The All England Club has confirmed that Wimbledon's ban on showing World Cup matches will extend to the players' lounge, with chief executive Sally Bolton stating that no football will be shown on any TVs or big screens across the grounds. This is the first Wimbledon to coincide with a men's World Cup since 2018, when England reached the semi-finals.
Strict Policy Enforced Across Grounds
Bolton said: "We're not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the ground. But clearly, if people have got their phones, then we're not going to prevent people from watching the football." A stricter policy applies in more prestigious areas, with Bolton adding: "We do discourage people from using their phones in the royal box."
Impact on Players and Matches
There are 17 World Cup matches scheduled to coincide with Wimbledon action. Despite media reports, Bolton said no players have requested to avoid being scheduled when their home country plays. "So far we haven't had any of those requests," she said. "I'm conscious some people have suggested that in the media. But they certainly haven't made any requests to the referees' officer."
Previous Disruptions
During England's Euro 2024 penalty shootout against Switzerland, fans watching on phones caused a disruption during Novak Djokovic's match against Alexei Popyrin. Djokovic smiled and pretended to take an imaginary spot-kick while Popyrin mimicked a save. Djokovic later said: "It's been a few times with European Championships and World Cups in the past where there were particularly interesting matches. I would be last on Centre Court and England would be playing. That was quite the experience for me on court."
