Influencers are infiltrating this year's US Open. It's not stopping tennis lovers.

Sep 05, 2026 05:32 PM - 1 hour ago 2

Naomi Osaka signing hats

Garrett Ellwood/USTA via Getty Images

More than tennis 🎾

The US Open has agelong shape-shifted from a elemental tennis tourney into a two-week acquisition successful 1 of the champion boroughs successful New York.

With merch drops, celebrities successful the stands, and viral nutrient items on-site pinch eye-popping value tags, it's go the societal arena of September successful New York. This year, which runs til September 13, is nary exception, contempt the play astatine the suite level wrong Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Influencers, immoderate of whom are being paid six figures to recap the US Open, person turned the tourney into a high-stakes, high-payout event. On Monday, a fewer were spotted wrong a suite, ringing lights successful hand, creating content. It disrupted the lucifer betwixt Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova truthful overmuch that by Wednesday, a motion had been posted connected the grounds telling onlookers, "Please refrain from the usage of flash photography aliases different lighting."

Brendan McIntyre, a spokesperson for the US Open, told maine that they're excited a batch of "new fans" are attending the tennis tournament, but want to punctual attendees that they shouldn't "interfere pinch the action and title connected the court."

McIntyre added that contempt what you've seen connected societal media, disruptions haven't happened a batch passim the Open.

Either way, it hasn't deterred tennis lovers from making the trek to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center successful droves. BI was besides on-site, detailing the champion of what the tourney has to connection — speech from seeing our favourite players, of course.

We stopped by each azygous unit shop to inquire shop clerks what the astir celebrated items were, and I chose my favorite; we stopped by the Heineken suite to spot the iconic black and metallic outfit Serena Williams wore successful 2022 connected display; we tried the $38 sandwich attendees can't extremity ordering; and watched while a billionaire heiress volleyed for a chance to triumph her first US Open.

And the nosy continues adjacent week. See ya successful Queens!

Joi-Marie McKenzie is the editor successful main of the Life squad astatine Business Insider, overseeing entertainment, existent estate, lifestyle, health, parenting, and our Style & Success coverage.Previously, she worked for astir a decade successful web news astatine NBC and ABC, on pinch Good Morning America, wherever she earned an Emmy Award. McKenzie was besides a elder intermezo editor astatine Essence mag and lawman editor of intermezo astatine Insider.While serving arsenic lawman editor of intermezo astatine Insider, now known arsenic Business Insider, McKenzie earned respective publicity awards and recognition. She was besides nominated for the editor executive of the twelvemonth successful 2022 by the Drum Awards.The fifth-generation writer and editor has moderated conversations for The Paley Center for Media, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and Barnes and Noble successful New York City.McKenzie has written 2 books, some released by Hachette. Her first was a critically-acclaimed memoir titled "The Engagement Game," and she besides wrote "The Pursuit of Porsha," the memoir of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" prima Porsha Williams.McKenzie besides sits connected the committee of Color Vision, an statement that helps, educates, and informs women of colour successful imaginative fields. She's besides a committee personnel of The Afro American Newspaper, which serves the Baltimore-Washington area and was founded by her great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved Civil War veteran.

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