Tickets for Wimbledon are some of the hottest in town but there is nevertheless plenty of empty seats in courts around SW19.
More than half a million fans are expected to attend the Championships this summer as the best tennis players in the world battle for arguably the most prestigious Grand Slam title.
It has become common for fans on the ground and spectators watching on TV to express surprise at the number of empty seats in the stands for a tournament that is technically sold out.
Thousands of people queue for hours to get tickets on the day so it can be a curious sight to see empty seats in front of the best players on the planet.
A lack of bums on seats can even be noticeable on Centre Court and in games featuring the likes of defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz and local favourites Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu.
Why are there empty seats at Wimbledon?
Many of the empty seats have been in the Royal Box on Wimbledon’s iconic Centre Court, which is generally reserved for corporate attendees or members of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Those attending often take advantage of the bars and restaurants at Wimbledon so may miss parts of games.
This also applies to general punters, who are able to come in and out of games for a comfort break or beverages which can lead to empty seats, especially at the start of matches or new sets.
Wimbledon has also previously been affected by technical issues which have made the re-sale of tickets difficult.
In 2022, for example, technical issues meant tickets were unable to be re-sold once spectators had decided to leave Centre Court.
A large number of hospitality tickets are allocated to partners and businesses and this may also explain the decision of less hardcore fans to ‘drop in and drop out of the tennis’.
Paul Miller, the founder of Eden Mill, the official gin partner to the LTA, told The Guardian: ‘The ability to have the peaceful little bit of time away from all the hubbub around Wimbledon where there’s a lot of noise and a lot of action going on and being able to step outside and be looked after for a brief time in between matches … in that [hospitality] area.
‘The ability to be able to drop in and drop out of the tennis, see as much or as little as you want, and also in our case where we’re hosting a lot of guests – to be able to allow them to do as they wish.’
Some outside courts may also have empty seats in the first half of the day whilst visitors are still outside the grounds waiting in the queue.
Are Wimbledon tickets still available?
While all the Public Ballot tickets have been allocated, it’s still possible to queue on the day.
Thousands of Ground Passes are up for grabs each day, priced at £30 (reduced prices from day nine onwards), plus 500 ‘premium seats’ on Centre Court, Court No 1 and Court No 2.
The Grounds Passes enable you to access all outside courts including No.3 Court, Court 12 and Court 18, as well as The Hill, where action is shown on a big screen from Centre and No.1 Courts.
If you reach the front of the queue and there are only grounds passes left, fans can try the ticket resale kiosk once inside the grounds, located north of Court 18, who sell a number of resale tickets for the show courts.
To be sure of getting in, it’s best to join the queue by 9am at the absolute latest (much earlier or overnight if you’re hoping for a show court ticket), and do be prepared to be in it for several hours. You’ll be given a ticket with a number so you can pop to the portaloos if needed.
How to watch Wimbledon 2025
The BBC remains the principal broadcaster of Wimbledon and you can follow all the action for free on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
In previous years, both the BBC and Eurosport have shown the singles finals but in 2025 it will be the BBC and TNT Sports broadcasting them.
Clare Balding is set to lead the BBC’s presenting team and you can expect to see the likes of Tim Henman, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova working on their coverage too.
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