A man and woman invaded the court during Grigor Dimitrov’s first-round meeting against Sho Shimabukuro – scattering orange confetti – and revealing t-shirts which read ‘Just Stop Oil’ during the second set, as the crowd loudly booed them.
The man decided to sit by the net with his legs crossed as the woman was escorted off, before the male protester was also taken away.
The orange confetti appeared from a jigsaw puzzle box while pieces of a puzzle were also scattered onto the court.
Spectators cheered as the protesters were removed while Just Stop Oil posted on Twitter: ‘BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Disrupt @Wimbledon.’
They also quoted the following BBC commentary: ‘Once more, orange clouds hang over a British sporting event this summer – this time it’s ticker tape rather than paint dust, but it is an intrusion and will need sorting out.’
Wimbledon ball boys and girls subsequently removed the confetti and puzzle pieces by hand while ground staff also used leaf blowers to clean the court.
A rain delay quickly followed and play was suspended as the covers came out.
The All England Club have confirmed in a statement that the protesters have now been arrested.
‘Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the grounds,’ the statement read.
‘Play on the court was temporarily paused and, following a suspension in play due to a rain delay, play [was] about to resume.’
Former British No.1 Tim Henman, who is on the board of the AELTC, told the BBC: ‘You prepare as best you can. The challenge when you’ve got 35,000-plus people coming to your grounds and you’ve got 18 fields of play… it’s not easy.
It’s important for everyone to understand the facts and where these people have come from. It’s frustrating, we’ve had enough disruptions with the weather. To get a disruption like that as well is disappointing.’
Two protesters ran onto the outfield in the second over of the day armed with orange powder but were stopped before getting to the pitch – with England cricket star Jonny Bairstow blocking one and carrying him off the field.
The Lord’s incident followed Just Stop Oil disruptions at the Premiership rugby final between Saracens and Sale at Twickenham in May as well as at the World Snooker Championship in April as a protester jumped on a table during a match.
Wimbledon had beefed up their security amid the threat of Just Stop Oil protests having previously urged all spectators to ‘be considerate’ before the tournament.
British tennis legend Andy Murray, meanwhile, warned potential protestors that it could be ‘dangerous’ to invade the courts because players ‘obviously have got rackets in their hands’.
MORE : Police get new powers in major crackdown on Just Stop Oil protests
MORE : Laver Cup tennis tournament interrupted by climate change activist who lights his arm on fire
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com