Naomi Osaka used her recent second-round victory over Katerina Siniakova as a platform to appeal to the growing legion of social‑media personalities who flock to the US Open, urging them to respect the sport's long‑standing etiquette. The call comes after a series of viral clips from earlier in the tournament showed influencers in the stands behaving in ways that many fans and players felt were disruptive. Osaka's own opening match against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday sparked the conversation when footage emerged of a few content creators appearing disengaged, chatting loudly, or otherwise failing to observe basic court decorum. After battling through a shaky middle portion of her three‑set win—she prevailed 6‑2, 5‑7, 6‑1 to move into the third round—Osaka addressed the issue in a candid interview.
"If you attend a sporting event, you have to respect the sport," she said. "It's common courtesy to at least read up on the basics, especially the etiquette that governs how spectators behave." She added that influencers have a unique opportunity to broaden tennis's appeal, but that power must be wielded responsibly. "They can help make tennis popular with their audiences, but it has to be managed much better, especially in situations like my first‑round match where the crowd was very loud," Osaka explained. She continued, "Overall there are huge positives.
I want the sport to keep growing, but it has to happen in a way where everyone knows the rules and the etiquette." Osaka recalled a moment in her opening match when the umpire raised his voice more sharply than she had ever heard an official do, demanding silence from the crowd. "I wasn't really paying attention at first," she admitted, "I usually focus on the match and the court, but there were people shouting and you could hear it clearly.
I think it also bothered my opponent." The second‑round encounter with Siniakova was less of a media circus for Osaka. While she still made a fashion statement—opting for a subtle, shimmering all‑white ensemble that could easily belong on Wimbledon courts rather than the neon backdrop of Flushing Meadows—her focus remained squarely on tennis. Osaka broke Siniakova early in the first set, taking a 4‑0 lead and eventually sealing the set 6‑2.
The second set proved more competitive; after gaining a 5‑3 advantage, Osaka's serve faltered and she was broken three consecutive times, handing the Czech a 7‑5 set win. In the deciding set Osaka regrouped, dropping only one game to clinch the match and secure her place in the next round.
The article also touched on other notable performances at the tournament. Iga Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, advanced with a decisive 6‑3, 6‑2 victory over Argentina's Nadia Podoroska in just 71 minutes, marking only the second meeting between the two after their 2020 French Open semi‑final clash, which Swiatek won en route to her first Grand Slam title. Swiatek, seeded eighth, broke early in both sets and never looked back, converting her first match point to cement her seventh straight third‑round appearance at Flushing Meadows. Madison Keys delivered 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, now a 2025 Australian Open champion, unleashed 34 forehand winners and credited the home crowd for her resilience, quipping after the win, "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 surprise second‑round exit at the hands of unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov, becoming the highest seed eliminated from the tournament thus far.
Khachanov, a 2022 semi‑finalist, broke Auger‑Aliassime's serve seven times on Louis Armstrong Stadium and saved seven of nine break points, securing only his second top‑10 Grand Slam victory. Although Auger‑Aliassime edged the first set in a tiebreak, he could not sustain the momentum, winning just seven more games thereafter.
Taylor Fritz continued his dominant start, dispatching Italy's Mattia Bellucci 6‑0, 6‑1, 6‑1 without dropping a set. The ninth seed, who is among a small group of American men hoping to end a 23‑year drought without a U.S. male Grand Slam champion, reinforced his status as a serious contender with the emphatic win.
Osaka's broader message underscores a tension that has long existed between tennis's traditional emphasis on decorum and the modern, influencer‑driven media landscape. While the sport benefits from increased visibility and younger audiences, the core values—quiet during points, respect for officials, and an overall reverence for the game—remain essential to its integrity. Players like Osaka, who have risen to global stardom, are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap, using their platforms to educate fans while still embracing the promotional opportunities that social media provides.
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. Fans can also look forward to the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports.