Wimbledon Tennis - Tickets, Trophies & Prize Money

Tickets: The majority of centre and show court tickets sold to the general public are made available by a public ballot that the All England Club holds at the start of the year. A ballot for tickets has been held since 1924. The ballot has always been substantially oversubscribed. Successful applicants are selected at random by a computer.

The All England Club, through its subsidiary The All England Lawn Tennis Ground plc, issues Debentures to tennis fans every five years to raise funds for capital expenditure. Fans who invest thus in the club receive a pair of tickets for every day of the Wimbledon Championships for the five years the investment lasts. Only debenture holders are permitted to sell on their tickets to third parties, although for many years ticket touts have made a habit of illegally purchasing tickets allocated to non-debenture holders in the draw and selling them for a profit. Demand for debentures has increased in recent years, to such an extent that they are even traded on the London Stock Exchange.

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament where fans without tickets for play can queue up and still get seats on Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2. Sequentially numbered queue cards were introduced in 2003. From 2008, there is a single queue, allotted about 500 seats for each court. When they join the queue, fans are handed queue cards. Anyone who then wishes to leave the queue temporarily, even if in possession of a queue card, must agree their position with the others nearby in the queue and/or a steward.

To get into the show courts, fans will normally have to queue overnight at Wimbledon. This is done by fans from all over the world and is considered part of the Wimbledon experience in itself. The All-England Club allows overnight queueing and provides toilet and water facilities for campers. Those planning to queue overnight are advised to bring a tent and sleeping bag. Should a camper be successful in obtaining a ticket, the Club also provides unattended baggage storage where items not allowed into the grounds (including camping equipment such as tents) can be left while matches are in progress.

Times to queue up vary according to the weather, but anyone queueing up before 9 pm on a weekday should be able to get a show court ticket. Early in the morning when the line moves towards the Grounds, stewards walk along the line and hand out wristbands that are colour-coded to the specific court. The wrist band (and some cash) is exchanged at the ticket office for the ticket when the grounds open. Queuing for the show courts ends after the quarter finals have been completed.

At 2.40pm on Day Seven (Monday 28 June) of the 2010 Championships, the one-millionth numbered Wimbledon queue card was handed out to Rose Stanley from South Africa.
General admission to the grounds gives access to the outer courts and is possible without queuing overnight. Tickets returned by people leaving early go on sale at 2:30pm. The money goes to charity.

Trophies: The Gentlemen's Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches (about 47 cm) in height and 7.5 inches (about 19 cm) in diameter. The trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World." The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish", or simply the "Rosewater Dish". The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology. The winners of the Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups. The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, The Duke of Kent.

Prize Money: Prize money was first awarded in 1968, the first year that professional players were allowed to compete in the Championships. Before 2007, among grand slam tournaments, Wimbledon and the French Open awarded more prize money in men's events than in women's events. In 2007, Wimbledon changed this policy, giving the same money for both events. The decision has been controversial as women spend approximately half the amount of time on court as men during the tournament due to them playing only three sets, therefore earning considerably more per hour than their male counterparts.

In 2009, a total of £12,500,000 in prize money was awarded with the singles champions receiving £850,000 each, an increase of 13.3 percent on 2008. For the 2010 Championships, the total prize money increased to £13,725,000, and the singles champions received £1,000,000 each. For the 2011 Wimbledon Championships it has been announced that the total prize money will be £14,600,000 an increase of 6.4% from 2010. Both male and female singles champion’s prize money will also increase to £1,100,000, a rise of 10% on the previous year.

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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Wimbledon Tennis – Broadcasting

Wimbledon on Radio: Before the start of the tournament on Friday, Radio Wimbledon can be heard within a five-mile radius on 87.7 FM, and also online. It runs under a Restricted Service Licence and is arguably the most sophisticated RSL annually in the UK. The main presenters are Ali Barton and Sam Lloyd. Typically they work alternate four-hour shifts. Reporters and commentators include Nick Lestor, Gigi Salmon, Rupert Bell, Nigel Bidmead, Guy Swindells, Lucie Ahl, Nadine Towell and Helen Whitaker. Often they report from the "Crow's Nest", an elevated building housing the Court 3 and 4 scoreboards which affords views of most of the outside courts. Regular guests include Sue Mappin. In recent years Radio Wimbledon acquired a second low-power FM frequency (within the grounds only) of 96.3 FM for uninterrupted Centre Court commentary, and, from 2006, a third for coverage from No. 1 Court on 97.8 FM. Hourly news bulletins and travels (using RDS) is also broadcast.

Coverage on Television: The BBC has broadcast the tournament on television in the UK, starting in 1937. The matches covered are split between its two main terrestrial channels, BBC One and BBC Two. The BBC holds the broadcast rights for Wimbledon until 2014 and it distributes its commercial-free feed to outlets worldwide. During the days of British Satellite Broadcasting, its sports channel carried extra coverage of Wimbledon for subscribers. One of the most notable British commentators was Dan Maskell, who was known as the BBC's "voice of tennis" until his retirement in 1991. Other regular commentators on UK television include British ex-players Greg Rusedski, Andrew Castle, Tim Henman and Annabel Croft; and guest veterans such as Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Tracy Austin. The coverage is presented by Sue Barker and highlights with John Inverdale. Previous BBC presenters include Des Lynam, David Vine and Harry Carpenter.

