Wimbledon 2023 is underway as the best tennis players in the world flock to SW19 for the annual summer spectacular.
First played in 1877, the third major of the tennis year remains the only Grand Slam played on grass.
The immaculate surfaces of the All England Club continue to provide the canvas for some of the sport’s most thrilling contests.
As ever, the fans are set to pack the show court stands and watch on around the grounds, with those who missed out on the annual ballot queuing through the night for a chance at a coveted ticket.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is Wimbledon 2023?
The 136th edition of the Wimbledon Championships will be held over a fortnight, starting on Monday 3 July and concluding on Sunday 16 July. For the second year in a row after organisers elected to break with tradition, matches will be held on the tournament’s middle Sunday.
Men's contenders
Novak Djokovic leads the list of men’s contenders. The defending champion is now the outright most successful male singles player in history, winning his 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open in June. He could equal Roger Federer’s record tally of eight men’s Wimbledon titles.
The Serbian is only seeded second, though, with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz back at the top of the world rankings after winning his first title on grass at Queen’s. Alcaraz remains short of experience on the surface, and exited in the fourth round last year, but is a budding superstar, winning his first major at the US Open last August.
Beyond the big two, each of Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas will hope to deliver on their top five seedings with deep runs, while 2021 finalist Matteo Berettini is unseeded, but lurks as a possible dark horse. Nick Kyrgios, beaten by Djokovic in the final last year, had hoped to compete but has been forced into a late withdrawal.
Women's contenders
The women’s draw feels more open - Iga Swiatek starts as favourite after winning her fourth Grand Slam crown at the French Open, but the Polish 22-year-old can be vulnerable on grass. Swiatek has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Elena Rybakina is back to defend her title, with the world number three hoping to again challenge. Illness has disrupted the Kazakh’s build-up to the tournament but her strong serve and attacking baseline style make her a likely contender.
With Russian and Belarusian players not permitted to compete last year, Aryna Sabalenka returns to Wimbledon with a point to prove. Like Rybakina, Sabalenka has the power-hitting range to cause problems on grass and reached the last four in 2021. Her maiden major triumph arrived at the Australian Open in January.
Brit watch
With Emma Raducanu absent due to injury, Britain’s hopes of extended involvement the women’s draw appear slim. The ambitious Katie Boulter is now her country’s top-ranked player and has already won in Nottingham during the grass-court summer swing, and will be looking to match or better her run to the third round 12 months ago.
Boulter is joined by five other British women granted wildcards - the experienced Heather Watson is a familiar face, while all of Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Sonay Kartal have top-100 potential and will look to draw on some home support.
The British fans might be more optimistic about their men. Cameron Norrie is seeded 12th and looking to build on a semi-final appearance in 2022, while Andy Murray has shown glimpses of something resembling his best tennis with a couple of warm-up wins in Surbiton and Nottingham.
Andy Murray after practising with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon (John Walton/PA)— (PA Wire)
Dan Evans is seeded 27th and is likely to bring his usual box of tricks, while Liam Broady, Jan Choinski, Arthur Fery and George Loffhagen have also been given wildcards.
Ones to watch
Coco Gauff feels like a Grand Slam champion in waiting, with the American hotly tipped as a potential major winner ever since her breakthrough run to the fourth round on Wimbledon debut in 2019. Still only 19, a first French Open final last year was further proof of what Gauff can do when she puts it all together.
While the freakishly talented Alcaraz is men’s tennis’ hottest prospect, Jannik Sinner also has immense potential. The 21-year-old Italian is a smooth mover with a well-rounded game and brilliant backhand, and will want a better showing after a surprise second round exit at the French Open. Sinner is yet to reach a Grand Slam singles semi-final.
