{"id":65898,"date":"2026-09-05T00:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T00:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/65898\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T00:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T00:22:14","slug":"us-open-star-coco-gauff-slams-disrespectful-social-media-influencers-for-ruining-tennis-with-ring-lights-and-tiktoks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/65898\/","title":{"rendered":"US Open star Coco Gauff slams disrespectful social media influencers for ruining tennis with ring lights and TikToks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>COCO GAUFF wants social media influencers to show respect and follow tennis etiquette at the US Open, saying: You wouldn\u2019t wear jeans on the celebrity red carpet.<\/p>\n<p>The role of Instagram, Facebook and TikTok influencers at the New York Slam has been a big talking point this past week.<\/p>\n<p>Coco Gauff has hit out at disrespectful social media influencers Credit: AP<\/p>\n<p>Naomi Osaka\u2019s first round clash at the US Open had to be suspended because of disruption Credit: TikTok \/ @katticuspfinch<\/p>\n<p>Naomi Osaka\u2019s first round match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/16942417\/naomi-osaka-us-open-clash-suspended-influencer-antics\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">disrupted by a group<\/a> who were in a hospitality box, making noise for an online video in front of a glaring ring light.<\/p>\n<p>The umpire had to warn the individuals to keep quiet as it was proving a distraction to the players on court.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the Sport newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Osaka later told the noisy and disruptive pack to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/16945737\/us-open-news-influencers-naomi-osaka\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201crespect the sport\u201d<\/a> \u2013 and reckons they should be \u201cmanaged a lot better\u201d during matches.<\/p>\n<p>Former US Open champion Gauff, 22, is from the generation who had phones at school and grew up with social media.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"article-readmore__text-anchor-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/16949288\/aryna-sabalenka-us-open-weed-smoking-kamilla-rakhimova\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"240\" width=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/NINTCHDBPICT001105499421.jpg\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-kicker\">HOLY SMOKES<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-headline\">Sabalenka stops playing US Open clash after complaining about fan smoking weed<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"article-readmore__text-anchor-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/16948901\/us-open-influencer-warning-game-stoppage\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"240\" width=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SC-US-Open-Warning-Comp-copy.jpg\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-kicker\">OUT OF CONTROL<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-headline\">US Open forced to issue urgent warning to fans as influencer drama escalates<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Yet one of the most successful and wealthiest women in American sports wants those who come to the tennis to show some form of decorum and follow the rules.<\/p>\n<p>They might have a huge audience and therefore have the chance to grow the game but it is imperative, Gauff says, that they do not prove to be a nuisance.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after her 6-4 7-6 second round win over Spaniard Paula Badosa, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/who\/coco-gauff\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gauff<\/a> said: \u201cIt\u2019s great to have a different demographic to the sport.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I think I have no problem with influencers. I have met some of them and follow some of them online.<\/p>\n<p>Gauff has called for fans to show decorum and follow the rules Credit: AP<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuckily the ones I do follow online do follow the etiquette and know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/16946585\/nick-kyrgios-ban-cocaine-doping-test-tennis-news\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">tennis<\/a> pretty well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like any venue you come to, you have to follow the etiquette towards it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it may be on some of the brands, too, maybe to have a sign plastered or something in the suites so that they know.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause sometimes it\u2019s their first tennis match. They don\u2019t know. They have probably been to basketball games before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I definitely think no flash photography, because that does bother (players) \u2013 and I am one of the more lenient players.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are very few times you hear me complain about noise. The flash, definitely no flash in the points, and try not to talk too loud.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/sport\/15107311\/us-open-renovation-arthur-ashe\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ashe<\/a> is a very loud court so I\u2019m used to it, but definitely not mouthing the TikToks and stuff in the middle of the point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s not just for us, the players, but the viewing experience for those around.<\/p>\n<p>Gauff saw off Paula Badosa in the US Open second round Credit: Shutterstock Editorial<\/p>\n<p>The American reckons flash photography is a huge distraction Credit: Shutterstock Editorial<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I definitely think if I have to pick noise over flash, I think no flash because that actually does mess us up a little bit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely think it\u2019s cool to have a new demographic and I definitely think it helps grow the sport.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut like with anything, any venue you go to, if you\u2019re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn\u2019t show up in jeans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s just (a case of) follow the etiquette of the sport. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"COCO GAUFF wants social media influencers to show respect and follow tennis etiquette at the US Open, saying:&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[185,3442,2063,4585,616],"class_list":["post-65898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-coco-gauff","tag-coco-gauff","tag-instagram","tag-social-media","tag-tiktok","tag-us-open-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}