Adventures in Sweets

Introduction

Wimbledon is the pinnacle of professional tennis and a dream trip for tennis fans and casual sports fans alike. When I first visited the grounds of the All England Club as a teenager on a chilly day in November, I knew I had to come back for the tournament. This summer, I kept that promise to my teenage self and attended the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The feeling of stepping onto the iconic grounds with the buzz and excitement of the tournament was surreal.

Even though I had done a LOT of research ahead of time, there were still elements of attending the tournament that I was not as prepared for. I hope this provides some additional guidance for those who make the pilgrimage to Wimbledon in the future.

The Ballot

TLDR – Register for the ballot and download the myWimbledon app

The Wimbledon Public Ballot began in 1924 and is intended to be the fairest way to give the public the opportunity to buy tickets to the show courts – Centre Court, Court No. 1, Court No. 2 and Court No. 3. The Championships maintain a strict policy that only one person per household can apply for two tickets. If you are chosen to buy tickets, you will only have the opportunity to purchase two tickets for one of the show courts on one day, automatically selected by the ballot (you do not get to choose), during the fortnight at face value.

By registering for the public ballot, you will be able to purchase resale tickets through their platform, even if you were not originally selected to purchase tickets. You MUST register for the public ballot in order to have access to the resale ticket platform. The ballot opens in September for the following year. This is also when you will create your myWimbledon account, and they recommend downloading the app, which is absolutely necessary at the Championships.

What to Bring

TLDR – Yes, you can bring an unopened bottle of wine or two cans of beer or cocktails in per person; take advantage of their bag policy and bring in outside snacks and food for the day.

When I initially read through the Wimbledon bag policy and what items could be brought onto the grounds, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because there is no way you could BYO alcohol to a major sporting event. In fact, you can, and I recommend you take advantage of it. Each person can bring in one bottle of wine or two cans of beer/mixed spirits (canned cocktails).

Also, leave your clear stadium bags at home. The bag size requirements are very generous, and there is no need for the clear plastic ones we are used to bringing on game days in the States. I recommend bringing snacks, sandwiches, a small blanket for the queue and Henman Hill, sunscreen, and, depending on the weather, layers or personal fans. A day at The Championships that starts early in the queue can last until the early evening, so do not be shy about packing a bag that will last you all day.

The Queue

TLDR – The queue is an experience unique to Wimbledon and, unless you are committed to camping, your best bet is to go the second week of the Championships.

The British are known for their love of queues – an orderly, polite line. The Queue at The Championships has gained notoriety in the sports world because it allows members of the public to buy show court tickets the DAY OF the event at face value. For reference, approximately 500 tickets per show court are sold daily, so you have to be one of the first 2,000 people in line to grab a seat in Centre Court, Court No. 1, Court No. 2 or Court No. 3.

The Queue is also the only way to obtain grounds passes to see play on the outer courts. People will camp out beginning the day before for show court tickets the following day. Yes, camp—tent, sleeping bags, etc. We went to The Championships knowing that we were not going to camp. Instead, we planned to arrive early in the morning to secure a grounds pass ticket.

During the first week of the tournament, the only way to obtain a reasonable number in the Queue was to arrive as close to 5 AM as possible. An X account—@ViewfromtheQueue—posts periodic updates on the queue’s status throughout the morning.

To provide context, we arrived at 7:45 AM on Day 3 and were approximately 8,900 in line. We got the grounds passes and entered the grounds by 1 PM. Fortunately, there was some drizzle and play was delayed, so we got to see a full day of tennis. On Day 4, we arrived at 6:45 AM (an hour earlier!) but were approximately 9,900 in line (we learned about the X account on this day from some lovely Brits). We ended up leaving the queue and walking to the village of Wimbledon for an early lunch and to watch the tennis from the restaurant.

The crowds on the second week of The Championships do start to dissipate. On Day 9, we, again, arrived at 6:45 AM , but were 3,000 in the queue and got in just after play began for the day at 11 AM.

My biggest takeaways from the queue are that it continues to gain in popularity and can be unpredictable, so be prepared to pivot or settle in for a lengthy wait.

Resale Tickets

TLDR – Once you purchase your grounds pass, immediately go register for the resale queue in the fan village; no guarantees that you will get a show court seat, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

As mentioned above, one way to obtain resale tickets is to register for the ballot. The second way is to register for the resale queue once you have your grounds passes. After purchasing your grounds passes, you will be funneled into an area with brand activations, and there you will find another (much shorter!) queue to electronically register through the myWimbledon app for show court tickets that are returned as people leave for the day. Again, you can only choose one court for the electronic queue. Also, these tickets are not released until 3 PM, so keep that in mind as you choose your court. They are only 15 pounds for Centre Court and 10 pounds for the other show courts, so it is a fantastic deal. We did this both days, but we were not able to get in until very late in the day.

On the Grounds

TLDR – If there are crowds, have a game plan for which courts you want to see, and time arriving at the courts just as the prior match is finishing.

Once into the grounds, the map and the order of play on the myWimbledon app were our most valuable resources. The attendance at the All England Club is 42,000, so the ability to navigate and get to the courts efficiently is important.

If you thought you were done with queuing, think again! Courts 4, 12, and 18 have more seating and the most popular matches available with a grounds pass. For example, we were able to see Amanda Anisimova’s second-round match on Court 4 before she went on to be a finalist. To avoid or limit spending more time in line, I identified which matches we wanted to watch and then as soon as the match before was finishing, we would go to get in line for seats. When a match ends, there will certainly be turnover in the stands, so that proved to be the best time to make a move. Keep in mind that there is no reserved seating for these courts, so if you do leave, you will have to go back in line to re-enter the court.

A trip to Wimbledon is incomplete without the iconic Pimm’s Cup and strawberries and cream, so the queues for these can be long. Your best bet for a Pimm’s Cup is to find one of the bars not labeled as “Pimm’s Cup”. They still have it on tap, and I was able to walk right up. Similarly, the strawberries and cream are stocked in the markets, so grab one there instead of waiting in line at the concession specifically marked “Strawberries and Cream.”

Lastly, I noticed the merchandise areas were regularly packed and occasionally had their own queues. We were hoping to get a small reminder of our trip, but I could not bring myself to wait in another line. Fortunately, they have an online store for all of your souvenir needs (and you will save the luggage space).

Final Thoughts

A trip to The Championships is an incredible experience rich in tradition and history. I hope armed with the tips above you will be able to soak in every minute of every match and make memories to last a lifetime.