Wimbledon guide: every summer, this city turns a quiet corner of SW19 into something that feels closer to a village festival than a global sporting event, and once you know how to move through it, you will never watch it the same way again.
What Wimbledon actually is (a quick grounding)
Wimbledon, officially called The Championships, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. It first ran in 1877 at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, beginning as a Gentlemen’s Singles event before expanding over the following decades. As the only Grand Slam still played on grass, Wimbledon blends tradition with elite competition, from royal patronage and the all-white dress code to the iconic strawberries and cream.
I grew up watching it on a small television in another country, convinced it existed in a parallel, very polite universe. Moving to London changed that. The tournament is close, accessible, and surprisingly human. You do not need to be wealthy or well-connected to feel part of it.
How to get a ticket: the ballot and The Queue
There are 5 legitimate ways to get into Wimbledon: the public ballot, The Queue, the official daily resale, debenture tickets, and official hospitality. For most Londoners, the 2 realistic routes are the ballot and The Queue.
The ballot is Wimbledon’s flagship route and the only way to buy show-court tickets at official face value without queuing. It opens each autumn for the following summer, so plan well ahead. Ballot tickets are allocated randomly, you cannot choose a specific match, and they are strictly non-transferable.
For fans without a ballot ticket, The Queue is the live, face-value option during the Championships. You turn up at Wimbledon Park, join the line, and camp overnight if you want a show court, because a limited number of same-day tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Wimbledon remains one of the very few major sporting events where you can buy premium tickets on the day of play. A daily Queue offers limited show court and grounds tickets, sold at 1 per person, and they are non-transferable.
Getting to SW19 without the stress
The Championships take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London SW19. The roads fill up quickly and parking is very limited, so public transport is the best way to arrive.
Southfields is the main London Underground station for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. A short walk from Southfields tube takes spectators down Wimbledon Park Road directly to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon tube and train station is slightly further away, but a shuttle bus connects it to the grounds.
Arrive early. The District line to Southfields becomes very crowded from around 9am on match days. If you travel before 8:30am, the journey feels calm, the streets are quiet, and you still have time to join The Queue, buy a coffee, and settle in before play starts at 11am.
Murray Mound and the grounds pass experience
Once inside the grounds, most first-time visitors ask the same question: where do I go? The answer, at least for your first visit, is the Hill.
Aorangi Terrace is a grass bank inside the grounds, next to No.1 Court, where spectators sit or picnic and watch matches on a giant screen. Officially Wimbledon calls it The Hill on Aorangi Terrace, but most fans know it as Henman Hill, and some as Murray Mound. You do not need a special ticket for Henman Hill. If you are inside the Wimbledon grounds, you can go there, which makes it one of the most accessible parts of the Championships, especially for people attending with a Grounds Pass.
The Hill is chaotic between 2pm and 6pm, so quieter alternatives are worth finding. The path between Court 12 and Court 14, on the eastern edge of the grounds, has open standing-room space on most grounds-pass days. During the Wimbledon fortnight, around 200,000 portions of strawberries and cream are served across the grounds. Order early: the queues at the strawberries kiosks near No.1 Court grow fast by midday.
Expert perspective
Following Wimbledon through a grounds pass is genuinely the smartest way to experience the tournament if you live in London. You are not locked into 1 court. You can walk between matches, catch a set on Court 18 where the atmosphere is intimate, then drift up to the Hill for the big screen moments. The food options inside the grounds have improved significantly, and the social energy between strangers on the grass is unlike anything else in British sport. For a local, using a grounds pass over several days across the fortnight gives you a deeper read of the tournament than a single Centre Court seat ever could. Plan your tube journey before 9am, pack a light waterproof, and let the day unfold slowly.
Industry perspective, sports and live events professionals in London
How to follow Wimbledon without going to SW19
Not every day suits a 5am alarm. The good news is that Wimbledon is available for free in the UK on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer. BBC iPlayer hosts a daily programme throughout the tournament, available from 9pm in week 1 and 8pm in week 2. This is ideal for watching match replays after a full day of work.
For a more social screening experience, London has strong options across the city. You can watch Wimbledon in the heart of central London at St James’s Market, where deckchairs and a large outdoor screen create a relaxed setting. The Rose and Crown in Wimbledon Village screens matches each day during The Championships, and you pass through Southfields tube station on the way, which itself gets decorated for the occasion each year.
Ham Yard in Soho transforms its leafy courtyard into an open-air destination for watching The Championships during the tournament fortnight. These screenings are a good option if you want the social atmosphere without the early start.
Conclusion: your Wimbledon guide starts with one decision
This Wimbledon guide comes down to 1 choice: how close do you want to get? You can follow every match from your sofa on BBC iPlayer, set up a deckchair at a central London screening, or join The Queue and walk through the actual gates of SW19. Each version is valid. Each version is genuinely enjoyable. What makes this tournament different from most others is that London keeps the experience open, whether you have a ballot ticket or just a grounds pass and a punnet of strawberries. Use this Wimbledon guide to find your own level, then make it a ritual you repeat every summer.
