A chair umpire at the US Open had to step in during Naomi Osaka’s first-round match after a group of fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium appeared to turn a break between points into an impromptu photo session.
The moment ran counter to one of tennis’s most familiar rules of crowd conduct: spectators are expected to stay quiet during play, while walking around the stands is generally reserved for changeovers or pauses between sets.
In recent years, however, the US Open in New York has increasingly drawn a wider, more celebrity-leaning audience, including some attendees who appear less familiar with the sport’s traditional etiquette.
Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion who also made a splash with her final major-tournament walk-on look of the season, was locked into the second set against Anastasia Zakharova when the disruption unfolded. She was serving at deuce in the fourth game.
As Zakharova prepared to receive, Osaka was left waiting while the official addressed spectators in one of Arthur Ashe Stadium’s premium hospitality suites.
“Guys, please, in the suite behind me, please thank you guys, please take your seat,” the chair umpire said over the stadium speakers, as television cameras showed people moving around in the luxury seating area, chatting and posing for pictures.
Fans in a US Open hospitality suite were reprimanded by the chair umpire after taking photos during play, apparently with the help of a portable light
The premium suite seats became the setting for a dramatic courtside photoshoot while Naomi Osaka continued her match below
Elsewhere in the stands, another spectator was heard calling out: ‘The players are ready!’
When the stadium had stilled somewhat, Osaka returned to her serve but struggled with her ball toss, apologising as she reset.
Finally able to put away her first serve, the Japanese-American star went on to concede the point to hand Zakharova the advantage.
Footage captured from another spectator of the group on social media later showed them posing as a group, allegedly during a game, with a person who appeared to be a member of US Open staff holding up a portable light to help them capture the shot.
The social media clip showed another spectator on the same evening posing in front of the court with a portable light, also allegedly during live matchplay.
When contacted by Daily Mail Sport for comment on the incident, Brendan McIntyre, head of US Open communications said: ‘We want our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend the US Open, but we also need to ensure that does not interfere with the action and competition on the court.
‘These instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur.’
The US Open scrapped restrictions on movement during matches in 2024, bringing in a policy of ‘fan free movement’, with the tournament’s atmosphere unusually relaxed compared to more buttoned-up majors such as Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.
Players featuring at the tournament have learned to adjust to the hum around the stadia and inside the crowd, with US star Emma Navarro describing the atmosphere around the tournament’s show court as ‘casually rowdy’ in 2025.
But while the US Open’s vibe is considered a feature of the tournament rather than an element its organisers have sought to subdue, Monday night’s incident could be seen as a side-effect of the event’s cross-cultural appeal.
One social media user called out ‘influencers’ for taking pictures while action was ongoing
The US Open has become a hot ticket beyond the tennis world, particularly the tournament’s night sessions, and those who have been able to get their hands on a pass into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center keen to show it off on social media.
For those tennis fans at home, influencers accused of using the tournament as an eye-catching – but ultimately interchangeable – backdrop for pictures, rather than fellow aficionados capturing memorable moments, are the focus of their ire.
‘This is so disrespectful,’ one user commented under the footage. ‘As someone who grew up playing tennis, it’s not a strictly fashion event, you go because you love the game and to respectfully watch the match.’
Another agreed: ‘Tennis has become a joke with all these influencers getting freebies who don’t even know the player’s names.’
