Are you planning a trip the oldest and most classic tennis tournament in the world? This is our guide with tips for visiting the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, 2024.
Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam of the year, the only one played on grass, and one of the most iconic venues you can visit as a tennis fan.
- Official Name:Â The Championships, Wimbledon
- Dates:Â Wimbledon is being played from 1-14 July 2024.
- Venue:Â All England Lawn Tennis Club, London, UK
About the tournament
The championships began all the way back in 1877, it was basically the first tennis tournament in the world. The only event played that year was the Men’s Singles. Ladies Singles and Men’s Doubles came on later in 1884.Â
Nowadays they are one of the four Grand Slam events, and the highlight of the summer grass season.
All matches are being played on outdoor grass courts, since 2019 they have retractable roofs over the two main courts. A good idea as it’s not unusual with rain in the British summer.
The main events are these below;
- Gentlemen’s Singles (128 players)
- Ladies’ Singles (128 players)
- Gentlemen’s Doubles (64 teams)
- Ladies’ Doubles (64 teams)
- Mixed Doubles (32 teams)
There are also additional Junior and Invitational events being arranged each year at the Wimbledon Championships.
The tournament structure is classic knockout rounds. For the singles events there are seven rounds; first round, second round, third round, fourth round, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Tickets
We won’t focus so much on the ticket system in this article, however, what we can say is that buying tickets to the Wimbledon is generally quite hard. The main way is through the ballot, where you can apply for a ticket in a lottery and the winners are drawn at random.
This ballot opens already in September and it’s called MyWimbledon. You need to plan this early and if you’re lucky you can purchase the tickets somewhere around February.
Ticket prices vary a lot and there are not much choices when it comes to what day or which court you’ll be heading to.
Apart from the ballot, you can always try the legendary same-day Wimbledon queue or the super-expensive “Debentures”, which are five-year season passes with top seats on the best courts as well as invitations to exclusive restaurants.
Location and Travel Tips
The courts at the All England Lawn Tennis Club is located in south-west London and the best way to get there is simple, take the tube. From the central parts of the city you should exit at the Southfields Tube station using the District line. From there it’s a 15 minute walk or the option to take the bus (or taxi). You can also walk, or use a shuttle bus, to the grounds from Wimbledon Park.
We recommend walking though and in these areas there’s always a chance you end up seeing one of the players as they like to stay close to the courts.
The Grounds
The gates open at around 10 in the morning and there are plenty of entrances throughout. Usually you don’t have to end up queuing more than 5-10 minutes but we recommend being there early as play starts around 11am.
The grounds are kept in perfect condition and there are so many nice features of this event. It’s not the most spacious of the big tournaments but very well organised in general. We didn’t find that many queues and there are plenty of toilets around the area with easy access.
Apart from the main courts there are plenty of smaller courts where there are a few rows of seating and no ticket needed to watch the matches. It’s always recommend to spend some time wandering around the grounds and catching some of the action on the outside courts.
What to eat? What to bring? What to wear?
So many questions… :) Well, first of all I’m sure you heard about the famous strawberries and cream! This is being sold throughout the grounds and a must to try! They are especially farmed and picked for Wimbledon each year and tastes fantastic.
There are of course all kinds of food being sold around the courts, but it’s often quite pricey. Many people take picnic food with them, however only one bag per peson is allowed into the grounds and can only be 40x30x30 cm.
There’s also a tradition of drinking Pimm’s around the courts at Wimbledon at one of the outside bars, prepare for expensive drinks though, but might be worth it once a year. You can actually bring alcohol, but in small amounts, and this must be consumed in certain areas.
Souvenirs and merch for the event can be bought at several shops dotted around the grounds and these are as expected, slightly expensive.
There is no specific dress code for visiting Wimbledon (unlike for the players!) but we recommend wearing casual to smart casual, mostly depending on what courts you are going to. A always for tennis travels, make sure you are wearing good, comfortable shoes, a hat/cap and extra clothes depending on the weather forecast.
Retractable roofs are only available on the two main courts so an umbrella might also be a good tips when visiting Wimbledon.
Rules and Etiquette During the Matches
A big difference when visiting Wimbledon, apart from other Slams, is the total silence during points are played. Basically they expect complete silence until the point is over, and you might get in trouble by the umpire if this is not followed.
Another rule is that you can only leave the set after the third game. Following the third set you can get up from your seat every time the players change sides.
Should I visit Wimbledon?
It is slightly different from other tennis tournaments and certain parts might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Some examples being the ticket system, with fully reserved main courts and less options to see many different matches, as well as limited views of the training courts.
However, it’s definitely an event to visit at least once because of all the traditions and just seeing this iconic venue. As well as seeing the best players in the world on grass of course! So get into the ballot each year and hope for the best!
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