Tennis fans know very well that Wimbledon tickets are not the easiest to come by. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to get at all.
Rather, you just need to know how to go about it and, most importantly, do it well beforehand to avoid the last-minute scamper for a seat.
Let’s just quickly explore some of the different ways that you can explore if you’re looking to buy a Wimbledon ticket. (if you want our ready reckoner for how much do French Open tickets cost, click here)
Veterans of this majestic event will, however, tell you that securing your ticket here has quite a lot to do with luck. We reckon knowledge is power and if you know all the different ways to buy Wimbledon tickets, and get a tad lucky, you might be the proud owner of a Wimbledon ticket.
Before we explore the various means of getting Wimbledon tickets, it’s essential to note that the organising committee for the event frowns upon any touting or ticket scalping.
There are very strict regulations prohibiting the peddling of secondary tickets and various measures in place to enforce those regulations too. As such always make sure to secure your tickets via the legitimate means otherwise you just might end up in a bit of trouble.
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The Public Ballot
One of the most common and cheapest means of getting the Wimbledon tickets is through the public ballot. In previous years, ever since the launch of the tournament, the public ballot was conducted the traditional way; physically and on paper.
From the 2020 tournament and onwards, however, a digital shift has been made as the ballot is now available online, accessible via a simple four-step process;
Just visit the official Wimbledon site and sign up for a ‘MyWimbledon’ account as early as NOW!
Once you have an account, you will receive an invitation to register (for the 2020 session, this invitation came in September 2019).
From there, you can apply for the ballot in a month or two from the day of receiving your invitation.
Lastly, the ballot kicks off, early in the year and all there is to do is to await the outcome.
While it’s not everyone who gets invited to enter the ballot, the invitation is in no way a guarantee of success so you may want to hold off the excitement until you are actually chosen.
Being picked in the ballot means you get an offer to buy a ticket for a particular court and particular day. The process is random and you can’t choose any preference at all.
And as far as demand goes, it far – far, far, far – outstrips the supply. So, pray but don’t hold your breath on this one!
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Club-Lottery or Coach Tickets
Registered coaches, clubs and schools receive a share of the Wimbledon tickets to disburse to their loyal members or stakeholders. Tennis associations, both local and abroad, also receive a share of the loot which they disburse to their select clubs and other organisations based on their own criteria.
Tickets from this avenue are indeed limited, however, they tend to have less stiff competition due to the smaller numbers that make up these clubs and associations.
As such, this is where club membership might pay off for you. After all, club fees are barely expensive and the chance to procure the Wimbledon tickets is well worth it.
Hospitality Packages
Several hospitality firms offer travel packages that include Wimbledon tickets.
This can be pretty convenient if you’re coming in for the championship from afar and, therefore, already need to seek accommodation and travel as well. Main players in this category are Keith Prowse and Sportsworld who are officially recognised for offering such attractive packages.
Package tickets are ideal for tourists and other foreigners who may want to enjoy a full-packed experience during the championship including tours around the city itself. Despite being generally expensive, they are conveniently matched with ideal travel plans and accommodation bookings for a flawless experience.
Queue Up!
This is probably the most traditional way to secure your ticket for Wimbledon.
It is an exciting way, unique to Wimbledon but not so practical for everyone since one has to get in line to get a single ticket.
Despite this inconvenience, these queues pack up quite significantly, especially during the final rounds. You might need to camp overnight in the queue to improve your chances of getting a great ticket.
When you join the queue, you are issued with a Queue card to secure your spot on the line and to deter line-cutters. Keep this card close because it’s your key to accessing the grounds. For those at the front of the line, tickets can be bought on a preference basis as long as space is still available at the desired location.
Once they’re sold out, the rest gets whatever is left. Queuing for tickets is however not such a bad experience. The line is always under control and strict Wimbledon rules are in place to deal with any rowdy tendencies.
Returned Tickets
This option is only valid for spectators that already have access to the grounds. As such, it’s more of an ‘upgrade’ option than a means to secure Wimbledon tickets from scratch. For various reason, some fans leave the games early and give up their tickets for others to purchase for the rest of the remaining period.
Spectators on the grounds can then take the opportunity to upgrade to better viewing courts.
Considering the nature of these tickets, it’s definitely not something to count on but it can be a pleasant experience to make the upgrade. You can check the availability of these tickets at the ticket office in person periodically or if you notice someone giving up their ticket.
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The LTA Ballot
This particular ballot for Wimbledon tickets is exclusively for members of the UK’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). It is run parallel to the public ballot although one can enter both ballots.
The membership fee for the association is only £30 annually but the association is mostly popular with professional tennis players for whom membership is mandatory in the UK.
For the 2020 session, the ballot opened on September 9 of the previous year and closed off a few months later on February 14 this year.
LTA members who were successfully chosen in the ballot were notified via email. Once again, the ballot offers specific days and specific courts that cannot be changed, however, members can opt to buy or not buy the offered ticket just like with the public ballot.
Debenture Tickets (if you got the money!)
Investing in a debenture is one of the surest ways to secure a Wimbledon ticket. These debentures are availed to the public every five years and anyone who seizes it up is granted a ticket for every championship match for the next five years.
This scheme is a fund-raising strategy by the AELTC to generate revenue for sponsoring the championship and make necessary improvements to the courts and grounds.
Debenture seats number up to 3500 with 2500 in the Centre Court and the rest on Court 1. Investors currently enjoying these privileged tickets bought them at a whopping £50,000 each for the five years 2016 to 2020.
Debenture tickets are transferable unlike the rest of the available tickets. They are, however, very expensive as can be expected. One can also opt to buy the whole debenture from someone else and enjoy its benefits for the rest of its validity period but, once again, they certainly don’t come cheap at all, with some of the 2016-2020 debentures have sold for more £100,000.
Ticketmaster Tickets
If you have a sturdy pocket, Ticketmaster just might be a great source for Wimbledon tickets.
The site traditionally sells a large number of tickets for Centre Court and Court 3 on the day before each match. They, however, sell out very quickly and are, therefore, not to be depended upon. I have known a few people to have gotten lucky here but if you thought getting Ballot tickets were difficult, this takes the cake.
Each client is also limited to only two tickets so it may not be the ideal place for family/group tickets sourcing.
AELTC Member Access
Members of the All England Lawn & Tennis Club (AELTC) happen to have unchecked access to Wimbledon.
While it’s an obvious long shot, you can Wimbledon access from these 475 members if you can find the perfect means to convince them. The means must, of course, be legitimate and voluntary not a gunpoint situation. Should you succeed, AELTC members can get you guest passes which will unlock the best Wimbledon experience.
Out of all these ways, you’re surely bound to find one that does it for you, as long as you get on it soon enough. Many people have often wondered why these tickets are hard to come by anyway, with some even brewing up conspiracy theories on the subject.
The truth is simply that this event is pretty high-profile, attracting an audience from all over the globe. In contrast, the hosting club has a relatively small capacity, hence the difficulty in securing tickets. Should you succeed, however, get ready to enjoy a spectacular show that is worth every penny spent.
