When does Wimbledon start? How to get to All England Club and key dates for grass court Grand Slam
FAQWednesday, 24 June 2026 at 23:30
.The third Grand Slam tournament of the year is set to be hosted with Wimbledon set to captivate tennis fans from all around the world with one of the biggest titles in the sport up for grabs. But where is Wimbledon, and when does it take place?
The 139th edition of this iconic competition is set to get underway with another classic tournament to be hosted. The top two players on the ATP Tour, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, continued their battle at the top of the sport. This time it was Sinner who prevailed on the big stage, snatching the title away from Alcaraz. It was a much more resounding ending to the WTA event with Iga Swiatek not dropping a game against Amanda Anisimova in a ruthless final showing by the Pole. A number of players are set to make the trip to Wimbledon with an eye for glory.
Here is all the info you need to know about Wimbledon.
1. When Does Wimbledon 2026 Start?
2. Where Is Wimbledon Played? A Look at SW19
3. What Is Wimbledon? History and Significance
4. How to get to Wimbledon
5. Key Dates for the 2026 Wimbledon
6. Who Are the Defending Champions?
7. How to Get Tickets for Wimbledon 2026
8. How to Watch Wimbledon Live: TV and Streaming Info
9. What Makes Wimbledon Unique?
10. Why could Wimbledon 2026 be special?
2. Where Is Wimbledon Played? A Look at SW19
3. What Is Wimbledon? History and Significance
4. How to get to Wimbledon
5. Key Dates for the 2026 Wimbledon
6. Who Are the Defending Champions?
7. How to Get Tickets for Wimbledon 2026
8. How to Watch Wimbledon Live: TV and Streaming Info
9. What Makes Wimbledon Unique?
10. Why could Wimbledon 2026 be special?
1. When Does Wimbledon 2026 Start?
The tennis has already begun in South London with qualifying
taking place for the event. The main draw for both the ATP and WTA will
commence on Monday 29th June and will be played to Sunday 12th
July. Unlike the other Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon is played over the standard
14 days, not 15. It had ditched the no play on ‘Middle Sunday; and the
resulting ‘Manic Monday’ back in 2022, something that had made Wimbledon unique.
Instead, 14 consecutive days of jam-packed action is set to
be shown. Qualifying takes place between 20th – 25th June
with the main draw being confirmed afterwards. 128 players enter hopeful of
getting into the Grand Slam, but only 16 can prevail in the men’s and women’s
draws respectively.
2. Where Is Wimbledon Played? A Look at SW19
Like its name’s sake, Wimbledon is held in Wimbledon, London,
at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It moved to Church Road, just
north of Wimbledon town centre, in 1922 and has hosted the tournament since.
| Court | Seating Capacity | Roof? | Notes |
| Centre Court | 14,979 | Yes | Main show court; hosts the finals and biggest matches. |
| No. 1 Court | 12,345 | Yes | Second-largest show court. |
| No. 2 Court | 4,000 | No | Famous for notable upsets. |
| No. 3 Court | 2,000 | No | Fourth-largest court. |
| Court 12 | ~1,736 | No | Popular outside court with substantial seating and a lively atmosphere. |
| Court 18 | ~782 | No | The smallest of the show courts |
There are a total of 18 courts at SW19. Along that is a number of practice courts for players to perfect their craft and fan village which makes it the place to be.
Wimbledon will host another year of Grand Slam action.
3. What Is Wimbledon? History and Significance
Wimbledon has a very significant history. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world while being widely viewed as a very prestigious event on top of its Grand Slam status. The first ever Wimbledon Championships took place way back in 1887. Seven years later, women's singles men's doubles entered the fray. Women's doubles would come along with mixed doubles in 1913.
The venue changed from Worple Road to Church Road in 1922 and is still there today. It was suspended for both World War's with Centre Court damaged by bombing in the second World War. In 1968, it became the first Grand Slam of the Open Era, a huge change which allowed professionals to compete.
It is the final Grand Slam to introduce equal pay for both men and women. Venus Williams was a huge catalyst for this change as they followed in the footsteps of the US Open (1973), Australian Open (2001) and French Open (2006).
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It is the only major tournament to be played on grass, making it very unique. Both Centre Court and No. 1 Court has retractable roofs, Centre Court introduced in 2009 while No. 1 Courtfollowed in stead back in 2019.
4. How to get to Wimbledon
Being in London, the tube is an effective way of transport to get close to Wimbledon. Take the District Line to Southfields Station with a 15-minute walk to the facilities. If going via the train, Wimbledon station is the place to get off, leaving you a 20-minute walk away.
There is a dedicated Championships shuttle bus runs between Wimbledon Station and the All England Club during the tournament. It takes 5-10 minutes with fares costing £4, or £6.50 return. Return buses leave from Car Park 1 on Somerset Road.
Parking must be pre-booked with spots sparse in the busiest times of the tournament. A Park & Ride service operates from Morden Park during the Championships. Shared taxi services with fixed fares operate from Southfields station and Wimbledon station are also in use albeit traffic could crop up.
