Wimbledon is undoubtedly the most famous and the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It is part of the highest category of the world's Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The tournament takes its name from the district in which it has been played since 1877.

The Grand Slam tournament is traditionally played in June/July every year.

The oldest tennis tournament

The tennis tournament was first held in the south-west London borough of Wimbledon in 1877.

It is traditionally played on grass, which has not changed to this day. In its entire history, the tournament has only failed to take place 10 times: during the First and Second World Wars and in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tradition and history play an important role in the Wimbledon tournament. For example, no advertising is allowed throughout the venue, the changing rooms for tennis players are the original wooden ones and players must play in the prescribed white clothing. All courts are covered with a highly durable perennial clay grass.

Strawberries and whipped cream served with champagne are also intrinsic to Wimbledon. Approximately 28 tonnes of strawberries are consumed each year. The royal family holds the patronage of the Grand Slam tournament.

The Centre Court and other courts

The tennis facilities at the All England Club at Wimbledon number 40 grass courts, 18 of which are set aside for Grand Slam matches.

The largest court is designated simply as Centre Court and is where the most important matches are played. It can seat nearly 15,000 spectators and has been equipped with a retractable roof since 2007.

Wimbledon tickets and prices

Tickets for matches played on the courts of the All England Club are sold through the official website: wimbledon.com and only on certain days when pre-sales open.

We therefore recommend that you sign up for the newsletter on the website so that you don't miss the pre-sale dates.

Ticket prices for matches played at Centre Court start at 75 gbp on the first days of the tournament and end at 350 gbp for the last final matches. Matches played on the other courts are priced between 40 gbp and 65 gbp.

Please note that tickets for the main grand slam tournament often sell out in minutes.

Wimbledon Museum and Tours

If you don't need to visit a match directly or are simply heading to London outside of Wimbledon tennis days but would still like to visit Centre Court, head to the local museum. Tours of the tennis courts are also available here.

The museum and Centre Court is open all year round from Thursday to Sunday, 10am-5:30pm.

Tennis court tours are only available from April to mid-June, specific dates vary from year to year and can be found on the museum's official website. The exception is the central court, which is always accessible with a museum ticket.

The ticket price is 15 gbp and can be booked online to make sure you get into the museum. The number of entries is limited.

How to get to Wimbledon?

Both the tennis courts and the Wimbledon Museum are best reached from the city centre by the Green Line District Underground.

The nearest station from Centre Court is called Wimbledon and is the terminus for the Green Line. When travelling from the centre, beware of the District Line branching: not all services go to Wimbledon.

You'll need to walk about 1km from the tube to the courts, or take the 493 bus service, which also runs about once every 7-10 minutes from Southfields tube station closer to the centre.

Accommodation in Wimbledon

If you're really heading to Wimbledon for the tennis matches and would like to stay as close to the courts as possible, choose accommodation at these hotels:

Rose and Crown Hotel *** - approx. 200 metres from Centre Court
Hotel du Vin Cannizaro **** - a stylish hotel in a large villa in the middle of the green approx. 1 km from Centre Court

It is worth mentioning that the closest hotels to the tennis courts tend to sell out three quarters of a year in advance.