Naomi Osaka used her recent second‑round victory over Katerina Siniakova as a platform to ask the growing crowd of social‑media personalities at the US Open to respect the traditional etiquette of tennis. The call comes after a series of videos emerged from her opening match against Anastasia Zakharova, showing some influencers seemingly oblivious to the flow of the game and making noise that disrupted play. After weathering a brief wobble in the middle of the match and ultimately prevailing 6‑2, 5‑7, 6‑1 to move into the third round in New York, Osaka addressed the issue directly.
“If you attend a sporting event, you need to show respect for the sport,” she said. “It’s basic courtesy to understand the basics, especially the etiquette that governs how the audience behaves.” She added that while influencers have the potential to broaden tennis’s appeal to new demographics, that influence must be exercised responsibly. “There are huge positives in getting more people interested in tennis, but it has to be done in a way that everyone knows the rules and the proper conduct,” Osaka explained. She recalled that during her first‑round match the umpire had to raise his voice louder than usual to quiet the crowd, a situation she found distracting and, she believed, unsettling for her opponent as well.
The incident did not dominate the headlines of Osaka’s match against Siniakova, which was more subdued both on‑court and off‑court. Osaka opted for a sleek, all‑white, slightly shimmering outfit that would have been at home on the lawns of Wimbledon rather than the bustling courts of Flushing Meadows. This was a departure from the bold statement she made in her opening night, when she wore a long white skirt and a hooded robe printed with newspaper clippings about herself.
In the match itself, the 13th seed started strongly, breaking Siniakova’s serve early in the first set and sealing it 6‑2. The second set proved more competitive; Osaka built a 5‑3 lead but then suffered three consecutive service games lost, allowing the Czech to take the set 7‑5. Demonstrating the resilience that has defined her career, Osaka regrouped in the deciding set, dropping only one game before clinching the win and securing her place in the next round.
Across the tournament, other notable stories unfolded. Two‑time champion Iga Świątek breezed into the third round with a 6‑3, 6‑2 triumph over Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska, finishing the match in just 71 minutes. This was only the second meeting between the two; their first encounter came in the 2020 French Open semi‑finals, where Świątek emerged victorious on her way to her first Grand Slam title. The Polish star, seeded eighth this year, broke early in the first set and maintained control throughout, converting her first match point without difficulty and marking her seventh consecutive appearance in the third round at Flushing Meadows.
In the women’s draw, Madison Keys staged a dramatic comeback against Anna Bondar, surviving five match points before prevailing 5‑7, 6‑4, 7‑6 (10‑5). The 2017 US Open finalist, who later captured the 2025 Australian Open crown, unleashed a torrent of 34 forehand winners and credited the enthusiastic home crowd for her perseverance. After the win she quipped, “That was something, huh?
No stress though – we all knew I had it, right?” On the men’s side, third seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime suffered a surprising second‑round exit at the hands of unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov, becoming the highest‑seeded player eliminated from the tournament so far. Khachanov, a 2022 semi‑finalist, broke Auger‑Aliassime’s serve seven times on Louis Armstrong Stadium and saved seven of the nine break points he faced, earning his second top‑10 Grand Slam victory.
Although Auger‑Aliassime edged the first set in a tiebreak, he could not sustain the momentum, winning only seven games after that point. Khachanov, who had lost his opening matches in the three warm‑up events leading up to the US Open, displayed some of his finest tennis, advancing to the third round in convincing fashion. Meanwhile, American hopeful Taylor Fritz continued his dominant run, dispatching Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6‑0, 6‑1, 6‑1 and extending his flawless start to the tournament without dropping a set.
Fritz, the ninth seed, is among a select group of players hoping to end a 23‑year drought for an American male Grand Slam singles champion. Osaka’s remarks have sparked a broader conversation about the role of influencers in live sports settings.
While many argue that their presence can attract younger audiences and generate fresh enthusiasm for tennis, others contend that without a basic understanding of court etiquette, such exposure can be counterproductive. The tournament organizers have yet to issue formal guidelines, but Osaka’s plea underscores the need for a balance between modern promotional tactics and the preservation of the sport’s long‑standing traditions. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app, and the Laver Cup slated for live coverage from The O2 in London later in September.