5. Key Dates for the 2026 Wimbledon
| Stage | Dates |
| Qualifying rounds | Monday 22 June – Thursday 25 June 2026 |
| Main draw ceremony | Friday 26 June 2026 |
| Main draw begins | Monday 29 June 2026 |
| Round 1 | Monday 29 June – Tuesday 30 June 2026 |
| Round 2 | Wednesday 1 July – Thursday 2 July 2026 |
| Round 3 | Friday 3 July – Saturday 4 July 2026 |
| Round of 16 | Sunday 5 July – Monday 6 July 2026 |
| Quarterfinals | Tuesday 7 July – Wednesday 8 July 2026 |
| Semifinals | Thursday 9 July – Friday 10 July 2026 |
| Women’s Final | Saturday 11 July 2026 |
| Men’s Final | Sunday 12 July 2026 |
Unlike other Grand Slams, there is just one session going on throughout the day. Matches on Centre Court and No. 1 Court continue into the night with a curfew at 11pm.
6. Who Are the Defending Champions?
In the men's Jannik Sinner won a first Wimbledon title last year after getting the better of two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in a thrilling final. He will look to make it a brace of titles with Alcaraz not involved due to an ongoing wrist injury.
There was also a new winner in the women's tournament. Iga Swiatek showed her very best tennis at a crucial time, defeating Amanda Anisimvoa 6-0, 6-0 in a brutal final display. There has been nine different winners in the prior nine editions.
Iga Swiatek kisses Wimbledon trophy after coming out on top at SW19
Wimbledon – Men's Singles Winners (2000–2025)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 2000 | Pete Sampras | Patrick Rafter | 6–7(10–12), 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2001 | Goran Ivanišević | Patrick Rafter | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 |
| 2002 | Lleyton Hewitt | David Nalbandian | 6–1, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2003 | Roger Federer | Mark Philippoussis | 7–6(7–5), 6–2, 7–6(7–3) |
| 2004 | Roger Federer | Andy Roddick | 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 6–4 |
| 2005 | Roger Federer | Andy Roddick | 6–2, 7–6(7–2), 6–4 |
| 2006 | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 6–0, 7–6(7–5), 6–7(2–7), 6–3 |
| 2007 | Roger Federer | Rafael Nadal | 7–6(9–7), 4–6, 7–6(7–3), 2–6, 6–2 |
| 2008 | Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer | 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7 |
| 2009 | Roger Federer | Andy Roddick | 5–7, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 16–14 |
| 2010 | Rafael Nadal | Tomáš Berdych | 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic | Rafael Nadal | 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 2012 | Roger Federer | Andy Murray | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2013 | Andy Murray | Novak Djokovic | 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2014 | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer | 6–7(7–9), 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 6–4 |
| 2015 | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer | 7–6(7–1), 6–7(10–12), 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2016 | Andy Murray | Milos Raonic | 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2) |
| 2017 | Roger Federer | Marin Čilić | 6–3, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 2018 | Novak Djokovic | Kevin Anderson | 6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–3) |
| 2019 | Novak Djokovic | Roger Federer | 7–6(7–5), 1–6, 7–6(7–4), 4–6, 13–12(7–3) |
| 2020 | No tournament (COVID-19) | — | — |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic | Matteo Berrettini | 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2022 | Novak Djokovic | Nick Kyrgios | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–3) |
| 2023 | Carlos Alcaraz | Novak Djokovic | 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 2024 | Carlos Alcaraz | Novak Djokovic | 6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–4) |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | Carlos Alcaraz | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
Wimbledon – Women's Singles Winners (2000–2025)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 2000 | Venus Williams | Lindsay Davenport | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| 2001 | Venus Williams | Justine Henin | 6–1, 3–6, 6–0 |
| 2002 | Serena Williams | Venus Williams | 7–6(7–4), 6–3 |
| 2003 | Serena Williams | Venus Williams | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2004 | Maria Sharapova | Serena Williams | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 2005 | Venus Williams | Lindsay Davenport | 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 9–7 |
| 2006 | Amélie Mauresmo | Justine Henin | 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2007 | Venus Williams | Marion Bartoli | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 2008 | Venus Williams | Serena Williams | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2009 | Serena Williams | Venus Williams | 7–6(7–3), 6–2 |
| 2010 | Serena Williams | Vera Zvonareva | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2011 | Petra Kvitová | Maria Sharapova | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2012 | Serena Williams | Agnieszka Radwańska | 6–1, 5–7, 6–2 |
| 2013 | Marion Bartoli | Sabine Lisicki | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 2014 | Petra Kvitová | Eugenie Bouchard | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2015 | Serena Williams | Garbiñe Muguruza | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2016 | Serena Williams | Angelique Kerber | 7–5, 6–3 |
| 2017 | Garbiñe Muguruza | Venus Williams | 7–5, 6–0 |
| 2018 | Angelique Kerber | Serena Williams | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2019 | Simona Halep | Serena Williams | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2020 | No tournament (COVID-19) | — | — |
| 2021 | Ashleigh Barty | Karolína Plíšková | 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 |
| 2022 | Elena Rybakina | Ons Jabeur | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2023 | Markéta Vondroušová | Ons Jabeur | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2024 | Barbora Krejčíková | Jasmine Paolini | 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 |
| 2025 | Iga Świątek | Amanda Anisimova | 6–0, 6–0 |
7. How to Get Tickets for Wimbledon 2026
The main way of getting tickets is via the ballot. It usually opens between August-September the year before Wimbledon. If successful, tickets are offered randomly. It is the most common way, but highly competitive with many fans wanting to go. Closer to the tournament, tickets can be resoled and snatched up on the Wimbledon website. These are not overly common and when a ticket pops up, you need to be quick in getting it.
