Every sport has unspoken etiquette. In football and rugby, noise, jeers, and chants only add to the atmosphere. But in tennis, spectators are expected not to disturb players during matches.
As such, it is no wonder that controversy arose during the US Open — which took place between the 23August and 13 September — when a total of 100 influencers attended the event and ignored this implicit rule. One group of content creators turned on a portable ring-light during two-time champion Naomi Osaka’s night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. There were also multiple instances throughout of the umpire reprimanding influencers for speaking loudly and disturbing the athletes.
During a post-match interview, Osaka said: “I think…if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport…it’s common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette.”
This sentiment is echoed by sport fans globally. With the rise of the content creation industry, more organisations and events are beginning to open their doors to influencers and the extra coverage they bring. Surely, that is worth celebrating, and yet their behaviour during play has planted doubts about whether they are truly beneficial to the sport’s future.
Is it truly a step forward if the people invited to prestigious sporting events like the US Open have no interest in the sport itself? To an extent, this removes the opportunity for ‘real’ fans to experience live events. But that begs the question: where do we draw the line? Will organisations begin to value publicity and profit over sport’s humanity and authenticity? Yes, we shouldn’t be gatekeeping sports, but new fans shouldn’t be gained at the detriment of longstanding tradition.
A balance must be reached. The answer is, as Osaka said, to “respect the sport.” If that is done, then sport can continue to thrive in the modern day, attracting audiences from across the globe on an unprecedented scale.
“US Open 2007, Maria Sharapova serving” by Stan Wiechers from New York is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