Complaints about Television coverage: In 2011 the BBC was forced to apologise after many viewers complained about "over-talking" by its commentary team during the TV coverage of the event. It said in a statement that views on commentary were subjective but that they "do appreciate that over-talking can irritate our audience". The BBC added that it hoped it had achieved "the right balance" across its coverage and was "of course sorry if on occasion you have not been satisfied". Tim Henman and John McEnroe were among the ex-players commentating.

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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Wimbledon Tennis - Traditions

Ball boys and Ball Girls (BBGs): In Wimbledon, ball boys and girls, known as BBGs, play an important role in the smooth running of the tournament, with a brief that a good BBG "should not be seen. They should blend into the background and get on with their jobs quietly."

From 1947 ball boys were supplied by Goldings, the only Barnardos school to provide them. Previous to this, from the 1920s onwards, the ball boys had been provided by The Shaftsbury Children's Home. Since 1969, BBGs have been provided by local schools. As of 2008 they are drawn from schools in the London boroughs of Merton, Sutton, Kingston and Wandsworth, as well as from Surrey. Traditionally, Wandsworth Boys Grammar School in Sutherland Grove, Southfields and Mayfield Girls School on West Hill in Wandsworth, both now defunct, were the schools of choice for selection of BBGs. This was possibly owing to their proximity to the All England Club. BBGs have an average age of 15, being drawn from the school years nine and ten. BBGs will serve for one, or if re-selected, two tournaments.

In year 2005, BBGs work in crews of six, two at the net, four at the corners, and crews rotate one hour on court, one hour off, (two hours depending on the court) for the day's play. Crews are not told which court they will be working on the day, to ensure the same standards across all courts. As of 2008, the number of BBGs required is around 250. BBG service is paid, with a total of £120-£160 being paid to each ball boy or girl after the 13-day period. Along with this it is seen as a privilege, and seen as a valuable addition to a school leaver's curriculum vitae, showing discipline. BBG places are split 50:50 between boys and girls, with girls having been used since 1977, appearing on centre court since 1985.

Prospective BBGs are first nominated by their school head teacher, to be considered for selection. To be selected, a candidate must pass written tests on the rules of tennis, and pass fitness, mobility and other suitability tests, against initial preliminary instruction material. Successful candidates then commence a training phase, starting in February, in which the final BBGs are chosen through continual assessment. As of 2008, this training intake was 600. The training includes weekly sessions of physical, procedural and theoretical instruction, to ensure that the BBGs are fast, alert, self confident and adaptable to situations. As of 2011, early training occurs at the Wimbledon all lawn tennis club covered courts, to the side of the Grounds, and then moves to outside courts (8, 10, 11) after Easter for a feel of the grass court.

Colours and uniforms: Dark green and purple (sometimes also referred to as mauve) are the traditional Wimbledon colours. However, all tennis players participating in the tournament are required to wear all-white or at least almost all-white clothing, a long-time tradition at Wimbledon. Wearing white clothing with some color accents is also acceptable. Green clothing was worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls until the 2005 Championships; however, beginning with the 2006 Championships, officials, ball boys and ball girls were dressed in new navy blue- and cream-coloured uniforms from American designer Ralph Lauren. This marked the first time in the history of the Championships that an outside company was used to design Wimbledon clothing. Wimbledon's contract with Polo Ralph Lauren is set to last until 2015.

Referring to players: Before 2009 female players were referred by the title "Miss" or "Mrs" on scoreboards. As dictated by strict rule of etiquette, married female players are referred to by their husbands' names: for example, Chris Evert-Lloyd appeared on scoreboards as "Mrs. J. M. Lloyd" during her marriage to John Lloyd, since "Mrs. X" essentially designates "The Wife of X". This tradition has continued at least to some extent. For the first time during the 2009 tournament, players were referred to on scoreboards by both their first and last names, for example "Andy Murray", not "A. Murray".

The title "Mr" is not used for male players who are professionals on scoreboards but the prefix is retained for amateurs, although chair umpires refer to players as "Mr" when they use the replay challenge. The chair umpire will say "Mr is challenging the call.." and "Mr has X challenges remaining." However, the umpires still say Miss when announcing the score of the Ladies matches.

If a match is being played with two competitors of the same surname (e.g. Venus and Serena Williams, Bob and Mike Bryan), the chair umpire will specify whom they are referring to by stating the player's first name and surname during announcements (e.g. "Game, Miss Serena Williams", "Advantage, Mike Bryan").

Royal Family: Previously, players bowed or curtsied to members of the Royal Family seated in the Royal Box upon entering or leaving Centre Court. In 2003, however, the President of the All England Club, His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, decided to discontinue the tradition. Now, players are required to bow or curtsy only if Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales is present, as was in practice during the 2010 Championships when the Queen was in attendance at Wimbledon on 24 June.

