Singer, actress and television personality Sophie Choudry took to her Instagram story to express displeasure over the growing trend of celebrities and influencers attending Wimbledon for social media clout rather than genuine love for the sport. In a strongly worded note which she shared on Tuesday (July 15), Sophie expressed concern that the iconic tennis tournament is turning into a fashion runway, much like the Cannes Film Festival.
"Oh Lord. Please don't let Wimbledon become the next Cannes," Sophie wrote, kicking off her story with a clear dig at the wave of social media-driven appearances at the sporting event.
Opening up about her deep-rooted love for tennis, she added, "I've been an avid tennis lover for more than 30 years. Have literally shed tears of joy and pain over my favourites Sampras (a legit obsession at one time), Agassi, Nadal and now Alcaraz. Have scheduled watching matches between revising for school exams."
Sophie also recalled her personal experience of watching legends like Martina Navratilova in action, “Was fortunate enough to see the legend Martina Navratilova play in her last Wimbledon final amongst other epic matches before it was all about an Insta post.”
But it was her sharp critique of certain attendees, especially social media influencers, that caught attention.
“This year am suddenly seeing countless ‘influencers’, ‘celebs’ from India going there just to be seen. Am not denying that some genuinely love the game but many are there just to pose for social media. They have zero clue or interest in the game or those playing it. It's just Ughhh. Please let’s not ruin one of the most beautiful tournaments in the world."
This year, celebs like Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, Avneet Kaur, Sonam Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Janhvi Kapoor, Milind Soman, Janhvi Kapoor, Preity Zinta and Urvashi Rautela among others attended the sports event.
