Just In: Andy Murray sends brutal warning to tennis influencers after US Open controversy
Andy Murray has said tennis influencers deserve to be kicked out of tournaments for causing disruptions to matches. The Scot has offered his stance on the debate after this year’s US Open saw several incidents in which top players were distracted by content creators courtside.
Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff each made complaints about the number of interruptions caused by noise, flash photography and ring lights during their matches. The duo acknowledged the benefit of influencers helping to promote certain competitions and the sport as a whole but insisted the usual tennis etiquette must be preserved during tense moments on the court. Not long after that controversy in New York, Wimbledon announced it will not grant media accreditation to influencers and content creators at next year’s Grand Slam. And Murray has added to the pile-on by suggesting that, while their presence may be more normalised at tournaments, they cannot be exempt from the same rules that apply to other attendees.
I think obviously, like, that’s part of society now. You’re going to have influencers at many different events and stuff,” he said on The Sports Agents. “That doesn’t mean that they should be exempt from respecting, like, the etiquette and the rules of the sport.
“Like, making lots of noise during a point is not something that happens in tennis. So, just like another fan, if you come in to watch, if you’re making loads of noise, well, then you’re going to get kicked out.”
The US Open paid a price after the number of credentialled influencers and content creators ballooned to almost 100. That’s nearly double the 54 who were invited to the 2025 competition.
Flushing Meadows tends to be one of the more raucous Grand Slam venues compared to its peers. Wimbledon, by contrast, is heavily organised around traditional tennis values and is the most regimented of the four majors when it comes to adhering to certain rules.
It’s worth noting that the All England Club’s decision not to introduce an ‘influencer accreditation’ at Wimbledon is no different to any previous edition. Content creators are not ‘banned’, per se, but Wimbledon will not be following the US Open’s lead by pushing for those personalities to help grow its brand.
Murray, 39, revealed to The Telegraph earlier this year that he had removed any social media apps from his phone to avoid wasting time. Instead, he now prefers to use a ‘brick’ device in the hope he can “be a little bit more productive.
He has also championed a proposed social media ban for those in the UK under 16, an initiative supported by ex-Prime Minister Keir Starmer. That gives another indicator as to how Murray feels about the rise of social media.
A two-time champion at SW19, the Scot knows better than most how sacred the hushed atmosphere of Wimbledon can be. And many fans would concur that it would be a massive disappointment if the tournament hosted content creator controversy similar to that witnessed at the US Open.
Murray, for one, wouldn’t put up with the interruption if that were the case. However, the All England Club has taken the matter into its own hands by refusing to permit any influencers in an official capacity next year in what could be the start of a more permanent tradition.
