Wimbledon has no plans to apply a separate professional card category for influencers and content creators at next year's tournament, after a series of incidents disrupted at the US Open 2026.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club – the organizer of Wimbledon – will also tighten entry and exit regulations by confiscating devices such as ring lights if they are found to be likely to distract players or disrupt the match.
This policy does not prohibit influencers from coming to see Wimbledon as ticket spectators, but it means they will not be granted an official occupation card based on the role of content creator.
This move comes after controversies about audience behavior at the US Open in New York – where about 100 work cards for content creators were issued this year, nearly double the number when the program first started in 2025.
In the match between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Zakharova, a group of people sitting in the VIP area (hospitality suite) were caught filming and making noise while the match was taking place, forcing the main referee to intervene.
Other images from the tournament also show spectators using bright rings and taking photos with flashlights right during the matches.
The US Tennis Association (USTA) later said that the people who caused the incident in Osaka's match were not among the content creators who were granted official operating cards.
USTA has strengthened signs around the tournament grounds, and contacted ticket holders and VIP zones to remind them that taking photos with flashlights, using flashlights and other activities that may affect the match are prohibited.
Osaka believes that audiences when coming to watch sports events need to be responsible for understanding and complying with appropriate rules of conduct.
When you come to a sporting event, you need to respect that sport," she said, "I think learning about this sport, especially the rules of conduct, is the minimum politeness".
Wimbledon's current regulations on issuing professional press cards prioritize professional journalists and media organizations; the decision to approve or reject the registration dossier is entirely the authority of All England Club.
Wimbledon 2027 tennis tournament is expected to take place from June 28 to July 11.
