US Open Chaos! Umpire Forced To Halt Influencers' Photoshoot During Naomi Osaka's Match After Bizarre Disruption
Naomi Osaka’s first-round match at the 2026 US Open was briefly disrupted by an unusual incident involving influencers carrying out a photoshoot during the live contest. The Japanese star was facing Anastasia Zakharova at Arthur Ashe Stadium when activity in a hospitality suite behind the umpire’s chair caught the attention of chair umpire Kader Nouni. The influencers were reportedly taking…
On September 2, 2026, the 2026 US Open tennis tournament witnessed a chaotic interruption during Naomi Osaka's first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The disruption occurred when influencers began conducting a photoshoot in the hospitality suite behind the umpire's chair. The group used bright portable lights and posed as Osaka and Zakharova, causing confusion and disruption during the live contest.
Chair umpire Kader Nouni, after addressing the issue over the stadium microphone, asked the influencers to take their seats, thereby resuming the match. The incident caused a brief setback for Osaka, who struggled with her ball toss after play resumed and apologized to Zakharova before losing the point. Despite this, Osaka managed to recover and went on to win the match in a hard-fought straight-sets victory, with both sets decided by tiebreaks.
The disruption has sparked debate about the increasing presence of influencers at the US Open. While their presence aims to boost the tournament's digital reach, this episode highlighted concerns about maintaining traditional match etiquette and preventing social-media activities from interfering with the players' performance during competition.
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