A famous Wimbledon tradition is the queue. Fans arrive very early in the morning or even stay overnight before the queues open and fans wander into the grounds, gaining a ticket to roam the grounds and if lucky one of the show courts.
8. How to Watch Wimbledon Live: TV and Streaming Info
| Countries | Broadcaster |
| United Kingdom | BBC |
| United States | ESPN / ESPN International / Tennis Channel |
| Canada | RDS |
| Australia | Channel 9 / Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | ESPN / Disney+ |
| Austria, Germany | Prime Video |
| Andorra, Spain | Movistar Plus+ |
| Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden | Eurosport + HBO Max streaming |
| Ireland (TBC), other partial European sublicensing markets | Eurosport |
| Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City | Sky Italia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia | Sport Klub |
| Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey | S Sport / S Sport Plus |
| Albania | Digit-Alb |
| Denmark | DR |
| Cyprus | Cytavision |
| Greece | Novasports |
| Kosovo | Artmotion |
| Moldova, Ukraine | Setanta Sports |
| Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia | TV Arena Sport |
| Serbia | RTS1 / RTS2 |
| Switzerland | SRF / RTS / RSI |
| Poland | Telewizja Polsat |
| Portugal | SportTV |
| Malta | TSN |
| Netherlands | Ziggo (TBC) |
| France | beIN Sports France |
| Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen | beIN Sports MENA |
| Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe | SuperSport |
| Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles | Canal+ Sport 5 / Canal+ Sport |
| Israel | The Sports Channel |
| India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | Star Sports / JioHotstar |
| Bangladesh, Pakistan (additional platforms) | Gazi TV / Rabbithole / myco / SHOQ (TBC) |
| China | Tencent Sports / SMG / CMG |
| Hong Kong | Now TV |
| Chinese Taipei | SPORTCAST |
| Japan | NHK / WOWOW |
| South Korea | tvN SPORTS |
| Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei, Macau, Mongolia | SPOTV |
| Malaysia (additional) | Astro (TBC) |
| Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan | S Sport / S Sport Plus |
| American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa | TVWAN Sports |
| Fiji | FBC |
9. What Makes Wimbledon Unique?
There is so many different things that make Wimbledon what it is. For a start, it is the only Grand Slam on grass. A whole new group of contenders will lineup as they look to capitalise on this situation. It is the fastest surface played on, with exhilarating contests favouring big servers and aggressive players.
Fans also may realise that all the players wear white. It has been a tradition in the tournament since 1877 with the organisers over the year staking stricter steps to keeping that tradition. On top of that, another white thing takes command. Paired with strawberries, that and cream make an iconic duo and is a popular snack to have when on site. Fans consume over 28,000 kg of strawberries and thousands of litres of fresh cream during the two-week event.
Being in England, it is handy that the two main courts have roofs due to the imminent threat of rain. On top of that, the forementioned curfew can provisionally end matches in the evening. We will not be seeing any 4am finishes like the Australian Open. There are also no night sessions or separate tickets. You have a ticket for Centre Court, that can be used throughout the whole day.
You also cannot forget Rufus the Hawk. Wimbledon have got a trained Harris hawk to divert the attention of other British wildlife such as pigeons. He is so famous that he has social media pages.
10. Why could Wimbledon 2026 be special?
- Wimbledon itself is special. A Grand Slam to start things off, it is one of the four biggest and most treasured tournaments on the ATP and WTA calendar while being hugely prestigious with a huge load of history.
- New challengers are set to make their mark. Sinner and Novak Djokovic are the only active former champions in the field. If they are set to demise, then a new winner could be etched on the ATP trophy. Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev and Flavio Cobolli are among the challengers with young talents Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Rafael Jodar names to keep an eye on.
- It is a lot more wide open in the women's tournament. After a new Grand Slam champion was crowned in Paris, there are high chances that this could occur once more. Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek are the only two players in the top 10 who have won here before. Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva is back for more with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka still without a Grand Slam title this year and at Wimbledon.
- The traditions that still remain in place give Wimbledon a very special and iconic feeling that fans have synonymised the tournament with for years. An influx of British fans will make their way to South London to support their challengers. Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are the notable Brits in action.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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