Wimbledon's interim chief executive, Richard Atkinson, has light-heartedly suggested that Royal Marine Commandos on security duty at the prestigious tournament would relish the chance to 'sort out' disruptive social media influencers.
This comes after a debate on tennis etiquette was sparked by influencers disrupting a Naomi Osaka match at this year's US Open, where organisers accredited 100 content creators. Atkinson confirmed Wimbledon does not accredit influencers and this policy is unlikely to change.
While acknowledging influencers are a 'crucial part of the marketing mix', Atkinson stated that any brought in by brands would be 'tightly chaperoned'. He also backed Wimbledon's traditional 'self-policing' ethos among fans and confirmed that portable ring lights, a tool for content creators, will not be permitted at SW19.