Coco Gauff had a good laugh when asked about influencers amid debates on their etiquette at the U.S. Open.
During a press conference following her win against Paula Badosa in Round 2, Gauff explained that her problem isn’t with influencers and that it ultimately comes down to following tennis etiquette.
“I think it’s great to have a different demographic to the sport. I have no problem with influencers. I’ve met some of them and follow some of them online,” Gauff, the world No. 4, said Thursday. “Luckily, the ones I do follow online do follow the etiquette and know tennis pretty well.
“Any venue you come to, you have to follow the etiquette toward it. And I definitely think it may be on some of the brands, too, maybe to have a sign plastered or something in the suite — so they know, because, you know, sometimes, it’s their first tennis match. They don’t know. They’ve probably been to basketball games before.
“But I definitely think no flash photography because that does bother [me]. And I am one of the more lenient players. There’s very few times you hear me complain about noise. But the flash, definitely. No flash in the points. Try not to talk too loud. Ashe is a very loud court, so I’m used to it, but definitely not like mouthing TikToks and stuff in the middle of a point.
“And I think it’s not just for the players, but for the viewing experience, for those around … But I definitely think it’s cool to have a new demographic, and I definitely think it helps grow the sport. But, like with anything, any venue you go to, like, if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans. I think it’s just follow the etiquette of the sport. That’s all.”
Influencers are the talk of Flushing Meadows after some caused a stir during Monday’s first-round match between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The chair umpire had to pause the match due to an overzealous group of influencers, who were filming content on the balcony of a suite, as seen in a viral video online.
One clip that made the rounds online showed showed one woman, wearing a polkadot dress, posing for photos and using a bright light during match play.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, weighed in when a reporter asked if she was distracted during her first-round match.
“Today, the umpire, she told everyone to be quiet more than I’ve ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet,” Osaka said Thusrday after her win against Katerina Siniakova in Round 2.
“I do think in my first match, I wasn’t really paying attention. I tell people [that] I normally just focus on the match and the court, but there was a moment where there was people, like, shouting and stuff, and you could hear it quite clearly. And I think it bothered my opponent, too.”
Osaka, who said the lights didn’t bother her, brought up etiquette when asked her thoughts on this new generation, bringing new fans, and the tradition of tennis.”
“That’s a really tough question,” Osaka said. “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. 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 in my first-round match.
“Overall, there’s huge positives, and I’m not the one to, like, what do you say? 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.”
The U.S. Open shared a public notice regarding photography and lighting after the viral moment.
“Please refrain from the use of flash photography or other lighting during match play. Thank you and enjoy the tennis!” a sign posted outside of Louis Armstrong Stadium read.
It has sparked a larger conversation on brands inviting influencers and content creators to sports events, as well as tennis etiquette.
