Influencers have become a regular presence at major sporting events, but the 2026 US Open exposed an awkward question that comes with giving creators professional access: If they’re credentialed alongside journalists, should they also be expected to follow similar standards of conduct?
This question comes after Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, who made headlines earlier in the tournament with an Allen Iverson-inspired look, were among the players who complained about distracting behavior during the US Open. According to The Independent, the US Open also credentialed 100 content creators alongside traditional journalists and broadcasters this year.
There’s no evidence that every disruption players experienced came from influencers, but the situation highlights a much bigger issue with the increasingly blurry line between creators and traditional media.
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Media Credentials Come With Expectations
A media credential isn’t simply a better ticket. Journalists receiving professional access are generally expected to understand where they can record, which areas are restricted and how to cover an event without interfering with it.
Influencer culture operates differently. Creators are often rewarded for making themselves part of the content, capturing exclusive footage and producing something compelling enough to stop people from scrolling.
That doesn’t make their work less legitimate. In fact, it’s likely part of why events want them there. Creators can reach millions of people on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, including audiences that may never consume traditional sports coverage.
But organizations can’t invite creators into professional media spaces without clearly defining what that access requires.
Influencers don’t need to become journalists. Their jobs are different. Professional conduct, however, is another matter. Rules about equipment, filming and behavior that could interfere with an event can reasonably apply to anyone carrying professional credentials.
And organizations have some responsibility here, too. If they’re actively courting creators for their audiences, they need to make those expectations clear rather than assuming everyone understands standards developed inside traditional journalism.
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The Line Between Influencers and Journalists Is Disappearing
Wimbledon has chosen a different approach. The tournament does not plan to introduce an accreditation category for influencers or content creators, The Independent reported, and its entry conditions restrict equipment such as ring lights that could interfere with spectators’ enjoyment.
But simply keeping creators outside traditional media spaces may become increasingly difficult.
Journalists now build personal brands and large social media followings. Traditional publications produce TikToks and Instagram Reels. Meanwhile, independent creators can have audiences larger than established media outlets.
The lines have already blurred.
That’s why the US Open controversy is bigger than tennis etiquette. The media industry has expanded to include people who don’t fit the traditional definition of a journalist, while many of the systems surrounding professional access were built for an earlier era.
The solution doesn’t have to be excluding influencers or expecting them to become journalists. But if organizations are going to credential both groups, they need clear standards for what professional access means.
The US Open didn’t create the collision between influencer culture and traditional media. It just made the unresolved problem much harder to ignore.
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