Rabat — The All England Club has announced that special accreditation will no longer be granted to influencers and digital creators to access Wimbledon.
The move comes after chaos erupted at the US Open, where matches were reportedly disrupted by flashing lights and loud conversations from content creators.
Players including Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have expressed their frustration over what they described as a lack of respect for the sport’s etiquette.
“Today the umpire told everyone to be quiet more than I’ve ever heard an umpire tell a crowd to be quiet,” Osaka told BBC reporters.
The event had previously given 100 accreditations to creators alongside journalists and media organizations, hoping to attract a new demographic to the sport’s fanbase. However, the decision appears to have backfired.
“I definitely think it’s cool to have a new demographic and I definitely think it helps grow the sport,” world number four, Coco Gauff, said.“But if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans. I think it’s just following the etiquette of the sport. That’s all.”
Fans online also shared videos and complaints about influencers disrupting matches by using bright ring lights to film on-site content.
Following similar complaints, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) began displaying an announcement that read: “Please refrain from the use of flash photography or other lighting. Thank you and enjoy the tennis!”
Madison Appel, a college tennis player at Indiana who gives lessons as a coach and an influencer responded to the criticism, and shared on her social media platforms a video explaining the game’s etiquette to the new people attending the tennis tournament.
“The problem is not the influencer: The problem is that no one understands tennis etiquette,” Appel said. “You should only be walking around and taking photos when the two players are sitting down, the music’s up and it’s lively. When players are playing, and they’re in between serving games, you should be in your seat, not taking photos and keeping it quiet. When a player is ready to serve, everyone needs to respect that, sit down and just watch.”
Influencers are still allowed to attend the events by purchasing tickets, but security may confiscate ring lights, selfie sticks or other filming equipment if they believe it could disrupt the matches.
Journalists and fans alike have linked Wimbledon’s decision to the complaints raised by both players and attendees. It remains to be seen whether the Australian Open or the French Open will take a similar stance.