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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Wimbledon Tennis - Events & Schedule

Wimbledon includes five main events, four junior events and four invitation events.

The five main events, and the number of players (or teams, in the case of doubles) include the following: Gentlemen's Singles (128 draw), Ladies Singles (128 draw), Gentlemen's Doubles (64 draw), Ladies Doubles (64 draw), Mixed Doubles (48 draw).

Four junior events also known as Chimbledon (Children's Wimbledon), the four junior events and the number of players or teams include the following: Boys Singles (64 draw), Girls Singles (64 draw), Boys Doubles (32 draw), Girls Doubles (32 draw), No mixed doubles event is held at this level.

The five invitational and the number of pairs include the following: Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles (8 pairs Round Robin), Senior Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles (8 pairs Round Robin), Ladies Invitation Doubles (8 pairs Round Robin), Gentlemen's Wheelchair Doubles (4 pairs), Ladies Wheelchair Doubles (4 pairs).

Wimbledon begins on the Monday falling between 20 and 26 June annually. Wimbledon begins two weeks after the Queen's Club Championships, which is one of the men's major warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. Another important men's warm-up tournament is the Gerry Weber Open, which is held in Halle, Germany during the same week as the Queen's Club Championships. Other important grass-court tournaments before Wimbledon are Eastbourne, England, and s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, both combining mixed events. The other women's warm-up tournament for Wimbledon is Birmingham, also in England. And to bring the grass court season to an end after the Championships each year there is a tournament held overseas at Newport, Rhode Island, US.

Wimbledon is scheduled for 13 days, beginning on a Monday and ending on a Sunday with the middle Sunday a designated rest day. The five main events span both weeks, but the youth and invitational events are held mainly during the second week. Traditionally, there is no play on the "Middle Sunday", which is considered a rest day. However, three times in the Championship's history rain has forced play on the Middle Sunday that is in 1991, 1997, and 2004. On each of these occasions, Wimbledon has staged a "People's Sunday", with unreserved seating and readily available, low rate tickets, allowing those with more limited means to sit on the show courts. Moreover, if the tournament is not completed by the end of the second Sunday, all remaining matches are postponed until "People's Monday".

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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Wimbledon Tennis - History

In 1868 The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club founded, originally as 'The All England Croquet Club'. It is a private club. Its first ground was at off Worple Road, Wimbledon. In 1876, lawn tennis, a game arranged by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so earlier and originally called 'Sphairistike', was added to the activities of the club. In the spring of 1877, the club was re-named 'The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club' and signaled its change of name by instituting the first Lawn Tennis Championship. A new code of laws (replacing the code until then administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club) was drawn up for the event. Today's rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.

The only event held in 1877 was the Gentlemen's Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22. About 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final.

The lawns at the ground were ordered in such a way that the principal court was situated in the middle with the others arranged around it; hence the title 'Centre Court', which was retained when the Club moved in 1922 to the present site in Church Road, although not a true description of its location. However, in 1980 four new courts were brought into commission on the north side of the ground, which meant the Centre Court was once more correctly defined. The opening of the new No. 1 Court in 1997 emphasised the description.

By 1882, the word 'croquet' was dropped from the title. However, for sentimental reasons, it was restored in 1899 and since then the title has remained The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. In 1884, the All England Club added Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles. Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913. Until 1922, the reigning champion had to play only in the final, against whoever had won through to challenge him/her. As with the other three Grand Slam events, Wimbledon was contested by top-ranked amateur players until the advent of the open era in tennis in 1968. No British man has won the singles event at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and no British woman has won the Ladies Singles since Virginia Wade in 1977, although Annabel Croft and Laura Robson won the Girls' Championship in 1984 and 2008, respectively. The Championship was first televised in 1937.

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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Wimbledon Tennis - Intro

Wimbledon, or The Championships, is the oldest and prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Wimbledon has been organised at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments; the other three being the Australian Open, French Open and US Open. Wimbledon is the only Major played on grass till now.

Wimbledon is played over two weeks in late June and early July, ending with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled respectively for the second Saturday and Sunday. Each year, five major events are played, as well as four junior events and three invitational events.

The hard court (Plexicushion) Australian Open and clay court French Open precede Wimbledon in the calendar year. The hard court (DecoTurf) US Open follows. For men, the grass court Queen's Club Championships, also in London, as well as the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, serve as warm-up events. For women, the AEGON Classic in Birmingham and 2 joint events, the UNICEF Open in s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands and the Eastbourne International serve as warm-up events to Wimbledon.

Wimbledon traditions include a strict dress code for competitors, the eating of strawberries and cream by the spectators, and Royal patronage. The tournament is also notable for the absence of sponsor advertising around the courts. In 2009, Wimbledon's Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to prevent rain delaying and interrupting Centre Court matches during the tournament.

Wimbledon 2012 will be held on 25 June - 8 July 2012 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Tennis fans get ready for this extravaganza sporting event in England. Wimbledon Tickets are available at Ticket Royale at affordable price.

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