US Open Influencers 'Kicked Out' Amid Concerns From Naomi Osaka & Jessica Pegula

The controversy surrounding social media influencers at the 2026 US Open took a major turn on Friday, Sept. 4.

The issue has been a growing topic of discussion, with tensions between athletes and influences boiling over as far back as April 2025, when Australia’s Daria Saville publicly criticized tennis marketing departments.

This year’s US Open has added another layer to the debate following an incident involving two social media influencers, Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, which comes amid recent comments from Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula about the growing presence of r at tennis tournaments.

US Open Influencers Kicked Out After Naomi Osaka’s Concerns

Radice and Jongens, two New York-based social media influencers, claimed they were kicked out of the US Open after they posted photos of their credentials online.

“We post our credentials on our story. We go to our favorite restaurant. Have a nice steak dinner. We’re downing Honey Deuces. We’re having a great time, haven’t even made it to court yet,” Radice told media.

“Within two hours of us leaving, we were told we could no longer use our credentials. We were heartbroken and we still are,” Jongens said.

Earlier, Naomi Osaka had also criticized the presence of social media influencers during the tournament.

“Obviously, if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” Osaka said.

Osaka also suggested that the presence of influencers needs to be managed more effectively.

“I feel like it could be a good thing for people to make the sport of tennis popular to their specific audience, but I think it has to be managed a lot better, especially in a situation like my first-round match.”

Jessica Pegula, too, had raised her side of concerns as influencers were seen using lights during some matches.

“People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job,” Pegula said after her second-round match. “And it seems a bit disrespectful.”

2026 US Open Essentials

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