'Click-clack' during Osaka's serve: What happened at the US Open? Absurd filming by influencers leads to 'match suspension'

*This content was translated by AI.

World-renowned tennis star Naomi Osaka (world ranking No. 17) found herself in an absurd situation as spectators continued taking photos while she prepared to serve. Eventually, the umpire had to step in directly and halt the match.

Reuters reported on the 4th (Korean time) that "the popularity of influencers at the US Open has put tennis viewing etiquette under scrutiny."

The controversial scene occurred during Osaka's first-round women's singles match. Osaka, who has won the US Open twice, competed against Anastasia Zakharova of Russia.

However, as Osaka prepared to serve, some spectators began taking photos from their seats.

It went beyond simply filming the match quietly in a subdued manner. Reuters explained that "the photo-taking by certain spectators reached a level that disrupted the game, forcing the umpire to intervene directly and stop them."

Osaka also made no attempt to hide her discomfort. After advancing to the second round, she stated, "If you come to watch a sports match, you should respect that sport."

She added, "It can be a good thing for influencers to make tennis more popular by reaching their own audiences," but also pointed out, "However, situations like what happened in the first round need to be managed much better."

Similar controversies occurred in other matches as well.

One influencer was seen posing in the stands and taking photos during a match between Madison Keys (USA) and Alina Kornayeva (Russia), later posting them on social media.

Particularly, footage surfaced showing individuals focusing solely on filming while players were deeply engaged in intense play, drawing widespread criticism for being "rude to the athletes."

Jessica Pegula of the USA, who was the runner-up at the 2024 US Open, remarked, "I can understand influencers visiting the US Open to showcase their tournament experience," but also noted, "It's hard to accept seeing people taking photos during matches and even using selfie lights."

She continued, "On the court, players are doing their best to display their skills. For them, this is a career and a profession," adding that it "seems somewhat rude."

She further emphasized, "It seems like there has been an excessive increase in such behavior."

The US Open is also known as a tournament where numerous global stars and celebrities flock to the venue. Recently, interest and popularity in the event have surged so significantly that the organizing committee has even expanded the main draw schedule, naturally drawing more spectators and content creators to the site.

While this trend is welcome from the perspective of popularizing tennis, it also brings challenges such as disrupting focus during matches or affecting players' performance, as seen in recent controversies.

Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the 2021 US Open champion, also addressed this duality. Medvedev stated, "The more attention we bring to tennis, the better it is, and it's good for the sport itself to gain popularity."

However, he added, "If there is actual interference during a match, that changes things," explaining, "For example, if something like lighting becomes visible during play, players will report it to the umpire. If such incidents occur while points are being contested, it can certainly create difficult situations."

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*This content was translated by AI.