What we've learned from the creator snafus at this year's US Open

The United States Tennis Association nearly doubled its credentialed creator cohort to roughly 100, but a mid-match flash-photography and ring-light incident during Naomi Osaka's opener reignited the backlash. Agency voices told Digiday the fix is briefing, not exclusion - Gupta Media's Cayley Stonehouse wants brands to teach "the rules of the sport, etiquette, when and where they should be capturing content," while Hummingbirds' Emily Steele argues for "the right influencers who have a relationship to what they're covering." Published: 14 Sep 2026, 06:01 CEST.