Wimbledon 'bans influencers' for 2027 after US Open farce
Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff had to urge spectators at the US Open to follow the sport’s etiquette after being impacted by interruptions
Wimbledon will not let influencers disrupt the world-famous tennis tournament following complaints at the US Open.
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Matches at Flushing Meadows were interrupted by an influx of influencers using the sporting tournament to snap photos with bright lighting and making too much noise, distracting players.
Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff had to urge spectators to follow the sport’s etiquette, and giant screens at the grounds displayed similar messages.
To avoid a repeat of the US Open, influencer essentials, including ring lights, will be confiscated at the All England Club in the interests of protecting players from interruption.
At the US Open, around 100 content creators were given official accreditation alongside traditional journalists and broadcasters.
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How as a grown man you aren’t embarrassed by this is beyond me. It’s time to ban influencers from sports. https://t.co/s9LC0oOaz4 pic.twitter.com/C8LEYQmPqg
— Little Kevin 5, cpa (@pootsobotka) September 4, 2026
Wimbledon will not be offering an accreditation category for influencers, and the club’s conditions of entry will ban any items which could disrupt matches.
Wimbledon review all of its policies, including social media, as part of an annual review.
The US Open is known to be a more boisterous event than Wimbledon, with music pumping from the ground’s courts and spectators spotted regularly getting out of their seats during matches.
Poco a poco los deportes se están convirtiendo en una pantalla de fondo mientras los asistentes a los estadios hacen otras cosas. Influencers que posan en redes de haber ido al US Open a ver tenis cuando ni sabrán lo que es un deuce y en el que conocen a los jugadores por tiktok https://t.co/wYL4kp2ish
— Andres 🇨🇴 - The Romantic Fool (@Swiatappen1) September 6, 2026
Other issues around the tournament include the smell of cannabis, which emanates from the nearby Corona Park.
French player Adrian Mannarino previously spoke up about the issue, telling reporters: “People are allowed to move around in the crowd during points. The tournament puts up with it, and I don’t know if it’s the best thing for tennis in general.
This was one of the cringiest things I’ve ever seen live. The US Open used to be an actual tennis tournament https://t.co/1kAYND6VOe pic.twitter.com/c1jbi4lUlQ
— Danny Singer (@michiganboy310) September 2, 2026