Naomi Osaka used her recent second‑round victory over Katerina Siniakova as a platform to ask the growing contingent of social‑media personalities at the US Open to respect the traditional etiquette of tennis. The request comes after a series of videos surfaced from her opening match against Anastasia Zakharova, showing some influencers chatting, shouting, and generally ignoring the on‑court action. Osaka, who has become one of the sport's most recognizable faces, believes that basic courtesy and a basic understanding of the game’s unspoken rules are essential for anyone attending a live tennis event. After weathering a brief wobble in the middle of her three‑set battle with Siniakova, Osaka secured the win 6‑2, 5‑7, 6‑1 and advanced to the third round in New York.
In the post‑match press conference she said, "If you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport. It's common courtesy to at least read up on the sport, especially the etiquette." She added that while influencers can certainly help popularise tennis among their followers, they need to manage their presence more carefully, particularly in moments like her own first‑round match where the crowd noise was disruptive.
"Overall there are huge positives. You want people to keep growing the sport, but it has to be done in a way where everyone knows the rules and the etiquette," Osaka explained. She recalled that the umpire in her opening match had to raise his voice more than usual to quiet the crowd, a situation she had not anticipated. "I usually focus on the match and the court, but there were people shouting, and you could hear it clearly.
I think it bothered my opponent as well," she said. The conversation about etiquette was less dramatic during Osaka's encounter with Siniakova, which featured a more subdued atmosphere both on and off the court. Osaka arrived in a sleek, all‑white, shimmery outfit that would have felt at home at Wimbledon, a stark contrast to the bold, newspaper‑clipped skirt and hooded robe she wore for her tournament opener.
The two‑time US Open champion broke Siniakova early in the first set, taking a 4‑0 lead and eventually closing it out 6‑2. The second set proved more competitive; Osaka held a 5‑3 advantage before her serve faltered, leading to three consecutive breaks and a 7‑5 set loss.
In the decisive third set she regained composure, dropping only one game to seal the match. While Osaka was navigating her own storyline, other notable matches unfolded across Flushing Meadows. Iga Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion and eighth seed this year, breezed through her second‑round match against Argentina's Nadia Podoroska with a 6‑3, 6‑2 victory in just 71 minutes.
This was only the second meeting between the two; their first clash occurred in the 2020 French Open semi‑finals, where Swiatek emerged victorious on her way to her first Grand Slam title. Swiatek broke early in the first set, maintained control throughout, and converted her first match point without ever feeling genuine pressure. On the women's side, Madison Keys staged a dramatic comeback against Anna Bondar.
After dropping the first set 5‑7, Keys rallied to take the next two sets 6‑4, 7‑6, saving five match points along the way. The 2017 US Open finalist, who later added a 2025 Australian Open title to her résumé, hit an impressive 34 forehand winners and credited the roaring home crowd for her resilience.
"That was something, huh? No stress though – we all knew I had it, right?" Keys told the audience after the win. The men's draw saw a major upset as third‑seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime became the highest‑seeded player eliminated from the tournament to date, falling to unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov in a surprise second‑round loss. Khachanov, a semi‑finalist in 2022, 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.
After a tightly contested first‑set tiebreak that Auger‑Aliassime edged, the Canadian could not sustain momentum and managed only seven more games for the remainder of the match. Khachanov, who had lost his opening matches in three warm‑up events, displayed some of his best tennis to advance to the third round. Elsewhere, 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 break a 23‑year drought for an American male Grand Slam singles champion.
His early tournament form, marked by straight‑set victories and powerful serving, has solidified his status as a serious contender. Osaka's plea highlights a broader conversation about how modern media personalities interact with traditional sports environments. While influencers can bring fresh eyes to tennis, they also bear responsibility for preserving the atmosphere that allows athletes to perform at their best. Respecting silence during points, refraining from disruptive commentary, and understanding basic court etiquette are simple steps that can make a big difference.
As the US Open progresses, tournament officials and players alike will be watching to see whether these reminders translate into quieter crowds and a more focused viewing experience for everyone involved. 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.