The Wimbledon tennis tournament, sometimes known as the Championships, and often simply referred to as Wimbledon is the oldest of the four ‘Grand Slam’ tennis tournaments and the only one still played on grass courts. It is, undeniably, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.
What and Where is Wimbledon?
Getting There
Wimbledon itself is a suburb of the London Borough of Merton and, although access by car can sometimes be very difficult, it is extremely well served by public transport. Wimbledon Station is served by trains of both South West Trains and also First Capital Connect and is a terminus for the Croydon Tramlink and the District Line of the London Underground. There are also Underground Stations at Southfields (District Line) and Wimbledon South (Northern Line). During the Championships, there are special bus services to the Stadium from both Wimbledon and Southfields stations. Wimbledon Station also has a well-advertised taxi-sharing scheme at that time. There is a strictly enforced No Parking rule in the streets around Church Road but there are some car parks in the vicinity and there are Park and Ride schemes available.
Practical Wimbledon Information
The Wimbledon Championships are held annually during the last week of June and the first week of July. Normally there is no play on the middle Sunday, although if the tournament has been delayed by weather problems, it is sometimes necessary.
Wimbledon organises a public ballot for tickets every year; applications for entry have to be received by the All England Club over six months in advance. However, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event at which fans can queue for tickets for the three main courts – Centre and Number One and Two Courts. Many fans regard this as an integral part of their Wimbledon experience and queue overnight to obtain one of the 500 or so allocated seats for each of the three courts. This practice only lasts to the end of the quarter finals, however. Additionally, there are approximately 6,000 Ground Admission tickets available every day which allow spectators unrestricted access to the Grounds and courts 3 to 19. Full details can always be found on the Official Wimbledon Website.
