The US Open Has an Influencer Problem and It Is Getting Worse.

Tennis etiquette is completely different from any other sport that we see influencers going to on the regular, and as such - it requires a complete adaptation of those who are going to see the game, assuming they don’t watch tennis regularly or have a close affinity to it. This sport is built around a level of concentration that can’t be understood until fully observed, and as such, brands should take that into consideration when offering to open the doors for vanity metrics and corporate satisfaction, since that sport, for the fans who paid the amounts they paid to get a shot at watching it live - should enjoy it as they should, and nothing less. But if we are being honest here, this is not a tennis only problem, but more of a content-creator-going-anywhere movement that’s not offering anything new to the sport or to those who watch it, and truth be told - not even to their audiences. It’s that instinct to document everything to create a picture of one’s own life, an instinct that follows through (pun-intended) across all facets of life, almost disconnected from the rest of society, let alone entitlement that can be found here and there (ring light in the middle of the game? ok…)

We became desensitized to it to a point that we just accept it instead of doing more than just commenting on those posts, what would happen if sports establishments saw the real effect of it? And don’t talk to us about content, Wimbledon proved that with flawless execution content is covered and everyone sees it, so we don’t need another come with me video or concessions coverage please, we get it. There is a big difference between those who’ve been watching the game, or just started for the sake of this argument, those that really care and try to understand and enjoy, let alone getting into playing in real life, and those who show up for the fame part of it, maybe because one player exceeded and broke the barrier and now became the new celeb? And what about the players? The players obviously can’t say anything because no matter what they will say, commentators from both sides of the map will probably portray them as the villains in the story, and with the speed of how things are unfolding on the internet, their PR team probably wouldn’t be able to accommodate such thing, and the players will lose more than just few points in the game, but actual career or cultural points, simply for standing up to that nonsense that they have to go through as they are trying to win titles for a sport that they’ve been playing unrelentlessly since they were kids.

The US Open should enforce this in the future, because it’s too late now, and we get the contracts and everything around it, but once again - Wimbledon proved that it’s not needed. Maybe seating restrictions? Key areas for influencers in general? Like news stands but strictly for the influencers? Just a suggestion. Cover: Patrick Smith / Getty Images