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Wimbledon is also called “The Championships” for a reason. The prestige and gravitas of this Grand Slam Tennis event is known around the world.
Below, you’ll learn details about Wimbledon including history, ranking points, prize money, and current champions. Then, we’ll show you everything you should know if you plan to attend Wimbledon or simply want to watch it on TV.
Table of Contents
2021 Wimbledon: COVID-19 Update
About Wimbledon
How to Get Tickets to Wimbledon
Where to Stay in London for Wimbledon
Getting Around London
How to Make Your Wimbledon Experience Great
How to Watch Wimbledon on Television
Last Updated: March 25, 2021
Wimbledon is the third of the four big Grand Slam professional tennis tournaments that take place each year.
Being a winner at Wimbledon comes with a victory like no other. The history of Wimbledon goes back to 1877 and is considered the oldest tennis competition in the world.
Wimbledon takes place in London, England at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It has been held there since its inception in 1877. Sometimes people refer to this facility as the “All England Club.”
Wimbledon starts in late June, just several weeks after the conclusion of the French Open. It typically ends in early July, about 7 weeks before the start of the US Open.
The dates for 2021 have been set for June 28 – July 11.
The current Wimbledon champions from 2019 are the following players:
The courts at Wimbledon are grass, specifically, the grass is a 100% perennial ryegrass that has been used since 2002. It’s meant to be a very durable grass that can withstand the rigorous play of modern tennis.
The total prize money for 2019 was £38 million.
The winners of the 2019 Wimbledon tournament for the men (ATP) and the women (WTA) received 2000 ranking points. Here are the rest of the ranking points for the players.
| Men’s Singles & Doubles | Women’s Singles & Doubles | |
| Champion | 2000 | 2000 |
| Finalist | 1200 | 1300 |
| Semi-Finalists | 720 | 780 |
| Quarterfinals | 360 | 430 |
| Rd. of 16 | 180 | 240 |
| Rd. of 32 | 90 | 130 |
| Rd. of 64 | 45 singles | 0 doubles | 70 singles | 10 doubles |
| Rd. of 128 | 10 singles | no doubles | 10 singles | no doubles |
Wimbledon is a difficult event to get tickets to because so many people want to attend the prestigious event. There are two types of tickets at Wimbledon.
The best way to purchase tickets to Wimbledon is to sign up online for the Wimbledon Public Ballot. This will not guarantee that you get a ticket, but you will be placed in a lottery-style drawing.
Another way to get tickets is through Ticketmaster. Keep in mind they only let you buy two tickets per person and it’s an extremely limited number of tickets.
You can also look towards buying tickets with an official hospitality group like Keith Prowse or Sportsworld. They have tours and packages that include tickets to Wimbledon.
The last and most famous option for getting tickets to Wimbledon is “The Queue”.
This is a line you have to wait in for access to a batch of tickets that is released each day. It consists of mostly grounds passes, with a few reserved seating tickets. Keep in mind hundreds of people show up to get in this line each morning during the two weeks Wimbledon is held.
You’ll have to arrive at around 6 a.m. or earlier for a chance. Some people even camp out overnight in order to get in line. The staff comes around at 6 a.m. to hand out wristbands to secure your spot in line. This is a fun experience to try if you’re okay for an overnight wait in a parking lot.
During the first week, players will play every other day if they keep winning. So you can’t be sure which days your favorite player will play on until the draw comes out.
That said, the first Monday of week two, often called “manic Monday”, features all singles players in the round of 16. Assuming your favorite player makes it, this is a great day to attend.
It can be pricey, but if you want to lock in a particular ticket, you may have some luck buying tickets from Debentures. These are people that have five year season passes to the event. Owners of these Debentures have an official website where they sometimes will sell their tickets to the general public.
There are many different hotel options all around London to stay in order to be close to the All England Club where Wimbledon takes place.
You can also skip the hotel option completely and look towards staying at an Airbnb. Many people will rent out their apartments for the duration of the event and stay with relatives in other areas of Europe.
A few high-end hotel options to consider:
Budget-friendly options include:
The roads are pretty busy around London, which is why using public transportation is a great idea to get to Wimbledon. There is the underground subway system called “the Tube” which goes all over London.
There is also a southwest train system that runs from a few different stations like Waterloo right up to the All England Club.
Buses that run all over the city are also an option. From the hotel, you can easily hail a taxicab to get directly to the matches as well.
If you’re a true tennis fan, you must attend Wimbledon at least once. Here’s what you need to know to make sure you have the best experience possible.
The two main courts of Wimbledon are Centre Court and the No. 1 Court. There is a retractable roof over Centre Court that was installed in 2009, which is used in case of rain. Both of these courts are where the biggest matches will take place during the tournament.
There are also 17 other courts within the All England Club that will hold matches.
If you already have tickets, you can arrive when matches start, usually around 11 a.m. local time. If you are lining up to try to get tickets in the Queue, you may have to show up at 6 a.m. or earlier.
Wimbledon is a serious event. Make sure that you dress nicely for the occasion. That means no jeans, shorts, or sneakers. A lot of men wear dressy casual attire, however many wear lightweight suits and ties. Women typically wear dresses or outfits that look good in summer weather.
There are plenty of food and drink options inside, but one tradition you have to take part in is the strawberries and cream. This is a food that is exactly as it sounds. People only pay around £2.50 for ten strawberries that are brought in fresh each morning.
One of the best parts about Wimbledon is that you may also see some celebrities or even a British royal or two in attendance.
It’s easy to catch most of the Wimbledon action on ESPN, ESPN 2, and the Tennis Channel. You can also stream the event on any of these apps as well.
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Will Boucek is the Founder & CEO of The Tennis Tribe. He has played tennis for over two decades, including in college. Will has worked with ATP & WTA tour players and coaches. He currently lives in Austin TX where he plays USTA leagues & tournaments, writes about tennis, and teaches doubles workshops.