A US Open umpire was forced to intervene in the middle of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka‘s first-round match after spectators inside Arthur Ashe Stadium staged an impromptu photoshoot between points.
Tennis etiquette dictates quiet from the crowd during games, with moving around inside the stadium usually saved exclusively for changeovers between games or set breaks.
But increasingly, New York’s Grand Slam has attracted fans new to the tennis world with limited interest in adhering to convention.
Osaka – who turned heads with her final Grand Slam walk-on outfit of the season – was in the thick of the second set against Anastasia Zakharova, serving at 40-40 in the fourth game.
But as her opponent was poised to return, Osaka was forced to wait until the chair umpire had chided a group of spectators in one of Arthur Ashe’s hospitality suites.
‘Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat,’ the chair umpire announced to the stadium, as the broadcast camera panned to a group milling freely within their prime seats, taking pictures and talking.
Guests of a US Open hospitality suite were told off by a chair umpire for taking pictures during a game, seemingly using a portable light (ringed)
The luxury seats provided a backdrop for an atmospheric photoshoot as Naomi Osaka toiled on the court below
Elsewhere in the stands, another spectator was heard calling out: ‘The players are ready!’
When the stadium had stilled somewhat, Osaka returned to her serve but struggled with her ball toss, apologising as she reset.
Finally able to put away her first serve, the Japanese-American star went on to concede the point to hand Zakharova the advantage.
Footage captured from another spectator of the group on social media later showed them posing as a group, allegedly during a game, with a person who appeared to be a member of US Open staff holding up a portable light to help them capture the shot.
The social media clip showed another spectator on the same evening posing in front of the court with a portable light, also allegedly during live matchplay.
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 that does not interfere with the action and competition on the court.
‘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 US Open scrapped restrictions on movement during matches in 2024, bringing in a policy of ‘fan free movement’, with the tournament’s atmosphere unusually relaxed compared to more buttoned-up majors such as Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.
Players featuring at the tournament have learned to adjust to the hum around the stadia and inside the crowd, with US star Emma Navarro describing the atmosphere around the tournament’s show court as ‘casually rowdy’ in 2025.
But while the US Open’s vibe is considered a feature of the tournament rather than an element its organisers have sought to subdue, Monday night’s incident could be seen as a side-effect of the event’s cross-cultural appeal.
One social media user called out ‘influencers’ for taking pictures while action was ongoing
The US Open has become a hot ticket beyond the tennis world, particularly the tournament’s night sessions, and those who have been able to get their hands on a pass into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center keen to show it off on social media.
For those tennis fans at home, influencers accused of using the tournament as an eye-catching – but ultimately interchangeable – backdrop for pictures, rather than fellow aficionados capturing memorable moments, are the focus of their ire.
‘This is so disrespectful,’ one user commented under the footage. ‘As someone who grew up playing tennis, it’s not a strictly fashion event, you go because you love the game and to respectfully watch the match.’
Another agreed: ‘Tennis has become a joke with all these influencers getting freebies who don’t even know the player’s names.’
