, rather than allowing fellow enthusiasts to capture memorable moments, are the focus of their ire.

“This is so disrespectful,” one user commented underneath the images. “As someone who grew up playing tennis, it is not a purely fashion event, you go because you love the game and to watch the match with respect.”

Another agreed: ‘Tennis has become a joke with all these influencers getting freebies who don’t even know the player’s name.’