Recently, my friend asked me: "Is Wimbledon late this year?". They are mad for tennis, and can't wait for the most famous Grand Slam tournament to start. Besides, they'd heard all sorts of rumors - that this might be Andy Murray's last Wimbledon appearance, among them.
Wimbledon is late this year, but only by a couple of weeks. And, Andy is on the list of Wimbledon players this year, along with Coco Gauff and many other tennis heroes. However, you need to know so much more about this year's Championships. To make sure you (and my friend) keep up with all the excitement, Superprof informs you of:
- Important dates to remember ahead of Wimbledon's start
- Where and how you can get your tickets
- An overview of this year's players' lists
- All the latest information you need to know
Key Dates and Events Leading Up to Wimbledon 📆
As I write this, the French Open just finished. Many players on Wimbledon's Entry List competed on Roland Garros' clay courts. This event, the second of the season's Grand Slam tournaments, ended on June 9.
Two weeks later, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet (AELTC) Club will welcome Wimbledon contenders. The Qualifying rounds begin on June 24. On June 28, tournament organizers will initiate The Draw. This process establishes the Wimbledon Order of Play.
The Championship begins on July 1. The first two days feature Men's and Ladies' Singles rounds. Other contest categories - Doubles, Wheelchair, Under-18/14, and Invitational, headline later tournament dates. The Championship wraps up on July 14, with the Men's Singles and Ladies' Doubles finals.
The most avid of tennis fans vie for seats around Wimbledon Center Court, where the most heated contests play out. However, the AELTC boasts 18 competition courts. One might argue that the most decisive matches take place on those 'lesser' courts. They are where up-and-coming players fight for their place in tennis' higher rankings.
Wimbledon ticket holders should monitor the Wimbledon Order of Play releases. Doing so will help them decide which matches to attend, and on which courts. The tournament organizers publish these lists every evening, as the tournament runs.
However, regardless of which matches spectators wish to see, they can take the time for a leisurely breakfast. The action begins daily, at 11:00 (GMT+1). This option is available for attendees who've purchased an all-inclusive Wimbledon Hospitality Package. Or Wimbledon supporters who've invested in a debenture.
For tennis fans buying tickets at the club's gates, their day starts much earlier. Daily ticket sales begin at 9:30am, but queueing starts well before that time. Indeed, the AELTC recommends arriving up to two hours before the complex opens.
This short introduction gives you an overview of Wimbledon dates and times. Still, it's not enough information for you to plan your Wimbledon 2024 experience. For that, you need the full Wimbledon schedule.
How to Get Tickets: Wimbledon Ballot 2024 🎟️
The previous chapter introduced three ways to secure your Wimbledon 2024 tickets. We might consider investing in a debenture the priciest option. Purchasing a hospitality package qualifies and a mid-range solution.
They work a bit like a vacation package. You may select your holiday components, paying one all-inclusive fee. Or you might choose between pre-set hospitality packages, selecting the one with the most appealing options.
What if you're not interested in a 'whole Wimbledon experience'? Maybe those options are too far out of your budget. Perhaps attending a contest or two is enough of a Wimbledon experience for your tastes.
You might not want to line up at the gate, so you might search for tickets online. The AELTC reserves a limited number of tickets for online sales. They permit access to tickets for tennis fans who don't live near SW19, Wimbledon's postal code.
These two options do not guarantee you admission to The Championships. Neither does the Wimbledon Public Ballot. However, the Ballot strives for the fairest distribution of Wimbledon tickets.
Interested parties may register online for the Wimbledon ballot; one application per household. The ballot typically opens in the fall every year. Applicants for this year's Wimbledon tournament received their notification of acceptance in November 2023.
The public ballot for the Championships 2024 is closed.
Successful applicants receive an offer for a pair of tickets or two single tickets. They may not choose their attendance date, nor may they select which court they will attend. A computer algorithm randomly assigns their presence at Center Court, Court 1, 2, or 3.
The AELTC does not charge any booking fees for entering the ballot. However, once applicants accept the system's ticket offer, they must pay. The club sends imminent ticket holders an email containing a link to pay securely.
Admission to Wimbledon follows a hierarchy. The tournament officials set aside tickets for debenture holders, and online and gate sales. Hospitality package firms negotiate for their share of the remaining tickets. The Wimbledon public ballot disburses the rest.
Note that you may apply to the public ballot - and gain acceptance, yet not receive a ticket offer. Thus, it's smarter to know all the ways to secure your access to this Grand Slam event. You should explore all the ways to buy Wimbledon tickets to maximize your chances of admission.
Contestants and Participants 🎾
As mentioned in this article's introduction, Andy Murray returns to Wimbledon this year, along with many other tennis masters.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic appear at the top of the Wimbledon entry list. After last year's spectacular upset, fans look forward to a rematch. This particular face-off isn't yet locked-in. In Ladies' Tennis, Iga Świątek remains the heavy favorite, with near-peer Aryna Sabalenka just behind her on the entry list.
In all, the Men's and Ladies' entry lists include 104 names each. A further 172 players populate the Ladies' alternates list; the Gentlemen's roster stops at 100 alternate contestants. Tournament officials draw from these lists to decide their wildcard selections, as well as fleshing out the matches.
Injured players, and those recovering from an injury, may 'protect' their standing so they don't fall behind while they take time to heal.
Tennis players must compete continuously - and notch wins, to rise in the ranking system. However, should they injure themselves, they must take time to recover. This means that they cannot maintain or improve their ranking.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), as well as the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), have a system in place to 'protect' players' rankings during that time. This system allows players to rejoin the tournament circuit with their rank intact.
A few of this year's Wimbledon contestants enter the tournament with a protected ranking. Rafael Nadal (ATP rank: 10) joins the Championship under a protected ranking. Five other Men's Singles contenders do, as well.
By contrast, 15 players on the Ladies' Singles entry list merit Special Ranking. This is a Wimbledon-only ranking system that considers players' lawn tennis performance, as well as ATP-WTA rankings. Emma Raducanu will appear in this year's Wimbledon Order of Play with a Special Ranking.
Typically, Wimbledon officials 'seed' the top-ranked players. Even people who are not ardent tennis fans likely know those names. However, they might not know or understand the seeding process, or its purpose. If you're not clear on this process either, you might learn all about this year's contenders and where they might land in the Order of Play.
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Exciting Updates for Wimbledon 2024 🎊
Besides releasing the tournament' schedule outline and lists of entrants, little concrete information is available. To date, even the Wimbledon website has yet to announce prize money figures.
So, which updates do we have that generate excitement? For one, we know which channels will broadcast the matches. ESPN channels will air select matches, as well as highlights and commentary. You may also catch updates from AVC or the Tennis Channel.
Wimbledon 2024 is this tournament's 137th edition. This Championship is the oldest - and most prestigious, in the world. July 2024 will mark another chapter of Wimbledon history.
By all appearances, it's shaping up to be even more momentous than Wimbledon 2023. Will Novak Djokovic break his 2024 losing streak? Will Iga Świątek finally triumph on grass - as she does so well on clay? The days of the tournament are ahead of us; we'll have our answers - and tennis thrills, in due time.
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