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Influencers have come under fire after disrupting matches at the US Tennis Open in New York, with officials even pausing points to address them. Over the last few years, there has been an uptick in influencers and content creators making themselves known at sporting events. Many are there to vlog their experiences, while others are working with brands to promote different things. This has been the case at the 2026 US Open tennis tournament too, with the behaviour of influencers coming under fire. In a sport like tennis, crowds are typically silent during points, allowing players to fully concentrate. Yet, there have been a few instances of that not being the case. That includes a TikTok from katticuspfinch, who showed groups of influencers using a bright light to video herself while a game between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova was going on. Influencers under fire for US Open tennis videos “I love bringing new people to the open and I’m all for getting more people into tennis because it’s such a fun sport to watch but if you’re going to disrespect the players, you shouldn’t come to the match,” the TikToker said, calling it a “huge distraction” for players and fans. “I hate how influencers r taking over tennis they probs don’t even care about the sport!” one fan commented. “Tennis larpers are fking insane,” another said. “Tennis has become a joke with all these influencers getting freebies,” said another. “I am sooo upset. I just went yesterday and yes, this year was so bad. People laughing and talking having very loud conversations during a serve,” another replied. Umpire paused game to warn influencers over behavior This was the only example of disruption at the tournament that has gone viral. During the same match, the same group of creators was captured recording a video during the same game. Related They were warned by the match umpire about the noise throughout the game, while other fans shouted at them as well. Speaking to the New York Post, USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said these “instances happen infrequently,” and they want fans to have an “incredible time” at the tournament. Fury was also sparked at the World Cup as one influencer decided to ‘run’ a 5K in his seat, disrupting the match for fans around him.