Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2026; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Jessica Pegula (USA) reacts after returning a shot against Coco Gauff (USA) during the finals of the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The top-seeded American woman at the 2026 U.S. Open, Jessica Pegula, is walking back her endorsement of influencers attending the event after a recent incident that interrupted a match involving Naomi Osaka.
Pegula, who is currently ranked third in the world but is still looking for her first career Grand Slam victory, was initially supportive of influencers in the tennis world.
She told Front Office Sports that while she “could never see [herself] being an influencer.” However, she noted that “I do find myself watching their videos and getting very interested in things that I never thought I would be interested in. So I think it’s ultimately been great.”
However, after a group of influencers had to be told to settle down by the chair umpire during a recent Naomi Osaka match, Pegula has amended her view.
A group of social media influencers came under fire for disrupting a Naomi Osaka match at the 2026 US Open, with game officials reportedly chastising the group. pic.twitter.com/rJdnC1NWbk
— ABC News (@ABC) September 3, 2026
Jess Pegula Says Influencers At U.S. Open Have Taken Things Too Far
Following her straight-set victory over Sofia Kenin on Wednesday to advance to the third round, Pegula was again asked about influencers attending the event, and this time, her answer had changed.
“People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job,” Pegula said this time around. “And it seems a bit disrespectful.”
She noted that influencers can still have a space in the sport. But added that they should be more aware of the ettiquette of the sport.
“I think I can appreciate the influencers coming and kind of showcasing the U.S. Open experience,” Pegula said. “I think that’s something that the US Open has utilized a lot as far as food and drinks and things to do and the shops. That part is part of a fan experience and something that people might not know, and make them want to go.
“I can appreciate one side of it, but I think we have the other side literally interrupting matches; it gets a little tough.”
Tennis, like golf, is at a crossroads as it tries to attract a younger crowd while not fundamentally changing the atmosphere that made the respective sports popular to begin with.
However, that crossroads is going to come with some speed bumps, and this is just more evidence of that.