How To Get A Seat At The Wimbledon Tennis Championships

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world – and arguably the most famous. And now it’s officially back for summer 2024. Whether you snapped up tickets or you’ll be watching the action elsewhere, here’s everything you need to know.

Unsplash

The C&TH Guide to Wimbledon

The History Of Wimbledon

When the first ever Wimbledon Championships took place on 9 June 1877, things looked a little different. Played at Worple Road in Wimbledon, they were advertised as a ‘lawn tennis meeting, open to all amateurs’ – and women were not allowed take part. Competitors were asked to bring their own racquets while the club’s gardener provided the balls, and the final was watched by a crowd of just 200 people. In 1884, the All England Club agreed to open the Championships up to both sexes, and The Ladies Singles was added to the programme. By the 1900s, the Championships had become an international affair – and since then, it has grown to become one of the most prestigious events on the summer sporting calendar.

The Tennis

Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US open. As well as having a different name to the others, the Wimbledon tournament stands apart as it’s played on grass, while the others are played on hard court surfaces or red clay.

Each year, both the men’s and the women’s single competitions are made up of 128 players. They enter a series of single elimination knockout matches, until just two remain in the final. Alongside this, there’s the doubles and mixed doubles, a wheelchair category and boys’ and girls’ tournaments.

When Is Wimbledon 2024?

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships will take place from 1–14 July 2024.

Can You Still Get Tickets?

Ballot tickets have all been officially allocated, so it’s not possible to book Wimbledon tickets for 2024. But all hope is not lost: you could brave the queue. The Wimbledon queue is a famous institution, and pretty much epitomises Britishness. Everyday, Wimbledon allocates around 500 premium tickets for each court, and at 9.30am they are distributed to queuers on a first-come-first-served basis. The really committed fans camp out overnight, while others head there in the early hours of the morning – or you can head on down post-5pm to catch some of the later matches, when tickets are slightly cheaper and the queue will move more quickly. For an insider’s top tips, check out this guide to Wimbledon penned by a former court attendant.

If you’d rather not brave it, the ballot for 2025 tickets will soon be open. Login or register here to make sure you get an email notification when it does. It’s not possible to request tickets for particular days or courts: these are chosen by a randomised process.

Food & Drink at Wimbledon

There are plenty of options for dining and drinking, from high-end restaurants to picnics. Wingfield Restaurant is a sit-down dining experience with views across the Tea Lawn. Here you’ll enjoy seasonal British produce, with dishes this year including gin cured Loch Duart salmon, vegan celeriac fondant and seared fillet of stone bass. The Wingfield Café, meanwhile, serves a selection of cakes, pastries, salads and sandwiches. There’s also the Centenary Brasserie, which first appeared in 2022, serving brunch and light lunch options, or seafood lovers should head to the Centenary Seafood Bar situated on the top floor of the Centenary Garden with views across the Southern Courts, and serving up the likes of salmon, crab, crevettes and caviar.

Alternatively, pre-order one of the picnic hampers on offer – there are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, plus an afternoon tea picnic complete with finger sandwiches and scones. And, of course, you’ll never be far from a stall serving strawberries and cream. In terms of drinks, expect lots of Pimm’s, Lanson and Sipsmith – all official drinks partners. You’re also allowed to bring your own food and drink – though hard-sided containers, vacuum flasks over 500ml and items like picnic hampers and cool boxes aren’t permitted. In terms of alcohol, each person can bring the equivalent of one bottle of wine or champagne, two cans of beer, or two premixed aperitifs. Spirits and fortified wines aren’t allowed.

For more information and to sign up to ballot for 2024 tickets, visit wimbledon.com