Wimbledon is confident there will be no repeat of the influencer disruptions seen at the US Open, with the All England Club's interim chief executive saying their military-trained security “would love nothing more than to sort out some influencers”.
During last month's final Grand Slam of the season, several matches were disrupted by influencers. The US Open accredited 100 influencers this year, twice as many as 12 months ago. Players spoke out against the antics, with one incident showing a mass group recording a video during a point.
Atkinson's warning at Leaders Week
Speaking at the Leaders Week conference at Stamford Bridge, chief Richard Atkinson contrasted the atmosphere at the two tournaments. “If you’ve ever been to the US Open, it’s very New York City, right? It is mad, it is noisy, there’s all sorts of stuff going on,” he said.
“It’s dead easy for someone who just bought a ticket to show up there with the ring lights and start broadcasting literally in the middle of the match. If you try to do that at Wimbledon, I think you’d probably have some Royal Marines Commando [stopping you]. We do have military there and they would like nothing more, I suspect, than to sort out some influencers.”
Influencers to be tightly chaperoned
Wimbledon does not offer accreditation directly to influencers, but they can be invited by partner brands such as Ralph Lauren. Atkinson acknowledged influencers have a role in growing the sport, but said they must respect its traditions.
“Clearly influencers are a crucial part of building a brand around the world in the third decade of the 21st century,” he said. “What you have to do is keep them under control. Our partners Polo Ralph Lauren will have influencers tightly chaperoned.”
At the US Open, Naomi Osaka spoke out during her first-round victory after a group of influencers in a hospitality suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium used a bright ring light to record a TikTok video. Osaka, a two-time champion in New York, said it should be “common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette” for newcomers to tournaments.
John McEnroe commented on the incidents: "If it helps the sport and brings more interest to it, maybe it could work. But I know that if I was playing, I'd be 'screaming to get these people out of here!'"
