London (AFP) – Queueing for hours to drink Pimm's while watching tennis players dressed in pristine white: Wimbledon -- with its distinct traditions -- got underway Monday.
Issued on: 29/06/2026 - 18:40
2 min Reading time
- The queue - Spectators hoping to attend the famous grass-court tournament can enter a ballot for a ticket, but few are successful. That leaves the option of trying your luck in a very long queue.By 8:30 am (0730 GMT) on Monday, approximately 10,000 people were already standing in line.Among them was 61-year-old American Boo Benson, who joined the queue in the dark at 3:45 am."It was fun in the queue. We met lots of people. We shared blankets," the 61-year-old retiree from Kentucky told AFP.Benson paid £33 ($44) for a ticket that grants her access to several courts throughout the day, although not the most prestigious ones."The queue has become increasingly popular," in recent years, with people arriving "earlier and earlier", according to the tournament's chief executive, Sally Bolton."We are absolutely committed to what the queue stands for, which is accessibility," she told a press conference.- The exclusive option - In contrast to the queue -- which is open to everyone -- is a premium, multi-year pass referred to as the "debenture".
