Often, tennis fans are only alerted to the fact that Wimbledon is fast approaching when the world’s top players start making headline news in Wimbledon’s ‘warm up’ tournaments. It’s also about this time that those without a ticket start worrying whether they’ve left it too late to get one. Fortunately, there is more than one way of getting tickets for Wimbledon so you won't need to miss out on the excitement and atmosphere of a day at this prestigious tennis event.


Forward planning – enter the ballot

One way of getting tickets for Wimbledon is via the public ballot. However, to be in with a chance of watching your favorite stars playing on the show courts, you’ll need to do some forward planning. Since the ballot is normally held between August and December the previous year, you should register with British Tennis, where, for a fee of £25 (at the time of writing), you'll be given free entry into the Wimbledon ballot and if picked, you will have the chance of buying a ticket. Such tickets are non-transferable, therefore they can’t be sold on or transferred to anyone else.

On the day – at the turnstile

Don’t worry if you’ve missed out on the ballot, as Wimbledon is one of the rare sporting events where tickets can be purchased on the day. By queuing early, or better still overnight, you stand a chance of securing coveted Centre, Number 1 or Number 2 court tickets. However, you must be among the first 500 in the queue. After that, the next 6,000 fans will have the option of buying ground court tickets, which are still great value and give you access to all the outside courts. And if you miss out on the general ticket sale at the turnstile, by the late afternoon it’s possible to buy resale tickets which have been handed in by spectators leaving early.

Purchasing on-line

If queuing up overnight doesn’t appeal to you, then purchasing tickets from the comfort of your armchair via your laptop may seem an easier option. On-line Wimbledon tickets are available through the website Ticketmaster who issue a few hundred “print your own” e-tickets each day for the following day’s matches. By registering to receive Wimbledon e-mail newsletters, you’ll be sent early details of when these tickets are available.

Debenture tickets for the best seats

For the best seats at Wimbledon you will need to buy a Debenture ticket and these naturally come with a high price tag. However, they do offer good value for money. They are likely to cost anything upwards from £350, but for this sum you are guaranteed  unrivalled views of the main show courts for the first ten days of the Championships. Plus you’ll receive a few fringe benefits such as exclusive access to dining and restaurant facilities. Debenture seat details are available from late May each year and you may be able to purchase them through corporate hospitality packages or overseas package tours. Debenture tickets are transferable and can legally be sold onto other non-ticket holders.

Getting tickets for Wimbledon isn’t always easy. However, for those who are determined to watch live tennis, there are several methods available for would be spectators. Whether it’s striking lucky with the public ballot, splashing out for Debenture tickets or queuing on the day, a ticket for Wimbledon will grant you entry to an historic tennis tournament and an eventful day you’ll always remember.