Wimbledon will reportedly clamp down on influencers following issues at the U.S. Open, confiscating items such as ring lights that could disrupt matches.
The U.S. Open officially accredited 100 influencers and content producers in 2026, almost twice as many as the previous year. As a result, matches have been marred by spectators taking pictures using bright lights and making excessive noise during points.
Players like Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have pleaded with fans to observe the sport’s decorum. Similar messages have appeared on screens around the stadium. Two content creators had their credentials revoked.
After an incident disrupted a match between Osaka and Jessica Pegula, the top-seeded American woman at the U.S. Open withdrew her earlier support for influencers attending the event.
“People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job,” Pegula said. “And it seems a bit disrespectful.”
According to ESPN, the Press Association stated that Wimbledon will prohibit items like ring lights that could interfere with play and has no intention of inviting influencers or content creators to its Grand Slam event.
The smell of weed in the air has also been an issue at the U.S. Open
On Friday, during her match against Kamilla Rakhimova at the U.S. Open, Aryna Sabalenka stopped play to complain about the strong smell of weed. Sabalenka approached the chair umpire during the third game of the contest to tell the umpire someone in the stands was smoking.
Adrian Mannarino also complained about the influencers and the smell of weed. According to Tennis Forever, he said, “Now people are allowed to move around in the stands during points. Before, people weren’t allowed to enter the court except during side changes. Now they come in any which way, they move around, they talk. It’s the tournament that tolerates this, and I don’t know if it’s the best idea for the game in general.
“You can smell weed on the court, there’s noise coming from everywhere, it’s becoming a bit of a zoo, really,” he added. “These are some really particular playing conditions.”