Lights, camera, action: Irksome influencers at the US Open are here to stay

But despite the pushback and complaints, it looks like they’re here to stay.

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Tennis’s biggest stars weren’t battling weather extremes and challenging court surfaces last week when the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam got under way at Flushing Meadows in New York.

The disruption, rather, came from flashy ring lights, untimely selfies and raucous behaviour from influencers in the spectator stands.

The use of influencers – social media personalities who create content for followers online – is a relatively new trend in sports marketing across major sporting tournaments like tennis’s US Open and football’s FIFA World Cup.

According to sports media experts, they’re only going to become mainstream and more relevant.

What was the influencer row at the US Open about.

Players aren’t pushing back against influencers, one hundred of whom the US Open has formally accredited this year, so much as they’re calling for respect for the players and the game.

A chair umpire was forced to reprimand influencers for staging a disruptive photo shoot while two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka was serving during her first-round win against Anastasia Zakharova last Monday.

Another social media user attracted attention for all the wrong reasons when she posted a series of photos posing inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium while Madison Keys was in the middle of playing a point against Alina Korneeva, which breached basic tennis etiquette.

Videos on social media showed people moving about the stands during play or taking group photographs, often without consideration for fans around them trying to enjoy the match.

Why are influencers at the US Open anyway.

Influencers are the latest, and a significantly cost-effective, marketing trend in the sports industry, Leslie Koroma, CEO of Africa Sports Ventures Group, told Al Jazeera.

Do influencers add any value to sports tournaments.

Influencers are able to reach audiences that traditional media cannot, according to Nasha Smith, a sports media ethics professor at Arizona State University.

Of the 100 influencers accredited by the US Open, 20 are dedicated to providing coverage of the food and beverage scene alone. Others show what fans are consuming (such as Honey Deuce cocktails and overpriced chicken nuggets topped with caviar), what they’re wearing, and what the overall atmosphere is like.

Is influencer-led marketing just a numbers game.

Smith cautioned against organisers solely using online views and engagement as a rubric for success.

Will we keep seeing influencers at major sports tournaments.

What might seem like an affront to the sanctity of sports will become the new normal, according to experts.

What have players said about the disruption.

The former world number one, along with 2024 runner-up Jessica Pegula, said they were not opposed to influencers making tennis popular to their specific audience, but emphasised the need for decorum at the tournament.

Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, said he was all for popularising tennis, but acknowledged that distractions made it “challenging” for athletes to focus on their game.

How has the US Open responded to the incidents.

The disruptions prompted organisers to respond with messages being displayed on court screens that read: “Please refrain from the use of flash photography or other lighting during match play.”.

US Open head Brendan McIntyre also clarified that two influencers were incorrectly credentialed and therefore had their access revoked.

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