# Content creators drop the ball

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/content-creators-drop-the-ball/
- Published: 2026-09-05T14:00:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-05T14:16:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/990426/us-open-influencers-naomi-osaka-anastasia-zakharova-callaway-good-good-ad
- Topics: Americas, Asia, Business, Markets, Sport, Tennis, World

## Key points

- Influencers disrupted Naomi Osaka's US Open match, prompting umpire intervention
- USTA says disruptive creators were not officially credentialed for the event
- Incident highlights brands' growing reliance on influencers at exclusive events

## Summary

A crowd of content creators disrupted play at the US Open this week, with an umpire forced to pause Naomi Osaka's match against Anastasia Zakharova after influencers in a luxury suite became too loud, while others reportedly asked staff to take flash photographs during matches. The incident has reignited debate about whether influencers belong at exclusive sporting events, though much of that criticism overlooks that brands themselves choose to bring creators to such occasions and must anticipate the disruption that can follow.

The United States Tennis Association said it had almost doubled the number of credentialed content creators this year, to close to 100 from 54 in the previous edition, though it stressed that those responsible for the disruptions were not officially credentialed. Two lifestyle influencers, Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, had their access revoked after posting images of their badges online, with the USTA saying they had been improperly added to a credential list by a food vendor. The row comes as US creator advertising spend reached $37 billion (£29 billion) in 2025 and is forecast to hit $44 billion (£35 billion) this year, and follows a 2024 rule change allowing US Open spectators to move around more freely during play; the USTA has since put up new signage asking attendees to avoid flash photography.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.