Actively attracting KOLs helps the US Open increase its appeal outside of tennis, but also makes the stands increasingly chaotic, to the point where players liken the atmosphere at the tournament to a "zoo".
Naomi Osaka had a difficult match with Anatasia Zakharova in round one on September 1. After winning the first set with a tie-break, she suddenly lost focus when serving at 4-4 in the second set. In the VIP room area, a group of KOLs (influential people in the community) stood posing for photos with a high-bright mobile lamp.
This group of people were engrossed in finding a good shooting angle, seemingly not paying attention to the intense match below. The light and their constant movement eventually caused the referee to give a warning. But it took a while for the message to reach those in the VIP room.
The situation partly reflects another US Open in 2026. The last Grand Slam of the year is famous for the energy of night matches and the typical New York glamor, but is facing complaints because of the increasing presence of KOLs, including those who see Flushing Meadows as a backdrop to produce content for social networks.
Women's singles number three seed Jessica Pegula thinks the situation has gone too far. "Everyone down there is trying to compete, it's their career and their job," the number one American female tennis player said after the match at Arthur Ashe Court on September 2. "Things like that seem a bit disrespectful. I think this year things have become a bit too much."
The dense appearance of KOLs is not accidental. The US Open in recent years no longer simply wants to be seen as a tennis tournament.
According to Reece Milner, senior strategy manager at marketing firm The Goat Agency, the tournament has evolved from a tennis event into one of the key cultural intersections in New York's events calendar, where sports merges with fashion, luxury goods, high-end services, celebrities, lifestyle and content culture.
Typical experiences at the Flushing Meadows tennis complex also became popular content on social networks. A night match, a cocktail or a box of chicken served with caviar for $100 can all become things for visitors to the stadium to take pictures of and post on their personal pages.
The organizing committee itself is well aware of the cultural power of the tournament and actively exploits it. This year, the US Open issued career cards to 100 content creators. Brendan McIntyre, head of the tournament's communications department, even predicts that this number will continue to increase in the coming years.
However, not all KOLs or content creators are problems. Tennis media has changed with the development of TikTok, Instagram or Substack. Many people who create content on these platforms are truly interested in tennis and contribute to bringing the sport closer to new audiences.
Sports Mail believes that what's more worrying is that the group of guests only spent one night at the US Open and raced against time to get the perfect photo, regardless of what was happening on the field.
The US Open has never been like Wimbledon and that difference is part of the tournament's appeal. The bustling atmosphere during the night sessions on Arthur Ashe creates a sharp contrast with the orderly, quiet space on Wimbledon Center Court.
But as more and more people showed up at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center more interested in their social media pages than the game, the chatter and activities unrelated to tennis began to take their toll on the players.
"On the Ashe field, you hear everything," Pegula said. "Even when there's no loud noise, there's always a buzz, people talking, eating, laughing and all sorts of emotions. You really have to do a good job of keeping yourself in a bubble when you're out there."
Adrian Mannarino was even more harsh when talking about the situation on the outdoor courts. According to the French tennis player, the audience can enter in all kinds of ways, move and chat while the match takes place.
"The tournament accepts that and I don't know if this is a good idea for tennis in general," Mannarino said. "The noise is coming from all directions. This place has probably become a kind of zoo."
Another reason not directly related to KOLs is the "free fan movement" policy - allowing spectators to move freely - introduced by the US Open from 2024. Instead of having to wait for the players to change courts or end the set, viewers are more free to enter and leave.
During Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz's matches on September 2, this policy caused Arthur Ashe's low stands to be almost constantly occupied by people. Noise in the yard was described as never falling below the level of a pub garden area.
The impact on tennis players can sometimes be seen directly. After Alcaraz beat Jaime Faria in the first game of the second set in round two on September 3, the noise in the stands increased sharply. When the score of the next game was 0-15, Faria showed signs of losing concentration and served a double error. The referee then had to warn a fan who shouted down as the Portuguese player was about to serve, but the conversations in the stands continued.
The incidents didn't stop after Osaka either. Although the organizers displayed a notice asking the audience not to use flash or spotlights when taking photos, lights still flashed from the audience area during Sabalenka's victory over Polina Iatcenko in the second round.
After Osaka's incident, the organizers said the referee had the right to intervene with the audience when disruptive situations occurred, describing them as "infrequent".
This is also a difficult position for the US Open. Flashy images posted by KOLs help the tournament reach a large audience on social networks and more or less convert into ticket sales. Becoming a fashion, entertainment and lifestyle event besides tennis also creates a different attraction for the Grand Slam in New York.
But that very success is raising questions about limits. If the goal is to bring more people to tennis and turn them into long-term fans of the sport, the US Open still needs good matches, in an environment suitable for tennis. On the biggest stages of the tournament, the latter is no longer always guaranteed.
