Naomi Osaka used her recent second‑round victory over Katerina Siniakova as a platform to ask the growing legion of social‑media personalities who attend the US Open to observe the proper etiquette of the sport. The call comes after a series of viral clips from her opening match against Anastasia Zakharova showed several influencers appearing distracted, chatting loudly, or otherwise failing to respect the quiet and focus that tennis traditionally demands. In the wake of her hard‑fought win—6‑2, 5‑7, 6‑1—Osaka addressed the issue directly during the post‑match interview.
She emphasized that anyone who steps into a sporting arena should first understand and respect the basic customs of that sport. "If you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," she said. "It’s common courtesy to learn about the sport, especially its etiquette." Osaka went on to explain that while influencers can certainly help broaden tennis’s appeal, they need to do so responsibly. "It could be a good thing for people to make tennis popular with their specific audience, but it has to be managed a lot better, especially in situations like my first‑round match," she added.
"Overall there are huge positives. You want people to continue to grow the sport. I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette." She recalled a moment from that opening match when the umpire, unusually stern, asked the crowd to be quiet.
"I was going to say, today, the umpire told everyone to be quiet—more than I've ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet," Osaka recalled. She admitted that the noise had affected her concentration. "I normally just focus on the match and the court, but there was a moment where there were people shouting and you could hear it quite clearly. I think it bothered my opponent, too." The second‑round clash with Siniakova was less dramatic off the court but still showcased Osaka’s composure.
After a dominant first set, she slipped in the second, losing her serve three consecutive times and dropping the set 7‑5. However, the four‑time Grand Slam champion recovered in the decisive third set, surrendering only one game before sealing her place in the round of 32. Osaka’s fashion choices have also attracted attention.
In her opening match she turned heads in a white, hooded robe and long skirt printed with newspaper clippings about herself—a bold statement that sparked conversation across social platforms. For the Siniakova match she opted for a more understated, shimmering all‑white ensemble that would have felt at home on the lawns of Wimbledon rather than the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.
Beyond Osaka’s story, the tournament featured several other notable performances. Iga Świątek, the 2022 US Open champion, breezed into the third round with a clinical 6‑3, 6‑2 win over Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska in just 71 minutes. This was only the second meeting between the two; their first encounter came in the 2020 French Open semifinals, where Świątek emerged victorious on her way to her first Grand Slam title.
Seeded eighth this year, Świątek broke early in the opening set, maintained control, and closed out the match without allowing Podoroska much pressure, securing her seventh consecutive third‑round appearance at Flushing Meadows. American Madison Keys also delivered drama, staging a remarkable comeback against Anna Bondár. After dropping the first set 5‑7, Keys rallied to win the next two sets 6‑4, 7‑6 (10‑5), saving five match points in the process.
The 2017 US Open finalist, who later captured the 2025 Australian Open crown, rattled off 34 forehand winners and thanked the supportive home crowd after sealing the victory, saying, "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 so far. Khachanov, a 2022 semifinalist, broke Auger‑Aliassime’s serve seven times on Louis Armstrong Stadium and saved seven of nine break points, earning his second top‑10 Grand Slam win.
Although Auger‑Aliassime edged the first set in a tiebreak, he could not sustain the momentum, winning only seven games thereafter. Meanwhile, American hopeful Taylor Fritz continued his dominant run, dispatching Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6‑0, 6‑1, 6‑1 in straight sets. Fritz, the ninth seed, is among a small group of players hoping to end the United States’ 23‑year drought without a male Grand Slam singles champion.
His confident performances have solidified his status as a serious contender. The US Open, which began on August 28, will continue to be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports App.
Fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup at the O2 in London from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. The tournament’s mix of high‑stakes matches, fashion statements, and the ongoing dialogue about respecting tennis etiquette underscores the evolving relationship between traditional sport and the digital age, highlighting the need for influencers to balance their platforms with an appreciation for the game’s long‑standing customs.