Royal Marine commandos providing security at Wimbledon would like nothing more than to sort out disruptive social media influencers at the prestigious tournament, its chief executive has joked. The remark follows discussions around tennis etiquette after a group of influencers conducted a photo shoot during a match involving two-time champion Naomi Osaka at the US Open, where organizers had accredited 100 content creators.

Richard Atkinson, interim chief executive at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, stated that Wimbledon does not offer accreditation to influencers, and sources indicate that policy is unlikely to change soon. While acknowledging that influencers are a crucial part of the modern marketing mix and that a complete ban would be nonsensical, he stressed that any influencers brought in by corporate partners would be tightly chaperoned.

Atkinson also voiced support for the traditional self-policing ethos at SW19, where spectators respect the ongoing action. His comments follow remarks from world number four Coco Gauff after the US Open incident, where she emphasized welcoming a new demographic while stressing the importance of following tennis etiquette.

Speaking on a panel at Leaders Week London, Atkinson explained that the All England Club does not maintain an accredited category for influencers. He noted that corporate partners like Polo Ralph Lauren manage their own invited creators under close supervision, contrasting the environment with the US Open, which he described as having a very New York City atmosphere where ticket holders can easily broadcast live matches using ring lights.

Atkinson joked that anyone attempting such behavior at Wimbledon would encounter the military personnel stationed at the grounds, quipping that the commandos would love nothing more than to handle such individuals. Furthermore, fans are barred from bringing portable ring lights onto the grounds at SW19.

Atkinson acknowledged that the contemporary media landscape has evolved beyond traditional newspapers and television, making it necessary to embrace content creators to keep the tournament relevant. He concluded that marketing teams work meticulously to ensure that all partnerships remain consistent with the established Wimbledon brand and its traditional atmosphere.