Wimbledon’s famous queue was already packed with thousands of tennis fans as The Championships prepared to begin today.
By 6am, more than 8,000 people were reportedly waiting in line in the hope of securing tickets for the opening day of the tournament.
For some, however, the excitement was tempered by disappointment after British No.1 Emma Raducanu was forced to pull out, with a leg injury confirmed as a stress fracture.
Raducanu, who was seeded 30th, had been due to face Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic on Court One.
Scenes from the Wimbledon queue captured the familiar early-morning rituals, with tired fans climbing out of tents, bundling themselves in blankets and even finding time for a quick shave.
Many had been waiting for days in a bid to get inside the grounds, including one supporter who joined the line at 7.30am on Saturday to boost her chances of seeing her favourite player, Novak Djokovic.
Florence Chan, who travelled from Hong Kong, previously paid $500 (£378) to watch the 39-year-old Serbian star at the US Open and returned to Wimbledon this year with friends she met while queuing at last year’s Championships.
Djokovic, chasing his first SW19 crown since 2022, is expected to appear on Centre Court after 4pm today for his match against China’s Wu Yibing.
A camper peered out from her tent in the queue at Wimbledon this morning as The Championships were set to get underway
One man took the opportunity to shave in the midst of the campsite as Wimbledon prepared to return for 2026
But British No.1 Emma Raducanu was forced to withdraw from the tournament after a leg injury worsened to become a stress fracture
Another spectator rested their eyes on the SW19 grass as more than 8,000 hopefuls queued for tickets
Some wrapped themselves in blankets as temperatures dropped after last week’s record-breaking temperatures
There were rows of tents lined up in south west London for the queue, which The All England Lawn Tennis Club said was ‘an iconic part of The Championships’
‘It’s very impressive how grand it is. It’s like nowhere else,’ Ms Chan told the Mirror of Wimbledon’s charm.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which hosts the tournament, said the queue was ‘an iconic part of The Championships’.
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In its ‘guide to queueing’, the club said the institution ‘symbolises a sense of community and camaraderie’.
There are 500 Centre Court, Court One and Court Two tickets on sale each day across the tournament for those in the queue, excluding the final four days for the main arena.
Those in the queue can also secure a ‘grounds pass’, which offers general access to all courts and Henman Hill, the grassy mound where lounging fans, often with picnics, can watch show court matches on a large screen.
While queueing continues, it will be policed by a 24-hour team of staff and stewards, who woke campers at 6am this morning to pack their tents and form a line.
Lucky fans who secure tickets to Centre Court will be able to watch defending champion and top seed Jannik Sinner open his title defence against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic at 1.30pm.
The Italian will hope for a strong Wimbledon run after a shock second round exit at Roland Garros to Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo ended a 30-match winning streak.
A Wimbledon queue hopeful draped himself in a blanket among the village of tents in SW19
There are 500 tickets available for those in the queue today to access the show courts – Centre Court, Court One and Court Two
Staff and stewards woke campers at 6am this morning, when they had to pack up their sleeping arrangements and form a line
Those lucky enough to secure a Centre Court ticket will see both world No.1s, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, in action before the return of seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic
That match will be followed on Centre Court by top female seed Aryna Sabalenka’s first round tie against Teodora Kostovic.
Sabalenka, a four-time major champion, is among the Wimbledon hopefuls limiting their media appearances to 15 minutes at the tournament to protest the prize money on offer at Grand Slams.
Sinner and American Coco Gauff are also part of a group which has called for the major tournaments to give a greater share of their revenue to prize money, alongside a greater contribution to benefits including pensions and maternity leave.
Wimbledon increased its overall prize money by 20 per cent this year – the largest annual increase in the tournament’s history – to a total prize fund of £64.2million.
One player who will not claim the prize is Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew from The Championships as he continued to suffer from a right wrist injury.
British interest in Wimbledon suffered a blow after Raducanu’s withdrawal.
Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th, is in action on Court Two this afternoon against Michael Zheng of the US.
The British No.1, 30, withdrew following an injury at the French Open and was beaten in two sets by Sinner at an exhibition match last week in west London.
Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev, who won his first major in Paris, is in action tomorrow, as is 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, who will return to SW19 as a wildcard.
