The public ballot
The Wimbledon public ballot is a free lottery run by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. You apply through a myWimbledon account during the application window, which typically opens in September and closes around mid-September the year before the tournament. Results follow the next spring.
Only one application is allowed per household, and applying unsuccessfully in previous years doesn’t improve your odds. Roughly one in ten applicants is drawn. If you’re successful, you’re offered tickets at face value, currently around £75 to £100 in the early rounds rising to £240 to £315 for the finals, but you don’t get to choose which day or which court. The ballot allocates you a seat; it doesn’t let you pick a match.
The Queue
The Queue is Wimbledon’s other public route, and it’s as famous as the tournament itself. It forms in Wimbledon Park, a five-minute walk from Southfields station, and everyone who joins is given a dated, numbered Queue Card marking their exact place in line.
Around 500 tickets each are held back daily for Centre Court, No.1 Court and No.2 Court, for roughly the first ten days of the Championships. Centre Court isn’t sold through the Queue at all during the final four days. The grounds themselves are capped at 42,000 people, so once that’s reached, entry runs on a one-in-one-out basis as people leave. Up to 10,000 numbered cards are issued on a busy day, and getting one is no guarantee of getting in.
Tickets go on sale from around 9:45am, with the grounds opening at 10am. Overnight camping is allowed, in two-person tents only, and a myWimbledon account is required to buy on the day. Arriving at dawn can still mean missing out on Centre Court; arriving the evening before is common for anyone determined to get one.
Debenture tickets, the resale route
Wimbledon debentures are a long-standing system separate from the ballot and the Queue. Debenture holders commit to a five-year holding tied to Centre Court or No.1 Court, and as part of that arrangement, they are permitted to resell their own seats. This is a fully legitimate secondary market, not a grey area, and it’s the only one of the three routes where you choose your day and your court in advance.
This is what Tennis Ticket Service deals in. We don’t take part in the ballot and we don’t queue on anyone’s behalf. Every ticket we sell comes from a debenture holder’s own allocation, with seats guaranteed together and access to the Debenture Holders’ Lounge included.
Availability builds as the tournament approaches, since it depends on individual holders choosing to sell rather than a fixed release date. Early rounds tend to have the most choice; the closer you get to the finals, the thinner the availability, particularly for Centre Court.
Which route actually gets you in
The ballot costs nothing to enter but succeeds for roughly one in ten applicants, and even then you don’t choose your match. The Queue costs nothing but your time, and for Centre Court on a popular day that time can mean arriving the night before with no guarantee of a ticket at the end of it. A debenture ticket costs more than either, but it’s the one route where the outcome is certain before you make any plans.
If you already know which day and which court you want, that certainty is usually worth more than the odds.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Wimbledon ballot open?
The public ballot typically opens in September and closes around mid-September, the year before the tournament. Results are sent out the following spring.
How does the Wimbledon Queue work?
You join a line in Wimbledon Park and receive a numbered Queue Card marking your place. Around 500 tickets each are available daily for Centre Court, No.1 Court and No.2 Court for roughly the first ten days, with no show court tickets sold through the Queue in the final four days.
When can I buy Wimbledon tickets through resale?
Debenture tickets become available progressively as the tournament approaches, since holders decide individually when to sell. There’s no single release date. Early rounds usually have the widest choice, and Centre Court availability narrows fastest as the finals get closer.
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