Wimbledon have warned influencers that they risk agitating the military if they misbehave at the Championships after indecorous conduct at the US Open.
Social media stars disrupted several matches at the US Open in New York last month after their noise, filming and flashing lights disconcerted players.
Two matches were halted after guests in hospitality boxes used ring lights to film social media stunts, which Coco Gauff criticised as a disregard for tennis ‘etiquette’.
Influencers were invited onto the Flushing Meadows site, with some given media accreditation, but Wimbledon protocols are stringent.
There will be select chaperoned influencers on site next summer as guests of sponsors, while nothing prevents social media stars from buying tickets themselves.
However, interim chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club Richard Atkinson – who hopes to be CEO for the 140th edition of the tournament – cautioned influencers that British Army stewards will take a no-nonsense approach to any shenanigans.
Guests of a US Open hospitality suite were told off by a chair umpire for taking pictures during a game, seemingly using a portable light (ringed) – a scenario Wimbledon don’t want next year
The US Open has seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years and brands hosting influencers
However, Wimbledon have warned influencers that they risk agitating the military if they misbehave during the 2027 Championships
Speaking at sports industry conference Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge, Atkinson said: ‘We don’t have a category of accredited people called influencers.
‘Clearly influencers are a crucial part of building your brand around the world in the third decade of the 21st century.
‘What you have to do is keep them under control. One of our big partners, Polo Ralph Lauren, have influencers but they’re all tightly chaperoned.
‘The US Open is very New York City. It is mad, it is noisy. There’s all sorts of stuff going on. I lived there for seven or eight years.
‘I love it but it’s dead easy for someone who has just bought a ticket to show up there with the ring lights and start broadcasting literally in the middle of a match.
‘If they tried to do that at Wimbledon, I think you’d probably have some Marine Commando…We do have military (on courts).
‘And they would like nothing more, I suspect, than to sort out some influencer.
‘It’s just a crucial piece of the marketing mix. Of course it is.
‘The world has changed but it’s just really important that – it’s a bit of a cliched expression – you deal with it in a Wimbledon way.
‘To say we’re not going to have any influencers at Wimbledon is obviously nonsense.
‘Our marketing team works meticulously to make sure that they’re doing things in a way that’s consistent with our Wimbledon brand and keeps that magic.’