Order of Play - Monday 3 July
CENTRE COURT - 13:30 START (all times BST)
Pedro Cachin (ARG) vs Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Venus Williams (USA) vs Elina Svitolina (UKR)
Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)
No.1 COURT - 13:00 START
Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Lin Zhu (CHN)
Laurent Lokoli (FRA) vs Casper Ruud (NOR)
Sofia Kenin (USA) vs Coco Gauff (USA)
No.2 COURT - 11:00 START
Jessica Pegula (USA) vs Lauren Davis (USA)
David Goffin (BEL) vs Lucky Loser (TBC)
Katie Swan (GBR) vs Belinda Bencic (SUI)
Quentin Halys (FRA) vs Daniel Evans (GBR)
No.3 COURT - 11:00 START
Andrey Rublev vs Max Purcell (AUS)
Katie Volynets (USA) vs Caroline Garcia (FRA)
Jodie Burrage (GBR) vs Caty McNally (USA)
Yannick Hanfmann (GER) vs Taylor Fritz (USA)
COURT 12 - 11:00 START
Diane Parry (FRA) vs Harriet Dart (GBR)
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs Radu Albot (MDA)
Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs Donna Vekic (CRO)
COURT 18 - 11:00 START
Veronika Kudermetova vs Kaia Kanepi (EST)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
Daria Kasatkina vs Caroline Dolehide
Not before 16:30
Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
COURT 4 - 11:00 START
Nadia Podoroska (ARG) vs Tereza Martincova (CZE)
Corentin Moutet (FRA) vs Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Rebeka Masarova (ESP) vs Mayar Sherif (EGY)
Lloyd Harris (RSA) vs Gregoire Barrere (FRA)
COURT 5 - 11:00 START
Barbora Strycova (CZE) vs Maryna Zanevska (BEL)
Maximilian Marterer (GER) vs Borna Gojo (CRO)
Mikael Ymer (SWE) vs Alex Molcan (SVK)
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs Simona Waltert (SUI)
COURT 6 - 11:00 START
Sebastian Baez (ARG) vs Tomas Barrios Vera (CHI)
Martina Trevisan (ITA) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Qinwen Zheng (CHN) vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP)
COURT 7 - 11:00 START
Luca Van Assche (FRA) vs Aslan Karatsev
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) vs Peyton Stearns (USA)
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
Camila Osorio (COL) vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
COURT 8 - 11:00 START
Alycia Parks (USA) vs Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER)
Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs Claire Liu (USA)
Dominik Koepfer (GER) vs Oscar Otte (GER)
Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) vs Harold Mayot (FRA)
COURT 9 - 11:00 START
Jordan Thompson (AUS) vs Brandon Nakashima (USA)
Storm Hunter (AUS) vs Xinyu Wang (CHN)
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) vs Daniel Altmaier (GER)
COURT 10 - 11:00 START
Cristina Bucsa (ESP) vs Kamilla Rakhimova
J.J. Wolf (USA) vs Enzo Couacaud (FRA)
Roman Safiullin vs Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
COURT 14 - 11:00 START
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)
Kateryna Baindl (UKR) vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
Elise Mertens (BEL) vs Viktoria Hruncakova (SVK)
Borna Coric (CRO) vs Guido Pella (ARG)
COURT 15 - 11:00 START
Yue Yuan (CHN) vs Victoria Azarenka
Liam Broady (GBR) vs Constant Lestienne (FRA)
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)
Not before 17:30
Anett Kontaveit (EST) vs Lucrezia Stefanini (ITA)
COURT 16 - 11:00 START
Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) vs Petra Martic (CRO)
John Isner (USA) vs Jaume Munar (ESP)
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Not before 17:30
Sloane Stephens (USA) vs Rebecca Peterson (SWE)
COURT 17 - 11:00 START
Ana Bogdan (ROU) vs Liudmila Samsonova
Magda Linette (POL) vs Jil Teichmann (SUI)
Jan Choinski (GBR) vs Dusan Lajovic (SRB)
Danielle Collins (USA) vs Julia Grabher (AUT)
Food and drink
While the tennis takes centre stage across the fortnight, Wimbledon’s spectators will also indulge in the famous food and drink that so enriches the experience at one of the must-see events of the British sporting summer.
For those seeking a tipple or two, Pimm’s will prove a popular option, the liquer and lemonade combination the perfect cooler in the summer sun. A pint of the fruit-filled beverage will set spectators back nearly £10; more frugal fans might consider bringing in their own, with one bottle of wine or Champagne (750ml), two cans of beer (500ml) or two cans of premixed aperitifs permitted to be carried in by each person.
Equally closely associated with Wimbledon is strawberries and cream. Nearly 200,000 portions of the summer fruit and traditional dairy accompaniment are set to be served over the fortnight - and there’s good news for fans with the price of a helping of strawberries and cream set firm at £2.50, as it has been since 2010.
(Zac Goodwin/PA)— (PA Wire)
How do I enter the ballot for Wimbledon next year?
The ballot for Wimbledon 2024 will open in early September 2023. Prospective attendeees can register for myWimbledon to find out all the latest news on ticketing.
What about the Wimbledon queue?
The ballot is not the only method for sourcing tickets. Each day, Wimbledon opens up a limited number of show court tickets and grounds passes to spectators prepared to wait through the night for a chance to attend the championships. Tickets are sold on a best available, one per person queuing basis and are non-transferable. 500 tickets for Centre Court (excluding last four days), No.1 Court, and No.2 Court will be sold for each day the courts are in play, while grounds passes are available at £27 for the first nine days of the tournament, and further reduced after the men’s and women’s quarter-finals.
The queue begins in Wimbledon Park, with toilet facilities and food outlets available. While the precise length of the queue and recommended arrival time varies from day-to-day, Wimbledon’s organisers say that those who arrive before about 9am BST (an hour before ground open) generally have a good chance of getting in.
